Mills, David Milan 1832-1893

MILLS

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 6/4/2006 at 16:04:47

LeMars Sentinel newspaper
Dated May 1, 1893

PIONEER D. M. MILLS DEAD

Hon. D. M. Mills, one of Plymouth county’s earliest settlers, died at 11 o’clock a.m., last Wednesday, at Sioux City, where he was taking treatment for heart trouble. He was 68 years of age and had been a resident of this county since 1857, coming to Sioux City one year prior to that. His funeral took place from his farm residence on last Saturday. It was attended by a great number of persons from Woodbury as well as Plymouth county.

David Milan Mills, the deceased, was born in Merrimac county, N.H., in 1832 and when quite young moved with the family to Michigan. At the age of fifteen, he commenced a course at Ann Arbor college. Four years later he went to San Francisco and from their sailed to South America and visited the Sandwich Islands. After his return he spent a year at Champaign, Illinois, and in 1856 came to the Missouri slope. In 1864, while a resident of Elk Point, D.T., he was elected a member of the legislature. He was also internal revenue collector for three years. In 1871, he returned to his farm in Sioux township, this county.

He was among the most popular, well posted and well-to-do pioneers of this county. His magnificent farm of 1,140 acres, in the Big Sioux bottom, is an index to his thrift and industry. From the early days to the time of his death, he was noted for his hospitality, in fact, the rule of his life was the “Golden Rule.” In sadness, will many of the early settlers read of this man’s death. While he was a success financially, his life seemed beset with many a cross and care, which of late has bowed him down.

In 1861 he was first married; by this union six children were born. One by one, these children were called from earth. The Sentinel readers will recall how that George was drowned in the Big Sioux in April, 1890, and another lost his life two years later, in a well by damps. Mrs. Mills passed away in 1881 and three years later he married again. His was an eventful life and all who knew him best, have but the kindest of comments for him.
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Alton Democrat, May 6, 1893

Hon. D. M. Mills, of Plymouth County, died at Sioux City last Wednesday,
where he had been taken treatment of heart disease. He was one of the
earliest settlers in the northwest, a big-hearted, broad gauged man and
thousands will mourn his demise.