My Genealogy Hound

JOHN MILLS.
John Mills, deceased, who in life was a very highly esteemed citizen and good farmer of Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, was born February 26, 1820, in Carroll County, Ohio, and was a son of William Mills, who served through the War of 1812 and moved to Carroll County, Ohio, from Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he was born.

John Mills, whose portrait accompanies this sketch was reared and educated in Carroll County, Ohio, where he became a substantial farmer and lived until 1882, when he came to Shawnee County and purchased a farm in Silver Lake township, on which he resided until his death on January 22, 1892. His burial took place here.

Mr. Mills was married June 7, 1866, in Carroll County, Ohio, to Mary E. Fouts, who was born March 8, 1841, and is a daughter of George and Eleanor (Hemming) Fouts. Her father was a carpenter by trade, a worthy, industrious man. He died March 23, 1875, but his widow survived until December 22, 1900. Both rest in the burying ground near their old home in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Mills had four children, namely: Martha, who married C. W. Maupin, a farmer of Silver Lake township and has two children, Chapman W. and John Dewey; George, deceased; James H., a hardware merchant at Rossville, who married Laura D. Johnson, and has one child, a daughter,—Evelyn Eudora; and Harry E., a farmer living west of Rossville, who married Flora A. McCullough, and has one little six-year old daughter, Wilma O. The eldest son, George Mills, died at San Francisco while in a hospital, on October 13, 1899, from hardships and exposure during his service as a soldier in the Spanish-American War. He enlisted in Company I, 20th Kansas Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, under General Funston and went to the Philippines May 12, 1898, and while there performed a soldier’s full duty at Caloocan, Tulijan, Malinta, Poli, Marilao, Bigoa Guiginto, Malolas, Bagbag River, Calumpit, Grand River, Santo Tomas, San Fernando, Bacolor and Santa Rita. Many hearts were grieved at his early death.

On March 17, 1897, Mrs. Mills was married to Rezin Fowler, who was born July 1, 1825, in Floyd County, Indiana, and is a son of Richard and Docie (Miller) Fowler. The parents of Mr. Fowler were natives of Kentucky, farming people there. Later they moved to Indiana, where the father died in August, 1861, and the mother in 1863. Of their 10 children, Rezin was the only one who came to Kansas.

Mr. Fowler was reared a farmer and carried on agricultural pursuits in Washington County, Indiana, for a period of 48 years. In 1873 he came to Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, Kansas, buying a farm of 160 acres. This he operated for the next 23 years and then retired from active life, taking up his residence in a pleasant home on the corner of Walnut, street and Railroad avenue, in the village of Silver Lake. He retains a very valuable tract of 30 acres within a half mile of the town, which he has under rental.

Mr. Fowler has been twice married, first to Sarah Loughmiller, on December 15, 1849, who died March 5, 1895, and was buried in Prairie Home Cemetery. They had four children, namely: Erastus, who died in Indiana, aged three and a half years; Edwin F., a carpenter by trade, who married Maud Barnes and moved to Oregon, where he died in 1888; John L., a carpenter by trade, in business at Ottawa, Kansas, who married Fannie Bridgeford, and has two children, Carl and Morrell; and Harry A., a farmer and carpenter, living in Shawnee County, who married Eva Stockwell and has one son, Loren.

Mr. and Mrs. Fowler are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In this body he has been a trustee for a number of years. Mr. Fowler has taken no very active interest in politics since he came to Shawnee County, but in recognition of his standing and reliability he was twice elected treasurer of Silver Lake township and served with the greatest acceptability. The whole family is well known and much esteemed.