Raymond Isaac Mills Former Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa 1956-1957

 Raymond Isaac Mills (1899–1987)

While tracing the line from Peter Mills and Mary Stanley through their sons Elias and Isaac, I discovered that Raymond Isaac Mills—Elias’s son and my 2nd grandmother Sarah Elizabeth Mills’s cousin—had almost no recorded family story.

It moved me to realize that a man who served his city so faithfully had not yet had his life shared within our family history. I felt strongly that his story needed to be written so future generations of the Mills family would know him and honor his life.

Raymond Isaac Mills (1899–1987), son of Elias Mills and Mary Jane Breece of Warren County, Iowa, was the nephew of Isaac Josephe Mills. Isaac Josephe Mills was the father of Sarah Elizabeth Mills, my 2nd grandmother. Therefore, Raymond Isaac Mills was my 2nd grandmother’s first cousin.

Raymond's Story: 

Raymond Isaac Mills was born April 2, 1899, near Liberty Center in Warren County, Iowa, the son of Elias Mills and Mary Jane Breece. He came from a long line of Midwestern pioneers. His grandfather, Peter Mills—known as “Peter Mills the hatter”—was born about 1796 and moved from Warren County, Indiana, to Iowa in 1847. Peter’s son Elias grew up in Jefferson County, Iowa, bound out to a Quaker farmer named Joel Paxton, and later fought bravely in the Civil War with the 13th Iowa Infantry, serving at Shiloh and marching with Sherman to the sea.

After the war Elias became a successful farmer, stockman, banker, and civic leader in Warren County. He married Mary Jane Breece, and among their children was Raymond Isaac Mills. Thus Raymond was born into a family known for hard work, military service, and public responsibility.

Raymond grew up on Iowa farmland but moved to Des Moines as a young man. During the Great Depression he joined the bakery drivers‑salesmen’s union and quickly rose through the labor movement, eventually becoming president of Teamsters Joint Council No. 45 and administrator of the Iowa State Federation of Labor.

In 1950 he was elected to the Des Moines City Council, and in 1956 he became mayor. He represented working families during a period of rapid growth in the city.

In August 1952 Raymond was struck with polio and was paralyzed. Doctors feared he would die, but after months of therapy at Warm Springs, Georgia, he learned to walk again with braces and crutches. Friends sometimes carried his wheelchair up City Council steps, but he never let his disability stop him.

Raymond married Rose, and they had one son, Eugene Ramon Mills, a World War II Navy veteran and civil engineer, who married Colleen Shugart and raised daughters Vickie, Janet, and Debra.

In 1961 declining health forced Raymond to retire from politics. He moved to Florida and worked as an information officer for the U.S. Department of Labor, later returning to Iowa to live in Jewell. He died June 6, 1987, at age 88 and was buried in Ames Municipal Cemetery.

Raymond Isaac Mills carried forward the legacy of Peter Mills the hatter and Civil War veteran Elias Mills. His life of labor leadership, public service, perseverance, and devotion to family stands as an important chapter in the Mills family history of Iowa.

Mills Meets New Grandchild
(photo caption)
Ray Mills, 50, president of the Iowa State Federation of Labor and Des Moines city councilman, has arms full of grandchildren as he gets acquainted with month-old Janet Jean, whom he had not seen before, and reacquainted with Vickie Lynn, 3½, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Mills. Mrs., a victim of polio, arrived home Saturday after four months as a patient at Warm Springs, Ga.

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Raymond Mills President of the Iowa State Federation of Labor 

