This handsome gentlemen above is my beloved husband's grandfather, Bennett (Ben) Gordon Mills (1875-1922). We believe this picture to be a wedding photo circa 1901-1903 in GA.
After two short visits to the wonderful Rowan County Library we have really increased this family tree. I hope this information is helpful to others. Please feel free to email me if any of this should match with your lines.
William J. Mills b. abt 1817 in North Carolina or Virginia and married to Mary Ann (Pearson?)(1813-1888) - who was a local merchant and carpenter in the town of Salisbury. Mary Ann was born in Sumpter County, South Carolina according to her obit. in the Carolina Watchman dated July 26, 1888.
William J. and Mary had the following children:
Claude E. Mills b. November 1846
Francis M. Mills b. abt 1844 - (Civil War Vet - N. C. 4th Inf. Co. K)
William Mills b. 1848
Susan Ann Mills b. Feb 1850 d. July 30, 1853
Claude Mills was a Civil War veteran as a private in 8th N.C Infantry and would later (1880) work as a Deputy Sheriff and later would be Marshall. He married Cornelia (Neely) F. Rowzee August 23, 1870 in Salisbury, daughter of William and Adelaide (Clary) Rowzee, who ran and owned a local hotel, The Mansion House. William and Adelaide Rowzee had the following children: Claudius W. Rowzee (who studied medicine), Allison Rowzee (died in the Civil War), Cornelia Rowzee, Bettie U. Rowzee who married Jospeh O. White (1862), Mary Jane Rowzee, Sarah Ann Rowzee and Annie Rowzee who married Walter L. Rankin in 1877. Also two sons who died young, John Palmer Rowzee and Pleasant Henderson Rowzee.
Claude and Cornelia had the following children:
Bennett Gordon Mills b. August 27, 1875
Claudia Mills b. Sept 1887 married A. D. Currie
Jennie W. Mills b. 1879 married Oscar R. Sweet of Norfolk, VA.
Luke E. Mills b. abt 1874
Bennett Gordon Mills was born August 27, 1874 in North Carolina, the son of Claude Mills (b. November 1846), also of Rowan County, North Carolina. In the 1880 Census Claude E. Mills, his wife and three children, one of whom is Bennett Gordon Mills, were residing in Rowan County, North Carolina.
Bennett Gordon Mills came to Georgia about 1900 to the City of Moultrie where he was a boarder with George Smith who worked on the railroads. We do not know who his mother was or if he had siblings.
Bennett married Annie Waunetta Stancell (b. Aug 11, 1885) sometime between 1901 and 1903. They settled in Fulton County. Together they had the following children:
Luke Mills b. unknown
Roger Q. Mills b. about 1904, married Jesse Unknown
Evelyn Mills b. abt 1905, married Unknown Lewis
Claude E. Mills b. April 17. 1909, died Jan 1, 1978 in GA
Gordon Bennett Mills b. December 7, 1906, died July 31, 1978 in Florida.
Harry Robert Mills b. April 11, 1911, married Verna Hacker 1945 in Michigan, they had two sons; Larry and Wayne. Harry died July 16, 1986.
Waunetta Mills b. abt 1915
Bennett Gordon Mills died March 22, 1922 leaving seven children and his widow Annie. Annie would remain a widow until her death June 29, 1936. She appears to have been living with her daughter Evelyn and her family at the time of her death. Her death records indicate her mother was Minnie Cox and her father was Unknown Stancell.
I have done some research at the Atlanta Archives searching for information on the Stancell family and the date in which Annie and Bennett married with no success. I hope to have some success with the North Carolina Soundex for 1880 to find the name of Bennett's mother and any siblings he may have had. Anyone who knows of this family please email me - I would love to hear from you.
The following information may be useful to other Mills/Stancell researchers. They were taken from microfilm at the Atlanta Archives and I have recorded the information on the roll of film should you need to review them yourself.
