Frances Far Mills

Frances Farr Mills

Frances Farr Mills, daughter of Thomas and Francis Phoebe Bone Farr, was born August 1816, on a small farm In Sussex, Westbourn, England. Her early life was spent as a farmer’s daughter helping on the farm, and later she became a servant girl.

She attended a Sisters School. At the age of sixteen years, on April 17, 1832, she was married to Charles Mills in the Parish Church of Prescott in the county of Lancaster by G. H. Driffield, Vicar.

Mr. Mills was a soldier being a private in the 80th regiment of Foot in the service of the King. Her early married life was spent with the army going from place to place as the King saw fit to move this famous army. She traveled in all of the English Colonies including India. She acted as a nurse in the army. She was on the battle field when the French and the English fought the Battle of Waterloo.

The Battle of Waterloo

She cared for the sick soldiers while on the march and while stationed in camp she helped with the general hospital work. Twelve of her children were born in England and one child in Ireland. Only 4 of whom lived to adulthood.

Charles  R. Savage

William Wilde

From the year 1840 until 1849 the family home was in or near Winchester, England. Then they moved to Southampton living there until 1863 when she came to America. Mr. Mills was given a pension by the British Government for his services; therefore, he could not come to the United States or else he would lose his only means of livelihood, but death came to him ln1863.

Frances was a devoted Baptist and a member of the Church of England until her conversion to the L.D.S. Church. Her conversion was due to prayer and the laying on of hands by the humble missionaries Charles R. Savage and William Wilde In the year 1850. While at Winchester, Hampshire, her baby, Louisa Harriett, was seriously ill and was given up by her doctor and Minister. When the elders learned of the sick child they went to the home and asked to see the child.       She permitted this and they administered to it in the name of the true and living God. In the blessing they promised that the child would on that day be dressed and that the mother would hear the Gospel explained and be baptized. This promise was fulfilled and she was baptized by Brother Savage at night out in the ocean.

She became an ardent worker and defender of the Gospel and Church. Her home was the gathering place of the missionaries and the Saints. She shared her food with them, did their washing and many other things which showed her desire to serve. She had a long cape made and would attend all of the meetings, especially the street meetings. When the mobs would become violent, she would put this cape over the elders and lead them to a place of safety.

She was followed many times and every window in her home was broken by rocks, sticks, and other things which showed her desire to serve. She acted as a missionary and distributed tracts for the elders.

In 1857 Brigham Young asked the Saints to fast and pray for deliverance from Johnston's Army. The Saints in the foreign countries were requested to fast also. She and her family fasted several days until she was so weak that she fainted while ironing clothes. In this fall she broke all of her front teeth off.

Brigham Young advised the Saints to come to Zion, and if possible to bring the entire family at once. If not possible to send the entire family, the Saints were encouraged to send as many at a time as possible. In 1861 her eldest two children, Charles and Mary, came. In 1862 Louisa Harriett came. The youngest, Sarah, came in 1863. While she and her husband were to come in 1864. But on May 2, 1863, her husband suffered a heart attack and dropped dead in the park after attending the Saints farewell party. She came to America with the Saints arriving in Salt Lake in the fall of 1863.

She sailed from Liverpool, England, and landed in New York She then traveled overland to Albany and then to St. Joes, then up the Mississippi River to Florence. This was the outfitting place for the saints and several weeks were spent in preparations for the long and trying journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

She was met in Salt Lake by her son, Charles, and taken to his home which was in a dugout on Kay's Creek, near Kaysville, Davis County. She lived there until the following spring. Then she went to Enterprise, Morgan County to keep house for Thomas Palmer, whose wife had died and left him with four small children. They -- Thomas Palmer and Francis Farr Mills -- were married the following February 18, 1864, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The marriage was verified by the Crescent Ward Records, Film 2, pg-05-869 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their home was a log house with dirt floor and roof.

A year later, because she was past the child-bearing age, she gave consent for Thomas to marry her daughter, Louisa Harriett Mills. They were married in February 9, 1865, and they all lived together until Francis’ death in 1888.

Francis helped Thomas clear the sagebrush and willows from his land and helped with the regular work on the farm. She was the first mid-wife and trained nurse in that part of the state, going at anytime of day or night to help and care for the sick. Much credit is given to her for her part in controlling the smallpox. She took the vaccine from the cow and vaccinated practically the entire population of that county.

She knew every herb and their use and each year she would gather herbs from early spring until winter each in the season of their greatest value, relative to the sick. When called to the bedside of the sick, she would determine the disease or condition and then make the medicine from her store of herbs.

On August 29, 1877, at Enterprise, she received her Patriarchal blessing under the hands of the Patriarch of the Church.  Her blessing being given at the very hour that Brigham Young died.

She had a very sweet and loving disposition and was known throughout the state as Mother Mills.  She was the mother of 13 children only 4 of whom lived to adulthood, Charles Edmund, Mary, Sarah, and Louisa Harriett.  She was a very important pioneer.

She died February 3, 1888 in Enterprise and was buried in the family plot there.

(Aunt Rose told me how much they all loved their grandmother.  She also told me that their Grandmother raised the children of the second wife, Francis Starkins who died in 1863.  Aunt Rose also told me that her father, Thomas Palmer and Grandmother were very good friends, being about the same age.  She also said that the two of them kept the rules – especially the keeping of the word of wisdom.  She had her own little home in back of the family home where Thomas lived with his fourth wife Harriett Louisa Mills Palmer.)