and Des Moines city councilman

The Des Moines Register

Des Moines, Iowa

Sun, May 3, 1953 · Page 16

“I’m Over the Hump,” Mills Says of His Polio Battle
By Nick Lamberto
A 50-year-old labor leader and city councilman came back home Saturday, confident he is winning his battle against polio—a battle that began 8 months ago.
It was last Aug. 18 when Ray Mills, president of the Iowa State Federation of Labor and Des Moines city councilman, was stricken by polio.
He was paralyzed from the neck down.
“Over the Hump.”
But Saturday, Ray relaxed in an easy chair at his home at 1519 Osceola ave., and recounted the progress made during his more than four months at Warm Springs, Ga. He can walk with crutches now.
“I’m over the hump,” Mills said. “I’ll be able to do everything I did before.”
Mills and his wife drove from Warm Springs to Des Moines, a 1,000-mile trip, in four days. Mrs. Mills did all the driving.
One of the persons Mills was most eager to see was his new granddaughter, Janet Jean Mills, just a month old.
Ray’s only son, Eugene, and his family are living at the Mills’ residence temporarily. Eugene just went to work a week ago for the state highway commission at Ames. Before that he lived at Topeka, Kan.
On Hand.
Ray’s other granddaughter, Vickie Lynn, 3½, was also on hand to welcome her granddad.
“I’m eager to attend my first council meeting next Monday,” Mills said. “I haven’t got anything to raise a stink about yet—guess that’ll be new if I don’t. I haven’t any comment on the present building trade strike—I don’t know enough about the situation.”
“I do have some opinions about the proposed zoning ordinance before the city council.”
“Out of Business.”
“According to what I’ve read about an entire section owns a grocery store and the store burns down, he’s out of business for life. He can’t remodel, he can’t anything.”
“It seems like a slow process of elimination. There’s no union involved (Mills paused and chuckled) but it just doesn’t seem right.”
“I’m not against a zoning ordinance, just parts of it that can be modified.”
Strict Diet.
Mills was put on a strict diet by the doctors at Warm Springs.
He has lost a pound and a half a week and now weighs 170 pounds.
“I’m still supposed to lose another 10 pounds,” Mills said. “Every pound I take off it’s that much easier to walk.”
“It’s still awfully slow walking. I just barely hobble. But it’s so much better than when I started.”
Mills uses special crutches and braces made of aluminum and leather. The braces weigh 7 pounds.
“I have no knee muscles,” Mills explained. “These braces help keep my knees locked and protect what muscles I have.”
Really Strong.
“My arm muscles are really strong now and first my arm and stomach muscles were paralyzed—everything from the neck down. You keep improving with time, I guess.”
“Several muscles that help keep my balance were gone, so I had to develop new muscles. That’s where underwater therapy and muscle stretching exercises help.”
Mills was hospitalized last Aug. 25 after being ill 10 weeks before. He left Des Moines for Warm Springs Dec. 20, the trip arranged by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
“Des Moines looked wonderful when we hit town,” Mills said. “I’m eager for the council meeting. I’m not going to confine myself to the back yard.”

“And I’m running for re-election as state labor president.”

New photo found of George Washington Lovell and Amanda Carolina Mullens of Whitebreast, Lacona, Warren, Iowa.

It has been several years that I had a glimpse of this black and white photo that is about 4x4 and has been stored away in a box in my grandmother Edna Lois Lovell Brower bible with my sibling. It wasn't until this year that I acquired this photo and laid it upon my scanner to get the highest quality digital imaging I could get and found that this was not just an OLD PHOTO! I was able to identify my great grandfather William Andrew McClelland Lovell and some of his siblings, then realized this was none other than the family of George Washington Lovell and Amanda Carolina Mullens. Look past the line of the family to the doorway and you will see someone standing in the doorway, I wish I knew who that was!

This photo has been digitally colorized so that I could bring it to life. I've learned through the countless years I have spent trying to trace down bits and pieces of our family tree that there are several relatives who have photos like these, but either are not capable of handling new technology or simply don't have any interest in sharing our history or maybe they just don't know who any of these people are! 

I personally want to see my ancestors, so please do share and if you are in Iowa, I encourage you to reach out to me so we can discuss a plan to scan more of our family photos. I have posted many photos of our families on my blog and publicly on Family Search so that our families can enjoy seeing the faces of our ancestors. As a genealogist, it pains me to see countless old photos that end up in vintage/antique stores or trashed because nobody claimed them. Let's give them a name and a face!

George is in the derby hat and his wife Amanda next to the small children. Amanda appeared to me from other photos to be a tall woman, but is rather tiny and petite in this photo, as well as George! 

From comparing other family photos, I have the following names of everyone in this photo and if I'm incorrect, please let me know!

From right to left: William Arthur Lovell (not an actual blood child, but raised by George and Amanda as their own. I don't have proof to this, but read that he was a son of one of Amanda's sisters), next to him is Robert Thomas Lovell, then it's my great grandfather William Andrew McClelland Lovell, Amanda Carolina Mullens Lovell, Ida Florence Lovell, Emma Ada Lovell, George Washington Lovell, and lastly George Webster Vorhees Lovell. 

Estimated year photo was taken, between 1875-1879 as Ida appears to be approx. 5 years old and Myrtle May has not yet been born, nor Katherine, nor James Elmer Lovell. At this time, I am uncertain if the photo was taken in Missouri or Whitebreast, Lacona, Iowa. They did live in Missouri somewhere between 1875-1879, as also noted in Amanda's father Robert Mullen noted in his will that was written in 1875, his daughter Amanda Lovell living in Missouri at the time. 

