- ROGER H. MILLS. Judge MILLS is a native of New Hartford,
Conn. He came to Beloit in
- 1854, in the prime of his life. Previous to coming West
he had resided in his native town, except a short period occurring
in business in New Britain, Conn. He was engaged in the practice
of law, first with his father and, after his father's death,
in the same office for twenty-two years. While a resident of
Connecticut he was honored by being elected to represent his
native town in the General Assembly, first in 1839, and one term
subsequently, and in 1848 was elected a member of the Senate
from the District, and the next year was elected Secretary of
State; was Judge of Probate in his District for twelve years;
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut State Prison,
and held other appointments, showing the estimation in which
he was held by his fellow citizens. All this was without his
solicitation or previous knowledge.
- At the beginning of his residence in Beloit, Judge MILLS
at once took a leading position at the
- Rock County bar and in the social and business relations
of the city. Honest, courteous, kind, he was a great, intelligent
and warm heart among us. Accessible, though with much of the
gentleman of the old school, his capacious personality was a
kind of hospitable embrace in which is neighbors and fellow citizens
were held and made conscious of a common warmth. To live near
him was something like living in the tropics.
- As a lawyer, Judge MILLS was of great integrity, pains-taking
and learned in the law; as a citizen,
- he was always upon the side of the best things and ready
to bear his part of the civic burden; in social life he was gentle
and admirably genial; as a friend, he was true. Of a simple
and open nature, he was delightful in his home. He was a member
of the First Congregational church in Beloit, and one of its
most active and honored members. He died in Beloit Nov. 1, 1880.
Mrs. MILLS and three children - two sons and a daughter - survive
him.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 900-901.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|