Thomas Jefferson Mills was born on January 17, 1845 in Illinois to Jonathan J Mills and Mary Falkner.

He died on January 22, 1933 in Burleson, Texas.

The following was copied from “Burleson – The First One Hundred Years” by the Burleson Historical Committee, pages 163-164.

MILLS-GRAHAM FAMILY

The year was 1851. Jonathan J Mills, his wife Mary Falkner Mills, their ten children and his father and mother came to Texas from the state of Illinois. They arrived by oxen drawn wagons and settled about two miles south of what is presently the old part of Burleson.

This part of Texas was sparsely settled. Buchanan was the nearest town. It was located near the present community of Godley. Twice a year the Mills would go to Buchanan for a supply of groceries. This trip took several days by oxen drawn wagon. There was no road, nothing but prairie.

Comanche Indians lived in this area, but were friendly and never caused trouble. The Mills family traded buttermilk and pumpkins for beaded purses, shoes, and woven blankets made by the Indians. On one occasion the Mills son was very ill. An old Indian doctored him and was given credit for saving the boy’s life.

The Mills owned a number of negro slaves. Some of them had been inherited from Mary Mills’ father Jonathan Falkner. A number of slaves remained with their master for years after they were freed.

Jonathan J Mills was born May 10, 1803. He died October 10, 1878. Mary Falkner Mills was born April 16, 1808. She died August 1, 1876 and both are buried at Prairie Springs Cemetery. Their family was a large one. Nine of the ten children lived to be grown. Several of them lived past 80 years of age. All five of the Mills boys were in the Civil War. The children were: Mary A Mills born January 31, 1828; Manerva Mills born September 8, 1830; John B Mills born October 20, 1832; Matilda R Mills born September 21, 1834; Martin V Mills born June 2, 1837; Calvin B Mills born September 5, 1839; William F Mills born October 28, 1841; Thomas J Mills born January 17, 1845; Marsissa J Mills born October 31, 1848; Sarah Frances Mills born January 1, 1851.

Sarah Frances Mills continued to live in Burleson and raise her family here. She first married John Minor, then Andrew Bascom Graham. She had a son Curtis Minor who died at age 15. She had four children by AB Graham. They were : Mary Lou, Olive Bascom, Maggie Pearle, and Frances Beatrice. Mr Graham and Sarah Frances were divorced when the children were young. Thomas Mills, a bachelor brother of Sarah Frances, came to live with her to help raise the children. Sarah Frances bought a farm adjoining her father’s farm and lived there many years before moving to town. Her home in town was located on Wilson Street, two blocks south of Ellison.

The Mills family must have had great hardship, but seemed to be a very happy family. Loving and serving God was first in their heart. They were of the Methodist denomination. Thomas Mills was a devout Christian, was a good singer, and led singing at the church. He was known in the church and community as “Uncle Tom”.

The farm remained in the family, as Mary Lou Graham and husband EB Burns Sr bought this land. They lived here, farmed the land, and operated a dairy for several years. The house still stands and is presently owned by Doris Jo Haas. The Norwood School is located on land previously owned by the Mills, Graham family.

Many descendants of the Mills still live in Burleson: Hilton Mills grandson of Martin Van Mills, EB Burns and Jewel Haynes grandchildren of Sarah Frances Mills Graham.

Submitted by Mary Ruth Gordon

~Burleson Historical Committee, “Burleson – The First One Hundred Years” (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1981) pages 163-164.