Original Scan 

Eli Mills of Richland, Iowa - Civil War Iowa Union Volunteer

Eli Mills was a devoted son of Peter Mills an early Settler of Richland Township, Keokuk, Iowa, his mother was Mary Jane Stanley. Eli was born August 2, 1798, in Deep River, Guilford, North Carolina.

At just 31 years old (born in 1831), Eli made the heart-wrenching choice to volunteer for the Union Army in the Civil War, driven by a deep sense of duty. Married to Mary Smith, he was the proud father of three young daughters, all under eight years old, and Mary was expecting their fourth child at the time of his enlistment. Together, they were part of the Quaker faith community, forging a new life in Richland Township,  Keokuk, Iowa. 

Eli enlisted on August 13, 1862, with the 33rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, embodying the bravery that so many soldiers displayed during this tumultuous time. Sadly, he mustered out in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he tragically passed away on March 24, 1865. His death record reveals he succumbed to syphilis, a condition identified with tuberculosis, highlighting the silent struggles endured by many during the war. 

Eli, like so many brave souls, would never return home to embrace Mary, to hold with his daughters, or to meet his newborn son, Eli Elvin Mills, who was born in 1863. His sacrifice is honored at The Little Rock National Cemetery, gravesite #429, a poignant reminder of his love and commitment to his family and country. 

Resources:

Disease during the civil war

Battle Unit Details 33rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry

 

My Czech Families - I found my Great Grandmother's Birth Record! Marie Katherine Benesh (Benes)

I've waited several years for a glimpse of any records near Prague, Czech Republic. I had heard stories that my great grandmother Marie Benes was born on the ship from Austria to the USA, which is now verified as a fable. I found the passenger list of their arrival and Marie was already born about 9 months before travels. Marie came to America with with her parents, Theresie (Oplistil) and Vaclav Benes, both only 24 years of age. Vaclav was a shoemaker in his home village in Rychmburk, Czech Republic. There is no record that these two were married at the time of their travels to America and in fact, Marie is listed on her baptism record as being a bastard child. It's not until later that the father was announces as being Vaclav Benes. 

The passenger list reads they were from Rynchenburg and their destination being Omaha, Nebraska to stay with their brother in law Filip Halda (Philip Halda). Shortly after their arrival to New York on June 7, 1904, the couple would unite in marriage in Omaha, NE on May 25, 1905. 

Birth/Baptism record for Marie Benes: 

Source  - Family Search Records: Digital images of originals housed at Zámrsk State Regional Archives, Czech Republic. Roman Catholic Church records (births, marriages, deaths, indexes) for Předhradí, Předhradí, Chrudim, Czech Republic; formerly Rychmburk, Vysoké Mýto, Čechy, Czechoslovakia; formerly Richenburg, Hohenmauth, Böhmen, Austria. May Include surrounding localities (refer to the archival note for the list of localities in each folder). Text in Czech, German and Latin.

Wikipedia: German  : Richenburg or Reichenburg ) is a municipality in the district of Chrudim , in the region of Pardubice , in the Czech Republic . Its population was 417 in 2020 1 .

Family Search Record No. 101497036 Předhradí, Perálec, Kutřín, Hněvětice, Hluboká, Střítež, Dolany, Lešany, Ochoz, Ochůzka, Chlum, Hlubočice, Rvasice, Přední Borek, Zhoř, Brdo, Rabouň, Miřetín, Zadní Borek, Hesiny - Matriky/Church books Chrudim, 6948, 1877-1904

Record No. (page) 556 - Marie is the 2nd from the bottom. 

She was born in Rychmburk to Vaclav Benes, who was the son of Vaclav Benes Sr. and Aloise. Marie's mother is Theresie Oplistilova (Oplistil), both of house # 53 from the village of Rychmburk. Theresie's father is Josefa and mother Katrina, both from the village of Zhor in house #28. Theresa and Vaclav both born in 1880. 

Marie Benes (Benesh) was later married to Robert Watson Tighe. Her daughter Gwendolyn Helen Tighe was my grandmother and Gwendolyn's daughter Geralyn my mother. 

Photo of 4 Generations

From left to right; my mother Geralyn Mae Schultz, my grandmother Gwendolyn Helen Tighe, my great grandmother Marie Benesh (Benes), the woman to the far right holding my sister (baby) is the mother in law to Marie Benesh who married several times and lastly to Luverne Dallas Hope and she is Margaret Rube, mother of Luverene Hope. 

