William John Fenner Milliken

Millikin 142.jpg|William John Fenner Millikin
 The parents of William John Fenner Milliken
View a portrait of the William John Fenner Millikin family here.
William John Fenner Milliken was born 8 January 1840 in either Tennessee or Mississippi--he reported that he was born in Tennessee on all censuses except the last one of his life, taken in 1920, on which he reports Mississippi. The family does seem to be the one listed in Panola County, Mississippi in the year 1840, and his children later report their father born in Mississippi. When he was a youth, his family moved to Arkansas, and in 1863 he married there to Mary Lou Pate, who was called "Babe" by her family.  Mary Lou was the daughter of Jacob and Martha Howerton Pate, who were neighbors of the Millikens.  She was born in Searcy, White County, Arkansas on 28 December 1843. In 1870 W. J. F. and Mary Lou and two small children lived at Jackson, White County, Arkansas near their families. In 1880 they were listed at Greenbriar, Independence County, Arkansas with a family of seven children. About 1895, they moved to Texas and in 1900 were listed at Uvalde County, two children at home, seven of nine children still living. It is believed that Fenner and his sons engaged in some farming and ranching.  They did build a large two story brick building which was operated as the Millikin Brothers General Store, located on Main Street in Sabinal just south of the railroad tracks.  In time the business was discontinued and the building was abandoned for some years, finally being razed in the 1960s. On 3 November 1905 Mary Lou died in Uvalde County, after being in failing health for a couple of years. Fenner is said to have continued to live in Sabinal, but he would from time to time visit Arkansas and come back on the train laden with fresh produce from Arkansas. At some other times, the relatives in Arkansas shipped him produce in season. We do not have a record of William on the 1910 census, but on the 1920 census, he was eighty years old and lived with his son William and next door to his son Jacob. Fenner suffered from some senility in his later years, and stories are told of the family finding sums of cash hidden and forgotten in the forks of mesquite trees in the pastures. He died on 8 March 1924 in Uvalde County, Texas. He was buried with his wife Mary in the Millikin plot at the Sabinal Cemetery. We note that on his death record, his father is listed as John Millikin and his mother's maiden name is written "Harn", which is close enough to Horn.  The children and grandchildren of this couple are:
:: 1. Martha E. "Mattie" Milliken was born 1 February 1866 in Jamestown, Independence County, Arkansas. She married Cincinnati M. Cullins on 6 December 1888 in Independence County. He was born 23 August 1859 in Randolph County, Alabama, son of George W. and Lurana Cullins. On the 1900 census, they lived in Uvalde County, Texas and they had not been there long, as their youngest listed child at the time was born in Arkansas in December of 1897. They had three children in the home. Martha died on 13 December 1907 in Sabrinal, Uvalde County, Texas and she is buried at the Sabrinal Cemetery. In 1910, still in Uvalde, Cincinnati Cullins was a widower with his four children in his home. Shortly after, he married Margaret Estelle Simmons and they had a son named Thomas Sanford Cullins in 1915. Cincinnati Cullins died on 1 December 1917 in Uvalde County and was buried in the Sabrinal Cemetery. In 1920 his widow Estelle was listed as head of home with her stepson George and her own small son Thomas. The children of Martha Milliken and Cincinnati Cullins are:
::: 2. George William Cullins was born 14 April 1890 in Jamestown, Independence County, Arkansas. On his draft card for World War I, he was age 27, single, lived in Uvalde and worked as a cleaner and presser for a J. R. Barksdale. He claimed that he was the support of two sisters, one brother, and his mother. In 1920 he lived with his stepmother Estelle and four year old half brother Thomas and he was still single; in 1930 he lived at Jasper, Jasper County, Texas, age 40 and single. There are reports that he eventually married and died 11 December 1953 in Longview, Gregg County, Texas.
::: 2. Jacob Pate Cullins was born in February 1892 in Arkansas. He married Bessie Gault, probably in Texas, in about 1922. In 1930, Bessie and Jacob lived with her widowed mother Sallie Gault in Unvalde County, Texas. About 1935, they made a home in San Antonio, where they lived for over 24 years. According to his obituary, Jacob was a member of the Baptist Temple, the Sabrinal Lodge A F & A M, a veteran of World War I. He died on 7 February 1961 near Castroville in Medina County, Texas. Bessie died 15 July 1968 in Bexar County, Texas. They are at rest at Sabinal Cemetery, Unvalde County, Texas. They had no children.
