Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries


Dallas Morning News - January 22, 1912 issue

McMillan, Mrs. Mary J.

Hillsboro, Tex., Jan. 21.- A wedded relation of two-thirds of a century, lacking 
only two months, was broken here this morning in the death of Mrs. Mary J. 
McMillan, wife of Rev. F. C. McMillan, who passed away at the family residence 
after an illness of eighteen days. Another unusual feature of this long wedded 
life was the large number of offsprings that has followed it. A total of 103 
living descendants, including those who have married into the family, and the 
whole number of offspring, with twelve deceased, being 115.

Mrs. McMillan was born in Thomas County, Georgia, Feb. 25, 1834, and in addition 
to her husband is survived by eight sons, three daughters, two son-in-laws, six 
daughter-in-laws, fifty grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren, and two 
brothers, Messrs. T. J. Sims of this city and J. H. Sims of Cotton Gin.  Mr. and 
Mrs. McMillan were married in Thomas County, Georgia, Aug. 28, 1845, the romance 
that led to their marriage having originated at a singing school which they 
attended when quite young. For several years following their marriage they lived 
in Georgia, but in 1849 they came to Texas and located in Freestone County, 
between Fairfield and Cotton Gin, and there all the children, except the oldest 
daughter, Mrs. Sallie P. Buckhalter, who died  Oct. 9, 1908, were born.

From Freestone County, the family moved to Hill County in 1879, locating at the 
time at Brookens, near Abbott, where they resided until twelve years ago, when 
they moved to Hillsboro, locating in the southeastern edge of the city, where 
they have resided since. Though they were well advanced in years when they came 
to Hillsboro they still kept house by themselves until the last illness set in, 
though other members of the family lived near-by all the time.  The deceased was 
a member of the Methodist Church from early childhood and throughout her long 
life was an active Christian. When she realized that death was probably only a 
short time away she told the members of the family that all was well and that 
she had no fears of death. The funeral was conducted from the First Methodist 
Church at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Rev. Horace Bishop, a pastor of the family 
thirty-five years ago, officiating, burial following in Ridge Park Cemetery. The 
pallbearers included Messrs. Joe Davis, H. H. Simmons, W. H. Knight, W. A. Craig, 
J. V. Young, L. C. Barnett, R. O. Potts, Charles Graham and John O. Turner.
        
The surviving children are Mrs. L. P. Burkhalter, Mrs. Mollie Young, S. F. 
McMillan, George McMillan, T. J. McMillan and John McMillan, all of this city; 
B. F. McMillan of Denton, W. T. McMillan of Lometa, W. M. McMillan of Carter, 
Ok.; Mrs. Carrie Young of Abbott and J. S. McMillan of Austin. All of  the 
children, save one, were present when the end came. Among the floral offerings 
were beautiful ones from the board of stewards of the First M. E. Church and the 
Woman's Home Mission Society.