Cudgegong Valley History Project

Death. MR. REUBEN MILLS. The painfully sudden death occurred early on Sunday morning of Mr. Reuben Mills, a well known and highly respected farmer and dairyman of Lawson's Creek, Mudgee, and an old Mudgee district settler. Mr. Mills went to bed at about 9 o'clock on Saturday night, having had tea and spent a pleasant evening with his family, in apparently his usual health and in good spirits. It was his custom to call his son, Mr. Stanley Mills, the only son who remained at home with him, somewhat later on Sunday mornings than on the other days of the week, that is some time after seven o'clock. He did not call him yesterday, but after a while Mrs. Mills did. Later in the morning Mr. Stanley Mills went to his father's room, who he thought was sleeping rather late, and was shocked to find him apparently dead. He told his mother that his father would not speak and he feared he was dead. Mrs. Mills having confirmed the alarming discovery made by her son, telephoned to Mudgee for medical aid, and the doctor, having examined the body, declared that death had taken place quite recently, probably not long before Mr. Stanley Mills visited the deceased's room. Mr. Mills had probably passed away quietly and quite painlessly in his sleep. The deceased, who was 73 years of age, some ten years ago met with an accident whilst drawing hay from a paddock, as a result of which he fractured his shoulder. He never recovered altogether from the effects of the accident, up to the time of which he had been a healthy and active man, although they only kept him to his bed for a few weeks at the time. About five years ago Mr. Mills became a victim to rheumatism, and from that out his ill-health was confirmed. He was not even then confined to his bed, but was able to get about his property, generally supervise things and do light work on the farm, and even pay occasional visits to Mudgee. There was nothing in his health to suggest that his death was approaching, and its eventuation with such painful suddenness has come as a great shock to his family and many friends. The late Mr. Reuben Mills, the life long, close and almost inseparable companion of his only ber, Mr. Thomas Mills, of Lawson's Creek, was a native of Wilberforce, on the Hawkesbury River, and came (the two bers) to the Mudgee district some 45 years ago. The bers, then young men, started carrying on the road what time Wallerawang was the railway terminus, and freightage was transported thence to Mudgee, Gulgong, Coonabarabran, and other western centres, as far out as Coonamble by teams, hundreds of which were on the roads. Their section of the road was from Wallerawang to Mudgee, and they worked it successfully and profitably for several years. The Messrs. Mills were amongst the most popular of teamsters and commanded confidence and a large and established connection by their efficiency, reliableness and punctuality, and their invariable courtesy. They were renowned for their exceptionally fine teams of horses with which they worked. After a while they decided to make Mudgee their headquarters, and whilst continuing in the transport business they leased in partnership a farm at Wilbetree (now the property of Mr. Adam Menchin) from the late Mr. C. B. Lowe, grandfather of Mr. Reg Lowe. Gulgong was then in its prime, and things were also moving at Home Rule and Canadian Lead, and as there was no railway communication the road to the mining fields, from Wallerawang, via Mudgee, was necessarily an avenue of great traffic There were several hotels on the two roads from Mudgee to Gulgong, the one via Home Rule and the other by Canadian. One of these was at Wilbetree, and was known as Sheriff's, and was kept by the late Mr. Henry Hunt. A second, Peter Anderson's, was at the junction of the Home Rule and Canadian roads, and the third, Millard's, yet further on. The bers lived and farmed at Wilbetree for some time and did well. After several years they decided to move to Lawson's Creek, where Mr. Reuben Mills bought a farm on the Morrisey estate, adjoining the Lawson estate, which was at the time subdivided and put up for sale in farm blocks. The block Mr. Mills bought was an exceptionally good one. He put up a nice house on it and went in for dairying, lucerne growing and general farming and prospered exceedingly. He was an active, hard-working man, willing to toil on his farm from early morning to night. He was also enterprising, intelligent, and exhibited good judgement in the use of his land. It Is therefore not surprising that he prospered. He got together a fine dairy herd and went in largely for lucerne growing, and sent regularly large consignments of this valuable fodder to the Sydney market, where it shared in the popularity - expressed by top market prices - of the famed Mudgee lucerne. The late Mr. Mills was a public-spirited settler. He took an active and useful interest in the welfare and affairs of his town and district. He was for a considerable time an alderman of the Cudgegong Municipality and was for many years a member of the committee of the Mudgee and District Agricultural Association. He was also a shareholder in the Mudgee Dairy Company, and a large supplier to the Company's factory, and a shareholder in the company that took over the Mudgee Roller Mills after they were given up by the combination headed by the late Ald. Wilton by which they were started. He was a keen sport, especially a lover of a horse and (like all the Mills family) an enthusiastic cricketer. He was universally and highly respected as a conspicuously straightforward and honorable man, bluff and hearty, whose word was his bond, kind hearted, unsuspicious and charitable in thought, word and deed. He was loathe to believe evil of any and turned an invariably deaf ear to the tale bearer and scandal monger. He was open hearted and generous and there was no cause or institution deserving of support that he did not liberally assist. Mr. Reuben Mills was married to Miss Henrietta Hunt, daughter of the late Mr Henry Hunt, proprietor of Sheriff's Hotel, Wilbetree, who survives him. He leaves also the following family: Messrs. George Mills, Mount Frome; Walter, Lawson's Creek; James, Mt. Knowles; Harold, Lawson's Creek; and Stanley, Lawson's Creek (sons); Mesdames Whitfield, Merriwa; Horace Woolley, Burrundulla; F. Pitt, Mudgee; and Miss Doy Mills, Lawson's Creek (daughters). Mr. Thomas Mills, Lawson's Creek, is the only ber of deceased, and Mrs. Hobleman, Parramatta, his only sister. Bers-in-law surviving are Messrs. G. Thompson (Mudgee), Walter Hunt and Fred Hunt (Lawson's Creek), James Luxford (Woy Woy), Oswald Betts (Lismore), James Daly (Bourke), and P. Haley (Goodiman). The late Mr. James Doble, of Mudgee, was also a ber-in-law. The immediate nephews and nieces of the deceased (the family of his ber, Mr. Thomas Mills) are Messrs. Thomas, William and John Mills; Mrs. Hill (Sydney), Madell (Tenterfield) and Vincent (Sydney), and Misses Ada and Amy Mills (Lawson's Creek). The greatest sympathy is felt by all for the widow and the most highly respected and esteemed family of the deceased. The funeral, which was very largely attended, took place this afternoon. The interment was made in the Church of England section of the Mudgee general cemetery. The Rev. J. Parr officiated at the graveside. Mr. Harold Barton was in charge of the funeral arrangements. Mudgee Guardian, Monday 17 October 1921, p. 8. Obituary Reuben Mills

IN MEMORIAM MILLS. - In loving memory of my dear husband and our father, Reuben Mills, who departed this life October, 16th, 1921. When least expected death will come No hand can stay its power. One of the best this earth contained Was cut off like a flower. Inserted by his loving wife, Henrietta Mills, and family (Lawson's Creek). Mudgee Guardian, Thursday 16 October 1924, p. 8. In Memoriam Reuben Mills

DEATHS WOOLLEY, Horace Overton. May 6, 1959, at his residence, Burrundulla, loved husband of Elsie, father of Roy, Alice (Mrs V Rayner), Daphne (Mrs F Sawyer) and John, aged 76 years (Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 9 May 1959, p. 72).