::: 2. Carni Lorene Cullins was born in December 1897 in Arkansas. About 1919, she married Carl Clay Cooper, the son of Egbert Arthur and Mary Leslie Maud Newton Cooper, who was born in Hamilton County, Texas on 20 August 1897. His parents lived in Ranger, Eastland County, Texas, and in 1930 Carl and Loraine were enumerated there with their two sons. Carl was the proprietor of an auto repair shop. No death records are yet found. The two known sons are Carl Clay Cooper Jr and Bill A. Cooper.
::: 2. Malitta M. Cullins was born in Texas in 1901. According to the obituary of her brother Jacob, she married Tide Briscoe. No further records have been found for them.
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:: 1. Jacob Alfred "Jake" Milliken was born in July 1868 in Arkansas. He married Nana E., last name unknown, in 1900. She was born in December 1878 in Texas. They were enumerated on the Uvalde County census that year as married less than a year. They had two sons and then Nana Milliken may have died, for in 1909, Jacob married to Zenobia M. Unknown. They were on the 1910 census with his two sons. Zenobia was born about 1869 in Arkansas. Jacob and Zenobia added another son to the family in about 1911 and in 1920 they were listed in Uvalde County with three sons at home. By 1930, Jacob was listed in the same county with Margaret G., born about 1869 in Arkansas. This may be Margaret "Z", and this may be Zenobia. Their youngest son was with them. They are next to the widow of his brother William Bruce Milliken. No death records are yet found for this family.
:: The two children of Jacob and Nana were:
::: 2. George F. Milliken, born about 1901 in Uvalde County, Texas
::: 2. Jacob Homer Milliken, born 8 July 1903 in Texas, married Marie McDonald. He died on 6 April 1983 in Lubbock, Texas and is buried at City of Lubbock Cemetery with Marie, who died in 1995.
::: The child of Jacob A. and second wife, Zenobia Margaret Milliken was:
::: 2. J. Craig Milliken, who was born about 1911 in Uvalde County, Texas.
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:: 1. John B. Milliken was born on 28 June 1870 in White County, Arkansas. He became ill with typhoid fever in early fall of 1894 and after seventeen weeks, succumbed to the disease on 23 December 1894, at home near Jamestown, White County, Arkansas. John was just 24 years old. A beautiful obituary was written for him; in it no wife or children are mentioned so it is almost certain that he left no descendants.
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:: 1. Robert Major "Bob" Milliken was born on 11 April 1872 in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas. Bob went to Texas and settled in Uvalde County about 1895 with his parents.  He was married on 5 April 1896 in Sabrinal, Unvalde County, Texas to Effie Elva Wish in a large church wedding.  She was born in Texas on 13 September 1876. Her father, Jasper W. Wish, was born in Germany and married her mother Nancy Teresa Kelley in White County, Arkansas. Effie came from a large family which owned over 20,000 acres just west of Sabinal. In 1900 Robert and Effie lived in Uvalde County with their first child. Robert's brother William B. lived with them. In 1910 and in 1920 Robert and Effie were still in the same place with three children. Robert was a merchant of note in his community and he was active in the church, in civic affairs, and the Masonic Lodge. He worked for the Sabinal Mercantile Company for many years as well as stock farming for himself. He was one of the first in town to own an automobile, a Studebaker.  About this time appeared an article in the local paper which describes the Silver Wedding Anniversary celebration for Robert and Effie and gives a glimpse of social life in 1921 in Sabinal.  It reads " Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Racer and Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Johnson entertained a number of friends at the home of the Racers Tuesday evening, April 5, celebrating the Silver Wedding of Mr and Mrs R. M. Millikin, parents of Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Racer.  The house was beautifully decorated with silver and ferns.  The guests were entertained with several contests.  The most amusing one was a suitcase race between Mrs Prince Wood and Mr Eugene Carter. Mrs Wood, being the winner, was presented with a miniature suitcase.  While Mrs Prince Wood played the wedding march, a number of beautiful silver gifts were presented by little Miss Loraine Wood, daughter of Mr and Mrs Prince Wood, and Master Robert Carrol Johnson, grandson of Mr and Mrs Millikin.  