Vaclav "James" Benes

1880–1966

BIRTH 25 MARCH 1880 • Předhradí, Rychumburk, Czechoslovakia

DEATH 16 FEB 1966 • Los Angeles County, California, United States of America

2nd great-grandfather

Photo of Vaclav Benes (Benesh) who married Theresie Oplistil. The woman in the photo is his daughter "Josie" Josephine Blanch Benesh and I believe the photo was taken in Los Angeles, California. 

Vaclav "James" Benes and Theresie "Theresa" Oplistil didn't marry until they were in the United States. 

I moved to Iowa!

I spent countless hours over the past 23 years, learning about my family heritage.  As for most, our ancestors migrated to the rich soil of Iowa to farm. In the mid-1800's my ancestors made their home in or near Lucas County, Iowa and Warren County, Iowa and my Quaker families in Keokuk County, Iowa.  A few years back, I visited Iowa with my father and he took me on a way back tour of his old childhood stomping grounds of Lucas County, Iowa. While touring the towns my families once thrived in many years back, I found myself falling in love with the small town vibe and I would soon after leave my home in Dallas, Texas to make a new home in the gorgeous town of Williamsburg, Iowa (Iowa County), population less than 4000. My first winter has me questioning my decision to move here, but from what the locals tell me when spring arrives, I'll forget all about the cold winters past. 

Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa.

Frank Crooks of Chariton, Iowa

Our dearest cousin Frank Crooks has passed away. Several years ago when I began my genealogy journey, I had posted a brief inquiry in the Chariton, Iowa Newspaper seeking relatives of ours in the Lucas County, Iowa area. Frank's wife Donna Crooks was quick to respond via letter/mail. It was unfortunate that I had never had the pleasure of meeting Donna before cancer took her precious life. Frank was the only surviving "Brower" cousin to my father, as his mother Anna Leona Brower and my father's father John Howard Brower were siblings.   

Frank was a quiet, gentle soul who shared valuable memories of my grandfather John Howard Brower with us and some photographs of our Brower, Mills and Ruble families of Lucas and Lacona area of Iowa. We are forever grateful for the time we shared with him and we will greatly miss cousin Frank Crooks. 

Obituary posted on Des Moines Register 

Franklin Allen Crooks, 92 of Chariton, formerly of Avon Lake, passed away August 10, 2021. A Celebration of Frank's Life will be held on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton.

Frank was born April 26, 1929, to Raymond and Anna Crooks in Lucas County, Iowa.

On July 1, 1950, Frank was united in marriage to Donna Howell in Russell, Iowa. The couple was blessed with two children, Rory and Trudy.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Crooks; daughter, Trudy Martinez; granddaughter, Alisha McBride; and brother, Harold "Butch" Crooks.

He will be dearly missed by his son, Rory (Kathy) Crooks; grandchildren: Eric (Jodi), Jason (Tami), Jolene, and Johna (Brian); 10 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; sister, Mary "Sis" (Marvin) Hall; brother, Paul (Sharon) Crooks; special friends, Evelyn and Minnie; and many relatives and friends.

Pierschbacher Funeral Home - Chariton

Ervin John Schultz and his wife Anna Kruger on their wedding day

A Wedding Day in Grafton, Worth County, Iowa
This beautiful photograph captures my great-grandparents, Ervin John Schultz and Anna Kruger, on their wedding day—a cherished moment in our family’s history.

Ervin, born Erwin Johann Ludwig Schultz on February 20, 1889, in Union Township, just south of Grafton in Worth County, Iowa, was one of ten children born to Charles “Charlie” John Christian Schultz and Katherine “Kate” Margaretha Arzberger. Raised in a tight-knit German-speaking household, Ervin and his siblings grew up immersed in the culture and language of their immigrant parents.

As recalled by his granddaughter Shirley in a voice-recorded interview, the Schultz family spoke almost exclusively German at home. When Ervin and his siblings started school, they faced the daunting challenge of learning English—a process that took nearly two years before they could comfortably read a book. English was rarely spoken in the home; what little the parents knew was picked up from their children.

Ervin fondly remembered how, after returning from school, their mother would have a hearty bowl of sauerkraut and potatoes waiting for them—an enduring symbol of comfort and tradition. The Schultz family farm was also touched by the encroachment of the railroad, which ran straight through their property. Sadly, passing trains often struck their livestock, causing frequent and devastating losses.

Ervin and Anna went on to become the parents of Gerald Schultz, the father of Geralyn Mae Schultz and Marlene Faye Schultz, carrying their legacy forward through generations.

Picture provided by another Schultz relative James D. Sletten