- Ross C. Mills was born near Erose, Knox County, KY, where he lived until 1918, when he moved to Pineville, Bell County, where he lived out his life.
For 44 years he worked for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, primarily in Pineville. Though Ross had only limited opportunity for formal education, he was blessed with intelligence, boundless curiosity and was a skilled craftsman.
He cultivated many friends in Pineville throughout his life, friends with whom he shared his natural good humor and his willingness to help whenever he could.
In 1920, at Harrogate, TN, he was married to Necie Viola Berry. They were divorced in Pineville in 1948.
During their marriage, Ross and Necie had eight children--seven boys and one girl. Their first four sons served the nation during World War II: Paul, Ross Jr., Bobby and Stacy. Tom, Ralph, Ruth and William Maithland (Bill)rounded out their family. All settled in other parts of the state and nation: Paul, in Massachusetts; Ross Jr, in Frankfort; Bobby, in Lexington; Stacy in the Austin, TX, area; Tom, in Lexington; Ralph, in the Los Angeles area; Ruth, in Lexington;and Bill, in Chicago.
Ross was the son of Isaac Thomas Mills and Martha Elaine Hopkins-Taylor, both of whom were born and raised on Stinking Creek in Knox County. He had one older brother, Floyd, who settled in Corbin, KY. Isaac was the son of Thomas Mills, who was the son of Esther Haddock and Nasby Mills, who came to Knox County from Pitt County, NC around 1810. Martha was the daughter of Lavinia (Melvina, Viney)Hopkins, daughter of Nancy Ann Pugh and David Hopkins, and Alexander "Alex" Taylor, son of Sarah Ann Walker and Cornelius Alexander Taylor. Viney was born in Mulberry Gap, Hancock County, TN, on February 1, 1846.
Her father died when she was a child and her mother married Christopher Clouse in Tazwell, Claiborne Co., TN, where they were living at the time of the 1860 census. Christopher was the double first cousin of Nancy's first husband. Soon after the 1860 census, Christopher and Nancy moved their family to the Flat Lick area of Knox County, KY.
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1898 - 1973 (75 years)
