Pike Township Family Stories
MERVIN AND DOROTHY MILLS
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 267-268
By Dorothy Lowe MillsMervin Mills and Dorothy Lowe were married and are the parents of five children.
Dan Mills has purchased a home in Hanover Park, Illinois, where he is a communications specialist.
Doug Mills is married to Renee Hazen of Nichols. They are the parents of a one-year-old son, Albert Douglas Mills. Doug is employed by HON Industries as a tool and die maker. They built a new home in Nichols.
Dee Mills is living in Abilene, Texas, and for the past five years has been manager of the Frame Factory, a custom art framing shop.
Dave Mills is married to Kim Voss of West Liberty. They are parents of two sons, four-year-old Anthony David Mills and one-year-old Ryan Joseph Mills [1984]. Dave is employed by Procter and Gamble of Iowa City. They purchased the Troutman home from Helen and John Tatge.
Dick Mills has purchased a mobile home in West Liberty and is employed at Rohner Machine Works.
Merv and Dort have spent all of their married life in Nichols except for five years in the Quad Cities. Merv is a native of Nichols and served in the Army from 1945-47. While living in the Quad Cities with their two small sons, the decision was made to return to a small town to raise their family – a decision neither has regretted.
Several years were spent on a farm west of Nichols owned by Ben Nichols. Here the children enjoyed “country freedom.” Dan and Dee were active in 4-H. Doug, Dave and Dick were in Scouting programs. Merv assisted Lynn Pruitt, Scout Master for the local club, and has many good (??) memories of Scout campouts. Dort was Den Mother for Cub Scouts for several years and finds it hard to believe she is seeing some of these same boys, now men married with small children. How time flies!
When the oldest children were high school age, Nichols was in the midst of school reorganization. For one year they had five children in four different schools in three towns. School conferences were a real challenge that year. Their home housed a Lone Tree Lion and a West Liberty Comet at the same time and survived! Dan graduated from Lone Tree High school, and Doug, Dee, Dave and Dick from West Liberty High school.
Merv and Dort purchased her parents’ home in Nichols, where they still reside. Merv continues to work at HON Industries at Muscatine. His spare time is shared between his grandsons and his hobby of restoring old cars. Dort is employed part time at the Lone Tree Care Center as an L. P. N. She enjoys restoring old furniture, and, of course, being a grandma. Merv and Dort attend the Nichols United Methodist church.
People comment on life in a small town and how everyone knows your business. Face it, it’s true! However, they also know you and are there to lend a hand when trouble strikes or just to share your happiness when good things happen. Now that our children are grown, we would like, if the Lord is willing, to continue to stay right here and enjoy “small town living.”
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Page created December 16, 2010 by Lynn McCleary