FULTON COUNTY, GA - COURT OF ORDINARY MARRIAGES
VOL. L 1902-1903 (RHS 4530-31) BIN 110, BOX 76
Robert MILLS married Miss Emma B. VAUN 26 Feb 1902
Homer MILLS married Miss Sada (might be Jada) MATTHEWS 14 Aug 1903
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DEKALB COUNTY, GA - MARRIAGES (BRIDES) 1840-1928 (RHS 3893-4)
Nannie STANCELL married T. J. MITCHELL
Julia STANSELL married William D. STANSEL (1876-1881)
Lilliam STANSELL married Fred Parker FELTHAM
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COBB COUNTY, GA MARRIAGES 1865-1937 (Drawer 291 box 33)
(BRIDES)
Mary P. STANSELL married Robert A PATERSON 11 Feb 1869
Huldah STANSELL married William ROBERTSON 24 sEPT 1871
Sarah STANSELL married c.S. WRIGHT 1 Dec 1882
Sallie STANSELL married T. C SHIELD 26 Dec 1883
Orrie STANSELL married W. G. STEPHENS 27 Dec 1903
Pearl STANSELL married Charlie FORTNER 16 Oct 1937
Ida MILLS married Charlie CHRISWELL 3 Jun 1916
Nancy MILLS married Robert Ingram 23 May 1930
GROOMS
John Lamar MILLS married Katherine Elizabeth GEER 31 Jan 1925
Marion MILLS married Ruby ANTLEY 13 Apr 1926
James C. MILLS married Mandy ADAMS 18 July 1931
Oscar MILLS married Eve PUGH 16 Dec 1933
George R. MILLS married Lena Mae FARMER 22 Feb 1935
Joel C. STANSELL married Eva KIMBERLY 24 Dec 1867
W S STANCELL married Gertrude BRYSON 23 Dec 1868
R D STANSELL married Lizzie PATTON 18 Feb 1881
William STANSELL married Julia EVANS 17 March 1884
W M STANSELL married Mary Lizzie WHEELER 26 July 1899
M C STANSELL married Mary GILSTRAP 19 Nov 1899
Robert STANSELL married Katherine HARPER 26 Aug 1933
Howard E. STANSELL married Josephine WIMPEY 8 Sept 1933
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GWINNETT COUNTY, GA - PROBATE COURT (RHS 3280-81) BIN 159 BOX 41
MARRIAGES 1892-1910
W. S. MILLS married Eva B. CAIN
___ MILLS married Hattie WATERS
GWINNETT COUNTY, GA - COURT OF ORDINARY MARRIAGES
VOL 5 1878-1885
Willie M. STANCIL married Nancy WALDRUF
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FULTON COUNTY, GA - COURT OF ORDINARY MARRIAGES
VOL. N 1905-1907 (RHS 4531-32) BIN 110, BOX 78
Mr. W. Derick MILLS married Miss Mary JOHNSON 27 Oct 1905
Mr. Seaborn MILLS married Miss Laney GOSWELL July 9, 1906
FULTON COUNTY, GA - COURT OF ORDINARY MARRIAGES (RHS 4528-29)
VOL I 1895-1897
Mr. C. W. MILLS married Miss Ida SORROW 4 July 1897
FULTON COUNTY, GA - COURT OF ORDINARY MARRIAGES
VOL K. 1899-1902
Mr. John D. MILLS married Miss Maude BOGWELL 6 June 1900
Mr. Semean B. MILLS married Miss Alma W. MYER 20 Feb 1901
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DEKALB COUNTY, GA (GROOMS) 1840-1928 (RHS 3892-3893)
Henry G. MILLS married Effie WALKER
John E. MILLS married Mamie NOVT
John Y. MILLS married Rosa Lee NALLY
J. Arthur MILLS married Gertrude M. CHANCE
JGW MILLS married Sarah E. PAYNE (1846-1856)
M.L. MILLS married Martha WATTS (1873-1877)
Thomas l. MILLS married Essie Resse MILLS
Wesley R. MILLS married Mary C. COBB
W F MILLS married Lucille BURKETT
Joel F. STANSELL married Katherine L. ELLIS
William D. STANCELL married Julia STANSEL (1876-1881)
William E. STANSELL married Elizabeth JONES (1840-1848)
1880 GA CENSUS WITH ALL STANCELL, STANSELL AND STANCIL'S HERE:
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Annie STANSELL Vol 12 E.D 51 Sheet 1 Line 16
(W) Female 6yrs old born in S.C
enumerated with E. T Ramsey at 1119 Alford's, Hart County
occupation: servant girl
______________________________________________________________________
Barling STANCELL Vol 6 E.D 27 Sheet 33 line 31
(w) male 47 years old born in GA
Living in Acworth Dist. Cobb County
Caroline W 43 GA
Calvin D 17 GA
Sallie D 14 GA
Lizzie D 12 GA
Emmett S 10 GA
Mary D 8 GA
Hettie D 6 GA
Ida D 2 GA
Jennie D 4mo GA
______________________________________________________________________
Caleb STANCEL Vol 4 ED 10 Sheet 9 Line 41
(w) male 32 years born in GA
living in Catoosa County
Nancy W 29 GA
Julia D 9 GA
John S 7 TX
Thomas S 5 GA
Simmie D 1 GA
______________________________________________________________________
Cisew L. STANCIL VOL 18 ED 161 Sheet 5 line 38
(w) male 28 years old born in GA
living in Paulding Co
Martha W 30 GA
Ida C. D 8 GA
James F. S 6 GA
William S 3 GA
Clemmie D 1 GA
______________________________________________________________________
David STANSELL VOL 24 ED 188 SHEET 18 LINE 1
(w) male 27 years old born in GA
Living in Walker County
Agatha W 24 GA
William S 6 GA
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David W. STANCELL VOL 11 ED 109 SHEET 17 LINE 41
(w) male 24 years old born in GA
living in Gordon County
Almenda W 22 GA
William S 3 GA
John S 1 GA
______________________________________________________________________
E. M. STANSEL VOL 11 ED 123 SHEET 10 LINE 45
(W) male 23 years old born in SC
Living in Gwinnett County
Georgia W 26 GA
Walker N.R 2 SC
Butler B 13 SC
______________________________________________________________________
E. N. STANCIL VOL 5 ED 21 SHEET 37 LINE 1
(w) male 30 years old born in GA
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I have also copied all the documents in the McCubbins files at the Rowan County library for the Mills and Rowzee (Rouser) families. Most of which I cannot connect with my Mills as of yet. I will continue to update this website often and will share any of the information I have gathered with others upon their request.