The Family of George and Coroline Boxall Mills

The Family of George and Caroline Mills

On March 30, 1859 George married Caroline Boxall of Cocking, Sussex, They settled in Bognor.

The first son to come to this new family was Henry George, arriving November 13, 1861. The next child was John Herbert, born July 21, 1864. His time was short for he lived just 3 days short of 5 years. Sometime during the next 2 years George must have found other employment so he moved his family to Yapton, a small hamlet just 5 miles North East of Bognor where, on the 14th of October, 1866, Ellen Charlotte was born. Nearly 2 years later Mary Ann Elizabeth made her appearance, October 12, 1868. By the time Margaret Kate was born, (February 20, 1871), they had moved back to Bognor. On August 9, 1871 Caroline was baptized into the LDS church.

It wasn't until July 27, 1872, just 3 days before he emigrated to Utah that George was baptized. George, at age 36, and his wife, Caroline, 32, and their children, Henry G., Ellen C, and Mary E. sailed on the "Wisconsin" from Liverpool, Eng¬land, July 31,1872 in the company of 174 other members of the Church who were also emigrating to Utah. According to an article printed in the Millennial Star, August 5th, 1872, "Saints were evidently greatly rejoicing that the time of lived for a brief time on the Weber River near their deliverance from Babylon had come. All their friends wish them a safe and speedy journey to the land of Zion." The group was led by Elder George P. Ward and accompanied by Elders Ben W. Driggs, Joseph Wadley and David M. Dunconson.

It is believed that Margaret Kate died during the trip because we have no death date or
evidence of her arriving in Utah. Stories indicate that she was buried at sea because there was no ice to preserve her body until they made port in New York.

Elder Ben W. Driggs gave no indication of this in a letter later printed in the Millennial Star, "...plenty of room in this fine ship which gave the saints many advantages of comfort." The Wisconsin arrived in New York August 12 and the group started for Utah on the13th in good health and spirits.

John, George's younger brother, was supposed to have emigrated with them also,
George's brothers, Richard and Charles, had emigrated earlier. Richard with his wife Mary Ann Scarce came on the ship "Emerald Isle" to Centerville, Davis, Utah. on November 30, 1855. His mother, Charlotte emigrated on the "Constitution", June 24, 1868 to join Richard in Centerville, Utah. Thomas doesn’t join them until 1879 when he leaves England September 6 on the “Wyoming”. Margaret doesn’t come over until October of 1902 and then joins her family in Centerville.

George and his family my have joined his father’s family in Centerville for a short time. In 1875 or 1876 George lived for a brief time on the Weber River near Ogden. The 1880 census shows only Richard living in Centerville. George, his father and their families are shown to be located in Joseph, Sevier County. George and Caroline were re-baptized in Joseph, August 5, 1883.


George leased some property known as the Vaca Ranch across the Sevier River from the thriving little town of Cove, now called Sevier. Access to Cove was by a swinging foot bridge. It was here that George and his son William were almost drowned by a four foot wall of water caused by the breaking of the Marysvale Reservoir. Quoting from an article taken from the Richfield Advocate, April 6, 1898, “One mile below Sevier is Vaca, where lives the family of George Mills. Shortly after eleven that morning Mr. Mills started fording the river at Vaca, driving a team to a heavy wagon, he had crossed one branch of the stream and was on an island in the middle when his son, William Mills, who was coming behind him and had seen the approaching flood, shouted to the old gentleman to hasten for his life. Mills then heard and saw the swollen, turbulent waters above, and plunged across the remaining branch of the river just in time to escape. One minute later and he would have been swept out into the muddy, angry current and drowned."

The broken reservoir was suspected of being blown up by landowners above the dam whose land had been covered over by the rising waters behind the dam. Early in the 1900s the railroad built a siding near Vaca as a shipping point for sheep, ore and coal. Sheep were brought to Vaca from the east desert and other places to be sheared and shipped out. At one time over 100,000 head of sheep were sheared at Vaca. Some men could do as many as 60 a day but the average was more like 35 a day.

George and Caroline boarded many of the shearers, herders and others in their home. There were as many as 50 sheep shearers in the area at one time to get the job done. One report identifies George as "Daddy" Mills. Caroline was active in the civic affairs in the small community. Her name is listed as one of the trustees for the new rock schoolhouse built in Cove. Other school trustees in office at the time were Joseph Hyrum Levie, Sr., and Bob Bridges.

Caroline taught school in Cove, Joseph and Marysvale. She passed away eight years before George June 29, 1905 at the age of 66. George died at the age of 76 and was buried in Joseph, March 30, 1913.