Submiited by: Yvonne Smith-Callaway
AUG 2006
Submiited by: Yvonne Smith-Callaway
AUG 2006
Clifton Eugene Mills -------------------------------------Newspaper
article from frontpage of The Elba Clipper 6-12-1941
WHY he took his life ? My grandfather Clifton
Eugene Mills had 4 sons, 3 of whom were old enough to go to war. He made the
remark to my grandmother
Mattie
Ophelia Beck-Mills around June 4th, 1941 that he would take his own life before
he would see his sons go to war and get killed. He bought himself a new outfit
and my grandmother saw him when he put the clothes in a trunk. On June 6, 1941
he did exactly what she feared. My mother Beunah Inez Mills and her sister
Mary Kate Mills found him with his head almost cut off, from a straight razor.
My mother wrapped her skirt around her finger to wipe away the blow flies that
were already on his body. The newspaper spelled some of their children's
names wrong, it should have read: Bobby Lawrence Mills, Girstel Glen Mills,
James Gafford Mills, Delton Conrye Mills, Beunah Inez Mills, Mary Kate Mills,
Cassie Wayne Mills, Myrna Loy Mills. Clifton Eugene and Mattie Ophelia Mills
grandchildren were: Bobby Mills, Cabert Mills, Robert Mills, Yvonne Smith-Callaway,
Dwain Smith Sr, Dusty Griffin, Stanley Griffin, Susan Griffin, Joan Griffin,
Kim Griffin, Mary Ann Griffin, Sandy Cole & Jeffery Cole. Clifton Eugene
Mills is buried at Friendship Cemetary. Below is a pic of where Clifton was
living at the time he took his life. This pic was taken years after my grandmother
moved away. By the time this pic was taken, the house was in pretty bad shape.
The tall trees to the left of the house, my mother ( Beunah Inez Mills ) planted
when the trees were no bigger than 2 feet tall.
This was known as "The
Sheely Place".
1930 Coffee County, AL Census:
1900 Crenshaw County, AL Census (with parents Columbus "Lum" & Katie Mills:
Yvonne Smith-Callaway yvonne_31217 @yahoo.com
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