Henry Mills

  General Notes:

HENRY MILLS, son of Seth and Rebecca Mills, was born near Georgetown, Vermilion Co, Illinois, March 23, 1830. He lived continuously in the same township for sixty nine years, removing then to Newberg, Oregon, which has since been his home.
One of his earliest recollections was of knowing the love and power of God in his heart as he walked in the meadow one day when about six years old. And from that day on thru his long life he never lived without this divine love and power. He was a birthwright member of the Friends Church, and was always found in all the church services unless prevented by unusual illness or other extraordinary circumstances.
His father and only brother died when he was just entering young manhood, leaving him the care of his mother and sisters. By his habits of industry and economy he was able to provide for his family, and to have the means to help every worthy cause or person coming to his notice. Members of his family can remember almost no instance when he refused to so minister where opportunity reached him.
Being brought up in a frontier country he had little chance for an education, but by constant observance, good reading, well chosen associations, he had a well informed mind, and a most unusual interest in educational institutions, especially those under the care of the Friends Church.
In the various activities of his long and useful life, his work alone for Pacific College was a great life-work. From the very infancy of the college, he had been on of its strongest supporters. At times had he not come to its rescue with his hundreds and his thousands, it seemed that the college doors must have closed. In so doing he has builded an imperishable monument for himself in the hearts and character of the young people of his generation. "And their works do follow them."
On Nov. 10, 1852 he was united in marriage with Mary Folger, and this union was maintained almost blameless for more than sixty-six years. To them were born eight children, of whom one died in infancy. The others: Dr. Aaron Mills, and Zimri Mills, of Parma, Idaho; Seth Mills of Greenleaf, Idaho, Alpheus R. Mills, Mrs. levi E. Lewis, Mrs. Justin Haworth of Springbrook, Oregon; and the youngest son Allen G. Mills, of Chicago, Illinois.
Surviving are the wife, seven children, twenty-eight grandchildren, and twenty-three great granchildren.
(The above was furnished by Dr. Mary E. Lewis)

Early Life of Henry Mills, written by Marietta Lewis,no date, written with pencil, almost faded out. It gives early life of Henry Mills.

When I was almost twelve years old father had means to build a good house for us. I was born in a fairly good house in a crountry neighborhood called Sharon, about two miles south of Georgetown, on the frm father bought soon after his marriage. We six older children were born there. We had hills that to us children were the biggest hills in the world, tho could I seen them now they would be very small. We had a good apple orchard, I especially remember the wine apples that ripened in the fall. Later in the winter we ate white Winter Pearmains. I remember we had beech trees at one edge of a large field, and how we scrambled after the nuts when the first frosts brought them to the ground. We also had a maple grove and father made delicious syrup and sugar each spring. When I was six years old father sold this farm and bought another in a neighborhood about three miles east of this. I think he made the change in location because the meeting house, where we attended meeting and "First Day School" was in this
place where we made our new home. Elwood neighborhood. Our house here was old and not large enough for our increasing family.
Father was fairly prosperous for a farmer and in five years had enough means to build a better home. He hired competent men, made and burned bricks, and built a large substantial house. We moved into this house a few days after I was twelve years old (1870).
He also raised sorghum and in the fall would hitch a horse to a pole ten feet long, one end of which was fastened to the mill, and he would drive the horse round and round the mill. He would put the stalks of cane between the two rollers, and as the rollers were turned by the horse going round the mill the juice was squeezed out. Father would put the juice into long flat pans, and boil it until it was sweet sorghum molasses. He had a place called a furnace, which was a wall built , about two feet high, and shaped like
a letter U laid flat on the ground. He would have a good pile of wood, and would start a fire under the pan, fire enough to keep the juice...
(here the paper suddenly breaks off)

Note: the Brick House built by Henry about 1870, near Georgetown, Illinois, and lived in by his family until about 1899, was still standing and in use in 1953.

Henry married Mary Folger, daughter of Asa Folger and Elizabeth Starbuck. (Mary Folger was born on Dec 26, 1831 in Vermilion County, Illinois.)