Biography of Walter Pearce Mills - Covington Co., AL http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/covington/bios/wpmills.txt =============================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Ralph Mills, Jr. ================================================================================= November 1999 Walter Pearce Mills A Biographical Sketch Walter Pearce Mills was born on October 5, 1885 in Pike County, Alabama. He died on November 2, 1944 in Andalusia, Covington County, Alabama. He married Mary Eliza Straughn on December 22, 1904 in Covington County, Alabama. Mary was born on January 28, 1885 at Straughn, Covington County, Alabama and died on July 5, 1953 in Andalusia, Covington County, Alabama. She was the daughter of Daniel Isaac Straughn and Georgia Ann Jones. Walter and Mary were married at her father's home by B. R. Harrelson, a Minister of the Gospel. Walter and Mary are buried in the Harmony Baptist Church cemetery in Covington County, Alabama. Walter's mother was Mary E. Mills, the daughter of Wilson L. Mills, the son of Jacob Mills who was born in North Carolina. Walter was reared in his grandfather's household. He was only a little younger than his uncle Benjamin F. and his aunt Ellen Lee. His father is presumed to be John Walters (or Waters) who was born in Mississippi. The family rumor had always been that Walter was illegitimate. From the research, it would appear that it was true. The first record that we have of Walter is the 1900 census of Covington County, Alabama. He is counted in the household of his grandfather and identified as a grandson. They were living in the Straughn Community. He is listed as being fourteen years old at that time.By the 1910 census,Walter had left his grandfathers home and started his own family in the Straughn Community. He has been married for about five years now and has two daughters, Lena Mae and Ruby Lyndall.There had been a son (the firstborn), Willie Latham, but he lived only six months. Walter sharecropped most of his early life for a Mr. Wilder in River Falls, north of Andalusia. In the "off season," he would travel to Montgomery and lay brick to meet his family's needs. About 1924, Walter moved his family to Montgomery. He felt that he could do better staying there year round. They eventually returned to Covington County where they remained until their deaths. Walter's Grandfather, Wilson L. Mills, and Eliza's Grandfather, Leroy Marion Straughn, both served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Walter as a Private in Company D, 10th Regiment, Alabama Volunteers and Leroy as a 2nd Sargent in Company B, 18th Regiment, Alabama Volunteers. They both survived and returned to Covington County to continue their lives. Walter Pearce Mills and Mary Eliza Straughn had a total of nine children; Willie Latham, Lena Mae, Ruby Lyndall, Walter Perry, Mary Pauline, Bonnie Lucille, Ralph, Kirby, and Leroy Wilson Mills.