Snow Family Genealogy

Born 20 July 1876; Johnson County, Missouri

Parents John Riley Mills and Martha Jane Duncan

Education

Marriage age 24; 6 January 1901; to Fannie Dorina Snow

Occupation Farmer

Died age 82; 25 Feb 1959

Burial Oak Hill Cemetery, E Pine Street; Butler, Missouri

Obituary

Gravestone

Biography

Ballard Here and Now Ballard Area History 1884-1984
BENJAMIN N. MILLS FAMILY
Dora, one of five children born to Sidney and Belle Snow was born on February 21, 1880 in Adair County, Kentucky. (For more history on Dora, please read the Robert S. Snow history.) Dora attended the rural schools and furthered her education at the Appleton City Academy.
Benjamin N. Mills was born in Johnson Co., Missouri, July 20, 1876. He was one of several children. Joe and Dick Mills of Butler were his brothers. His sisters were Alice, Nellie and Hanna, all are deceased.
Dora and Ben were married January 6, 1901. They were the parents of six children. Four boys died in infancy. Berniece Mills Wendleton was born in 1909 and resides in Sun City, Arizona. Kenneth was born in March 1918 and resided in Independence, with his wife Kxxxxxxx Uxxxxxxxx Mxxxx, until his death in 1982. Berniece and Kenneth attended Freeze-Out grade school and both graduated from the Ballard High School. Ben and Dora also helped to raise a nice and nephew, Eleanor and Homer Farrell, due to the death of Ben’s sister, Alice.
Ben and Dora moved from Bogard, Mo. in 1909 to a farm known as a Skully Lease, located one mile east and one fourth mile south of Ballard. Later, in 1918, they purchased eighty acres, located two miles east of Ballard and resided their until their deaths.
My most vivid memories of the early 1900’s were the community spirit among neighbors-neighbors caring and sharing in their every day events. “Butchering Day” on the farm was an event that was work, yet was fun and fellowship. Several neighbors gathered at each other’s homes during the winter and butchered the year’s supply of pork and beef. The meat had to be “Home cured”, sausage ground and stuffed, the lard rendered and some of the meat canned, as there was no electricity to run lockers and freezers as we have today. The climax of the day was the huge lard kettle of delicious pop corn for all to enjoy, just before going home, tired, yet happy, late in the evening.
Other similar events during the year were harvesting of small grains and haying. It took a crew of twenty-two to twenty-four men several days to do what two men with modern machinery can do in a few hours today.
Dora died May 14, 1955 and Ben a few years later. They were laid to rest in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Butler, Mo.
Submitted by Alice Berneice Wendleton

Photos

Census Records

1880 United States Federal Census; Missouri; Johnson; Kingsville; District 95; page 14; line 26; Bennie Mills

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1900 United States Federal Census; Missouri; Cass; Sherman; District 40; sheet 12; line 35; Benjamin Mills

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1910 United States Federal Census; Missouri; Bates; Spruce; District 22; page 7A; line 45; Ben N. Mills

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1920 United States Federal Census; Missouri; Bates; Spruce; District 23; sheet 6B; line 52; Bennie N Mills

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1930 United States Federal Census; Missouri;
Bates; Spruce; District 31; sheet 1A; line 14; Ben N Mills

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updated 24 December 2008