Little Miss Wood was dressed in white silk with flowing bridal veil and Master Robert Carrol wore full evening dress.  After the presents the guests cut the bride's and groom's cakes, after which a chicken salad course with ice tea was served, followed by ice cream and cake."  Robert passed away on 23 November 1924 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, where he had gone to seek medical attention for high blood pressure. He also suffered from Bright's Disease, a kidney condition. According to his obituary, "The business houses of the town [Sabinal] closed their doors during the hours of the funeral and hundreds of friends paid their respects to his memory by joining in the sad cortege. Mr. Millikin was ever regarded as one of the most trusted annd prominent citizens of this town, and his passage will be a distinct loss to the commercial and social life of our city." In 1930, his widow Effie lived with her married son William and his wife Willie. In 1931, while visiting with her married daughter Launa in Bisbee, Arizona, Effie renewed friendship with her youthful beau, Robert R. Randle.  They married and lived on his ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains near Dos Cabezas. They moved back to Texas in 1937. Effie died on 3 May 1956 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. She and Robert Milliken had three children, and they were all taught by a governess rather than public schooling.  They were:
::: 2. Launa Birdie Milliken was born 15 April 1897 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas. She grew up learning the various feminine arts of that time, including china painting and sewing, and she was an accomplished pianist who could play by ear as well as read music.  In 1915, she and her cousin went away to Carr-Carlton College in Sherman, Texas. A flu epidemic raged at the college during her time there, and she returned home at the request of her worried parents. By this time she was interested in the "suit" of George Johnson, so she did not need too much convincing. She married about 28 May 1917 in the Milliken family home in Sabinal to George Clarence Johnson. He was born 30 March 1896 in Hondo, Medina County, Texas, the son of George B. and Eola Perkins Johnson. The newlyweds journeyed by train to San Antonio for their honeymoon.  George was inducted in 1918 and served as a private in a World War I tank corps. He trained at Camp Polk, North Carolina but saw no overseas duty, and was discharged at Camp Bowie, San Antonio, Texas in December 1918. In 1920 the young couple lived in Uvalde County with a baby son. George played baseball on the Sabinal Baseball Team that was the Champion of Southwest Texas in 1921, along with Pate Cullins and Buddy Racer. George leased a small farm south of Sabinal. Eventually, after the birth of a second son,  the family moved to Arizona and George worked at the mines during the Depression. In 1941, Launa and George moved to San Diego, California to be near their eldest son. At the outbreak of World War II, with both sons in the service, Launa took nurses aid training and worked at the U. S. O. She also worked at Consolidated Aircraft Corporation with the war building effort. In 1950, the Johnsons moved back to Texas. George died at the U. S. Naval Hospital in San Diego on 14 May 1956; Laura died in Texas 7 June 1972. They are both at rest at Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County. They had two sons,  Robert Carroll Johnson, born in 1918 in Texas and Clarence Orrin Johnson, born in 1922 in Texas.
::: 2. William Wish Milliken was born 6 June 1900 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas. "Wish" grew up learning about the wholesale grocery business from his father and worked for the Glenn Woodley Wholesale Grocery Company for a number of years. In 1930, he married Willie B. Anderson, who was born 9 June 1905 in Texas, the only daughter of Jim and Nona Anderson of Rocksprings, Texas.  He met her on a trip to a baseball game.  In 1930 they lived in his mother's home as newlyweds. In April of 1938 they moved to Bronte, Texas where Wish began to work with his father in law, later buying out his partner's interest. William Wish Milliken died 20 February 1961 in Coke County, Texas and he was buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Bronte, Coke County. Willie remarried after being a widow for over twenty years to long time friend Don Edmiaston of Bronte. He died in 1996. Willie died in 2002 in Texas and is buried at the cemetery in Bronte. Wish and Willie  had two children, Billie Jean and Robert James.
