Minnie (Alderman) Mills (1860-1956)

ALDERMAN, MILLS, RUHE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/1/2014 at 21:00:56

From unknown newspaper July 1956

Nevada's beautiful "City of the Dead" became the resting place of the last member of the immediate family of Nevada's Founders, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Alderman, when the body of Mrs. Minnie Mills was interred at 11 o'clock Tuesday morning.

The Rev. Robert Spender of the Nevada Central Presbyterian Church, officiated at the prayer service at the graveside.

Teh death of Minnie A. Mills occurred in the P. E. O. Home in Mt. Pleasant, Saturday morning July 21 at the age of 96 years, one month, nine days. She had been a resident of the P. E. O. Home for about sixteen years.

Funeral services were held from the R. R. Crane Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant at 2 o'clock with the Rev. Owen Wilson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant, officiating. The funeral cortege to the Nevada Cemetery arrived in Nevada Tuesday morning.

Born in Nevada, July 12, 1860, a daughter of Theodore and Hannah Alderman, who had settled in Nevada when the town was laid out in June of 853, Mrs. Mills had become identified with Nevada at her birth in a log cabin on the prairie side nearly century ago.

Daughter of the first merchant, first postmaster, School Commissioner, and for many years prominent citizen, Mrs. Mills had become indoctrinated with the spirit of loyalty and civic interest in Nevada, early in life, an interest that never waned, even in her later years.

At ninety-three years of ave, Mrs. Mills wrote a most interesting account of "The Beginnings of Nevada" for the Centennial Edition of the Nevada Evening Journal which was read with great appreciation and absorbing interests.

This last member of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Alderman, is survived by one son, Dr. Frederick Mills of Chicago, two granddaughters and five great grandchildren.

The husband and father, Joseph A. Mills, former county treasurer and long time Nevada banker, died in 1928, the son, Joseph Alderman Mills in 1928, and one son died in infancy.

Among those from out-of-town who were in attendance at the graveside services were Dr. and Mrs. Frederick T. Mills of Chicago, and the granddaughter, Barbara and her husband Dr. Robert Ruhe, who is on the Iowa State College staff and their daughter, Robin, from Ames.

Others from out-of-town were Dr. and Mrs. Austin Dowell of St. Paul, Minn.; Mrs. Ethel Probst and her sister, Mrs. Frank Ganoe of Boone; Mrs. Henry (Gertrude Probst) Sandahl; Mr. and Mrs. George Armstrong of Perry, Mrs. Sadie Sowers of Ames and possibly others.

A number of long-time friends of the Mills family from Nevada and community were also present at the graveside services.