Mary Ann Mills

Mary Ann (Pine) Mills, born 08 Feb 1819, Hempstead NY, died 28 Dec 1895, Brookton NY. Matriarch of the Mills family. First wife of Edward Hallock Mills, married 29 Dec 1850, Hempstead NY. Mary Ann was a devoted Presbyterian/Congregationalist.

"...many friends in this vicinity ... remember her as a kind friend and a devoted Christian whose sublime faith made her life beautiful and to the last degree exemplary."

"Her life was a blessing to all who knew her. She was a noble, consecrated Christian."

Mary Ann Pine was born and raised in Hempstead Long Island NY, the daughter and youngest child of Nicholas Ludlow Pine (? to 03 Sep 1828), and Rhoda (Seaman) Pine (24 May 1786 to 26 Sep 1859). The family attended Christ’s First Presbyterian Church in Hempstead. Mary Ann was nine years old when her father died.

…Record of Baptisms

…1830. …April 2. Jerusha Pine.

…1831. …July 2. …Samuel Pine

…1833. …Jan. 26. …Mary Ann Pine

Mary Ann is descended from Captain John Seaman, the American progenitor of the Long Island Seaman families and one of the original settlers of Hempstead. The Seaman family history is summarized in 1928, The Seaman family in America as descended from Captain John Seaman of Hempstead, Long Island by Mary Thomas Seaman, archive.org. Read more about Captain John Seaman in the Hempstead section.

Mary Ann married Edward Hallock Mills, then of Castleton Staten Island, on 29 Dec 1850:

At Hempstead, L. I., Dec. 29, by the Rev. N.C. Locke, Mr. Edward H. Mills of Factoryville, S. I., to Miss Mary Ann Pine of the former place.

1850.

Mar. 7. Charles T. Ruland and Ann Catherine De Mott.

Marriages BY Rev. N. C, Locke.

Dec. 29. Edward H. Mills of Staten Island to Mary Ann Pine.

Read more about the Pine family in the Hempstead section.

All of the Mills children were born in Staten Island. Mary Ann’s son James Wheelock died sometime between his baptism at the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Richmond, 31 Jul 1857 and before the United States Federal Census recorded 19 Jun 1860, when the family, including all of the Mills’ children except James, was living with Bartlett Brown in a home adjoining a store Bartlett had recently purchased.

Mary Ann’s mother Rhoda died 26 Sep 1859, and on 31 Aug 1860, Mary Ann’s sister Jerusha died.

The family arrived in Corfu NY sometime between 01 Sept 1862 and 01 May 1863, where Edward opened a new general store E. H. Mills & Co. and Mary Ann became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Corfu.

Horace killed himself in Corfu in Oct 1876.

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.—Yesterday morning a young man named Horace Mills, residing at Corfu, Genesee County, attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself with a revolver. The ball passed through his body and is supposed to have perforated the liver. The young man fired the shot while lying in bed, and it is thought the wound will prove fatal. The would-be suicide belongs to a very respectable family in the place, and no cause is assigned for his rash act. At last accounts he was still alive.

Local Record.

Batavia, Friday, Oct 27, 1876.

…

DEAD—Horace Mills, the young man who shot himself at Corfu, on Monday, 16th last, died Saturday last.

On 05 May 1877, Mary Ann’s sister Abigail S. (Pine) Higbie died.

In Mar 1879, the family moved again, this time to Motts Corners, one of several earlier names for Brooktondale, where Edward restarted his grocery and dry goods business on his own as E. H. Mills. Both Jonas and Emily clerked for their father.

Mary Ann joins what was then known as the Congregational Church of Motts Corners, presently Caroline Valley Community Church. In my review of the Congregational Church’s membership rolls over the years, I have seen a number of instances in which members were officially added to church rolls many months after they had already been documented participating in church meetings, such as was the case with Lydia Forbes Robinson, who officially joined 10 Sep 1911 by letter from Tyrone Presbyterian Church in Weston NY, although she was living in Brookton and participating in church meetings with her husband and former Brookton pastor of the Congregational Church Reverend James Richards Robinson in 1910. So, perhaps Mary Ann was attending the church for some time prior to becoming an official member.

At a regular meeting of the Congregational Church June 13, 1880, Mrs. Mary A. Mills was received as member by letter from the First Presbyterian Church of Corfu.

14 Mar 1880, Mary Ann’s brother Samuel Mills Pine died. 14 October 1885, Mary Ann’s son Jonas died after a brief illness.

… The remains of Jonas Mills, a son of E. H. Mills, a former resident of this village, now of Brooklyn, New York, were brought to this place yesterday afternoon for interment. …

07 Nov 1890, Mary Ann’s sister Lois Almy (Pine) Snedeker died, leaving Charles Mills Pine the only other surviving child of Nicholas and Rhoda Pine, and in a six month period, Charles saw his son Charles Theodore Pine die on 26 May 1895, and then his sister Mary Ann.

DEATH OF MRS. E. H. MILLS.

Event occurred in Brookton, Tompkins County—Interment at Corfu.

Corfu, Dec 31.—The remains of Mrs. E. H. Mills of Brookton, Tompkins county, arrived here on the 4:26 p. m. train yesterday and were interred in Evergreen Hill Cemetery. The deceased was the wife of Edward H. Mills who was for many years a prominent merchant in this village who removed to Tompkins county sixteen years ago, re-engaging in mercantile pursuits, and where he has since resided.

Mrs. Mills was in usual health a week ago yesterday morning, but before night complained of a soreness in one of her fingers. Her daughter examined it and found what appeared to be a small splinter of wood, which she removed and which appeared to relieve her, but blood poisoning ensued and she continued to grow worse until Saturday, when death relieved her of her suffering. Her remains were accompanied by her husband and an only daughter, Emily Mills, who alone survive her and who possess the heartfelt sympathy of many friends in this vicinity who remember her as a kind friend and a devoted Christian whose sublime faith made her life beautiful and to the last degree exemplary.

Mr. Mills and daughter spent last night with Mr. and Mrs. W. W. McGregor and returned home this morning.

DECEMBER

…28—Painful accident to James Ryerson; death of Mrs. E. H. Mills of Brookton.

1908 Deaths Continued

Edward Hallioch Mills Died Jan 1st 1908 at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. He was born at Smithtown L.I. March 25, 1819 - lacking less than 3 mos. of 89 yrs.

In Mar. 1879 He came to Brookton from Corfu N.Y. with his family and has lived among us nearly 29 years.

He united with this Ch. Dec. 13, 1896. A few remarks were made by Rev. Woodworth, Jan 3. The trend of thought was that a good man had gone - to which every heart present I feel sure responded. His interest in this Ch was unwavering and his loss seems irreparable. His body was taken to Corfu where his first wife and two sons are buried.

In this connection it seems proper to mention the death of Mrs. Mary A. Mills, although she died Dec. 28, 1895, yet I find no mention of it in these records. She was born at Hempstead L. I. Feb 8, 1819. Mrs. Mills was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Corfu N.Y. She united with this Ch by letter June 13, 1880. Her life was a blessing to all who knew her. She was a noble, consecrated Christian.

Mary Ann is interred at Evergreen Hill Cemetery, 112 Alleghany Rd, Corfu NY 14036.