Biographical Sketch of Dr. R. L. Bills, Magnolia, Johnson County, Missouri >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Dr. R. L. Bills, ex-coroner of Johnson county and one of the county's ablest physicians, is a native of Morgan county, Missouri. He was born in 1867, a son of A. M. H. and Nancy J. Bills. Jonathan Bills, grand- father of Dr. R. L. Bills, came to Missouri in the early days from his native state of Tennessee. The father of Jonathan Bills and two brothers were refugees from England and from them the Bills family in America have descended. A. M. H. Bills was the father of fourteen children, six by his first marriage and eight by his second marriage. He homesteaded the tract of land that is now the site of Ft. Scott, Kansas, but during the Civil War lost all his possessions. He enlisted in the Confederate army and fought throughout the conflict, taking an active part in many important engagements and skirmishes and he was not once injured. A. M. H. Bills was a graduate of the Physio Medical College, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the class of January 25, 1854, and after the war had closed he resumed his medical practice at Barnett, Missouri. He was there united in marriage with Nancy J. Cox and to them were born eight children, one of whom was Dr. R. L., the subject of this review. Dr. A. M. H. Bills resided on a farm and was very successful as a farmer and stockman. In 1880, he met with a fatal accident and his career was prematurely ended. A large saw log fell on him and death resulted almost instantly. The senior Doctor Bills left the mother with her seven little ones, of whom R. L. was the oldest and he was a child thirteen years of age. The father was a generous, kind- ly man and an earnest supporter of every worthy public enterprise, a liberal contributor to all institutions. Dr. Bills had a host of friends wherever he went and he was valued highly in this county. The mother survived her husband but a few years. She died in 1899. At the age of thirteen years, Dr. R. L. Bills was left at the head of a family of seven children to care for an invalid mother and an aged grandmother and keep the little ones together. That was a job truly "man-size," but the lad did it and did it well. For many years he barely managed to "keep the wolf from the door," but as the other children grew older they aided and in time the family was in comfortable circumstances. In 1886, R. L. Bills entered the Miller county Academy and after graduat- ing engaged in teaching school for several years in Miller and Moniteau counties. He became interested in the study of medicine and in 1891 took up this study under the instructions of his half brother, Dr. J.T. Bills, who is a graduate of the American Medical College, of St. Louis, Missouri, in the class of 1884 and is now engaged in practice of his profession in New Mexico. Later, R. L. Bills matriculated in the Coll- ege of Physicians and Surgeons of St. Louis, Missouri. Financially handicapped, he had to work his way through college and after one year in college returned to Vernon county and associated with his former tutor, Dr. J. T. Bills, and practiced medicine for two years. He then returned to college in 1894 and two years later graduated in the April class. Dr. Bills located in Magnolia at that time and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession in this city. In 1904, he did post graduate work in the University Medical College at Kansas City, completing the four years course. Dr. R. L. Bills was united in marri- age with Sallie A. Strange, the only daughter of George M. and Nancy J. Strange. The father is now deceased and the mother has remarried and is now Mrs. John Greaves, of Kingsville, Missouri. To Dr. and Mrs. Bills have been born six children: Mabry Moore, Marvin Lee, Curtis Jar- vis, Vernie Irene, Joseph Raymond and Miriam Ernestine, all of whom are at home with their parents. It is the doctor's earnest desire that each of his children may have a fine education, which he firmly be- lieves is the best legacy a parent can bestow. In the handsome, thir- teen room residence in Magnolia, Doctor Bills has his office, his store of drugs, his medical library, and an operating room. Arrangements have been made whereby his patients may stay in his home. He has a very large practice, his territory covering a circuit of 25 to 30 miles. Mrs. Bills retains the old patents to the homestead of 225 acres of land which her father entered from the government and which he gave to her. Her farm is located two miles west of Magnolia. The doctor has charge of the place and he has it well stocked with cattle of mixed breeds, mules and horses. Forty tons of hay were harvested this season 1500 bushels of oats, and 80 acres of the farm were in corn. The farm is well watered and nicely improved and at the lowest figure twenty thousand dollars. Their city property is valued at five thousand doll- ars. For two terms, Doctor Bills was the county coroner of Johnson county. He is a Democrat and is active in political affairs, taking a keen interest in all elections. He is affiliated with the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. Doctor and Mrs. Bills are active and valued members of the Christian church, as are all their children. The Bills family are very talented in music and six members of the family are members of the Magnolia Band, of which the doctor is manager. Prof. Frank Preston, who possesses a fine musical education, is the band instructor and master. The band consisted of fifteen different instruments and is the only organized band in Johnson county. Doctor and Mrs. Bills are enrolled among the county's best and most substan- tial citizens. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: <> Penny Harrell ====================================================================