::: 2. Leota Louise Milliken, born 14 October 1902 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas, married Albert Russell "Buddy" Racer before 1926. He was born 26 January 1897 in Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas. He had served in World War I. In 1930 they lived at Crystal, Zavala County, Texas where Albert was manager for the Glenn Woodley Wholesale Grocery Company. They had a son, Robert Russell "Bobby" Racer, born 20 May 1926, who died in the Pacific during World War II while serving on the submarine Kete The sub was last heard from on 20 March 1945. They had a second child, Albert Martin.  Buddy Racer served as the postmasater in Crystal City, Texas for many years. He later resigned and moved back to Uvalde where he worked with the H. Little Wholesale Grocery Company. Albert Racer died on New Year's Day of 1975 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. Leotta passed away on 15 November 1980 in Boerne, Kendall County, Texas. They are both buried at the Millikin plot in the Sabinal Cemetery, Uvalde County, Texas.
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:: 1. William Bruce Milliken was born on 29 March 1874 in Arkansas. In 1900 he lived in Uvalde County, Texas with his brother Robert and family. He married Minnie Maude Kennedy on 2 September 1906 in Uvalde County, Texas. Minnie had been born there on 17 October 1878 of Irish immigrant parents. They are not found in 1910, but in 1920 they were living in Uvalde County with their three living children and William's father. Next door was William's brother Jacob and his family. William B. Milliken died of tuberculosis on 10 November 1923 in Sabinal, Uvalde County. Minnie was listed as a widow in 1930 with her three children at home and next door to Jacob, William's brother. She suffered through the tragic loss of her son William during World War II. She lived until 12 July 1957, when she passed away at Big Spring, Howard County, Texas. They are both buried at the Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County, Texas. Their children were:
::: 2. Mary Doris Milliken was born 31 December 1907 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas and died at age three on 18 December 1910.  She was buried at the Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County amongst family.
::: 2. William Bertrand Milliken, born on 7 May 1910 in Sabinal, Uvalde County.  He entered the service in March of 1939 in San Antonio, Texas and he was a staff sergeant with the 34th Pursuit Squadron, United States Army Air Force. William was made a prisoner of war at Bataan in May 1942.  He was a survivor of the last convoy of prisoners from the Phillipines on 15 December 1944 and he was taken to Japan.  He died of heart failure and malnutrition at Camp 17, Omuta, Kyushu, Japan on 24 March 1945.  William Bertrand Milliken was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. William's remains were interred at the National Cemetery at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
::: 2. Helen Louise Milliken was born 23 December 1912 in Uvalde County, Texas. She married Alva Loran Barr on 17 January 1942 in Texas. He was born on 24 February 1903 in Texas and he died 30 January 1980 in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas. Helen worked for many years for Humble Oil Company in Midland, Texas and lived in Brownwood, Texas. She was living near her relatives around Washington, D. C. when she died in Fort Washington, Maryland on 8 January 2004. Her funeral was held in Brownwood, Texas and she was interred at Cross Plains Cemetery there. She had no children.
::: 2. Genevieve Milliken was born 18 January 1918 in Uvalde County, Texas. She married William Lucien Robey. He was born on 2 August 1920. She died 22 February 2003 in Maryland. Both of them are interred at the Washington National Cemetery in Suitland, Prince Georges County, Maryland. They had three known children who live in Maryland and nearby.
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:: 1. West Henry Milliken, born 13 September 1876 near Jamestown, Independence County,  Arkansas, lived with the family of William and Amanda Kelley in Uvalde County, Texas on the 1900 census. He was a hired hand for the Kelleys. Very soon after, he married Dora Worden. Dora was born 20 September 1880 in Texas; she was the daughter of Gabriel Francis and Louisa Paralee Dotson Worden of Uvalde County. They built a home in an area where his brothers Bob, Jake and Will had also located, on the south side of Sabinal. Henry West Milliken took ill and died too young at age 32,  on 13 June 1909 in Sabrinal, Uvalde County. He was buried at the Sabinal Cemetery there. He never saw his daughter Dorothy Elizabeth, who was born seven months after his death; she died eight months after he died.  Dora was listed in 1910 as a widow with three of four children living. Her father William lived in her household in 1910. Dora moved to Colorado and she died there in Denver, Arapahoe County,  in 1 October 1922 during a smallpox epidemic.  The living children were:
::: 2. William Hugh Milliken was born 5 January 1903 in Texas.  He married on 19 August 1922 to Mabel Helen O'Hara in Denver, Denver County, Colorado. She was born 16 January 1902 in Brooklyn, King County, New York, the daughter of James Charles and Rose Anne Mackey O'Hara.  In 1930 they lived at LaSalle, Weld County, Colorado with two small daughters. Hugh was a machinist for the railroads. In 1940 they lived in Denver, Denver County, Colorado and they had three daughters at home.  Hugh was listed as engineer in petroleum industry.  He died on 17 July 1980 in Colorado. Mabel died 15 January 1986 in Colorado.  We do not yet find a place of burial. They had three daughters, all born in Colorado.
