Representative Oliver Mills View All Years

HON. OLIVER MILLS.

MR. SPEAKER—Your committee appointed to draft resolutions upon the life, character and public services of Hon. Oliver Mills, an honored member of the Fourteenth General Assembly, beg leave to report the following:

WHEREAS, Hon. Oliver Mills, a pioneer settler of southeastern and later of southwestern, Iowa, who was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, on the 2d day of February, 1820, departed this life at his home in Lewis, Iowa, on the 6th day of July, 1907, and

WHEREAS, The unique character of this sketch, at the age of about thirty years, removed from the county of his birth to Denmark, Lee county, Iowa, where he resided for some seven years, when he removed to the county of Cass where he was destined to live a long and eventful life, and where for fifty years his life and energies were actively devoted to the up-building of a great state. In early life he was a member of the Presbyterian church, but the latter part of his earthly existence was devoted to his Master’s cause as a loyal and consistent member of the Congregational denomination. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and took a deep interest in all public enterprises and human affairs which had for their object the ennobling of human character and the betterment of his fellowman. As an honored member of the Fourteenth General Assembly of this state, his record as a painstaking and wise legislator is an open book. In politics he was a Republican who looked upon his party as an instrument for the advancement of good government among the people. For eight years he was a member of the board of trustees of the Agricultural college, during four of which he was its treasurer; for three years he was president of the State Agricultural society, and a director thereof for some twenty years; was also for many years president of the Cass County Fair association; was for three years mayor of his home town of Lewis, and was the recipient of many honors official in minor positions, in all of which he acquitted himself in all things with much credit and honor. In 1861, there marched bravely from the loving home circle of this patriotic citizen and devoted husband and father, three stalwart young sons, down into the ranks of those who were then becoming a part of that greatest of all American conflicts, and for four years did battle for the honor and protection of the united and forever inseparable state. During all this stormy period the faithful father and loyal citizen kept the fires of patriotism fiercely burning at home in a thousand different ways. After the rifted clouds of war has sunken away beyond the horizon the energies of Oliver Mills began to extend and expand in all directions and it is notorious that no other man in his section of the state become more familiar at that time with the needs of the people of that pioneer quarter of that state than did he. He was ever ready to extend a helping hand to the newcomer who had “broken home ties” and set out on life’s ocean to discover a new land in which to bring up a family into a life of usefulness. His memory for names and faces of pioneer settlers, and for the minutest details of interesting occurrences in those early days, was hardly short of marvelous. His chief interest in life was in the development of the agricultural resources of his county and state. His closing years were years of peace and quiet among his old-time friends and neighbors, all of who vied with each other to do him honor in this declining years: and

WHEREAS, the life and character of our departed friend are sufficient to command the respect and esteem of all who knew him during his long and interesting career; therefore be it

Resolved: That we extend to his family and friends our most sincere sympathy, and that a copy of these resolutions be entered upon the House Journal, and an engrossed copy thereof be sent by the Chief Clerk to the family of deceased.

C. A. MEREDITH,

E. R. ZELLER,

CURRAN F. SWIFT,

Committee.

Adopted April 9, 1909.