::: 2. John Clifford Milliken was born on 26 November 1904 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas.  He was married twice, to Lola Smith and to Frances Mikes, but both marriages ended in divorce. John worked more than thirty years as a telegrpher for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and he was a president of the Telegraph Operator's Union. He retired about 1970 and moved to San Antonio. He restored the old family home in Sabinal, Texas. At age 82, he died when a car under which he was working fell off the jack and on him.  That was 30 May 1988 in Bexar County, Texas.  He is buried at the Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County, Texas.  He had two daughters and a son with Lola Smith, Jean, Joanne, and John Clifford Milliken Junior.
::: 2. Carl West Milliken  was born 3 March 1907 in Texas.  We have no further information.
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:: 1. Dorothy Jane Milliken was born 16 November 1878 in Arkansas. She was in her parents' home in the 1900 census, and she married about 1903 in Texas to Jefferson Davis Stephenson, son of George and Leticia Jackson Stephenson.  He was born 25 January 1862 in Texas.  In 1910 Jeff and Dorothy were living in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas with two young sons.  Jeff was an engineer for the railroad.  Dorothy "Otha" Millikin died on 20 January 1911 in San Antonio, just 32 years old, of pulmonary tuberculosis.   She was buried at the Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County.  In 1920, Jeff was listed as a widower in San Antonio with two teenage sons.  Both sons lived and died in California.
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:: 1. Irene Evelyn Milliken, called "Rene" by her family, was born in February 1885 in Arkansas. Irene married on 12 February 1905 in Uvalde County, Texas to Alpha Joseph Dillard, who was born 29 May 1883 in Uvalde County. In 1910 they lived in Uvalde County with two young children. Alpha Dillard was a partner in the Dillard Bros store in Sabinal.  In 1920, Alpha and Irene were listed in Gustine, Comanche County, Texas with three children. By 1930 they had moved to Fort Worth, Tarrant County. Irene died there on 10 January 1932 and she is buried at the Sabinal Cemetery in Uvalde County. Alpha later remarried; he died 24 September 1965 in Brown County, Texas and was buried in Eastlawn Memorial Park, Early, Brown County, Texas.  He and Irene had three children:
::: 2. Robert Wallace Dillard was born 24 January 1908 in Sabinal, Uvalde County, Texas. Robert was a college graduate when he enlisted for the army in July 1943 and he had married about 1938 to Leatha Louise Mitchell. She was born 18 March 1919 in Texas. Robert worked as a wholesale produce marketer. Robert died 13 May 1963 in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas and was buried at the Eastlawn Memorial Park in Early, Brown County, Texas.  Leatha died 20 November 1991 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. They were parents of three children, Robert Wallace Jr, Donald Reed, and Kimberley Irene.
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::: 2. Dorothy Jane Dillard was born on 15 October 1909 in Uvalde County. About the year 1936, she married in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, to Ferdinand Wesley LeSage. He was born in Michigan, the son of a Triplett, but raised by his stepfather, Joseph LeSage and took the name. He was an oil driller in Fort Worth, Texas. Dorothy Jane died on 25 July 1974 and Ferdinand Wesley died just months later, on 23 December 1974, both in Houston, Harris County. They had two sons, Joseph Robert and Jon Wesley.
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::: 2. Ben Pershing Dillard was born in April 1919 in Gustine, Comanche County, Texas. He married 3 August 1941 in Rockwall, Texas to Zoemack "Susie" Harris. She was a graduate of St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing.  Ben became a warden with the Texas Penal System.  He died on 11 May 1995 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas.  Susie passed away there on 12 August 2000.  They are buried under a double stone at the Brooke Cemetery in Walker County.  They had two children, Ben Pershing Jr and Pattie Sue.
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