"The Sabbath Recorder", Vol 140, No 2, p 43, Jan. 14, 1946. Loofboro - Mertie A. Greene, daughter of William M. & Ellen F. Greene was born at Wasioja, Minn., July 18, 1869, and died at her home in Westerly, R. I., December 8, 1945. Her first husband, Rev. Nathan M. Mills, died when he was pastor of the Marlboro, NJ., Seventh Day Baptist Church. Later she was united in marriage with Chase A. Loofboro, who died some years ago. Mrs. Loofboro was a member of the Milton, WI., Seventh Day Baptist Church. She was an active member of the Woman's Aid Society of Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church & of the Ocean View W. C. T. U. Close survivors are 2 sons, LeRoy G. Mills & Arthur M. Mills & two stepsons, Lloyd C. Loofboro & Donald F. Loofboro. Funeral services were held at the Buckler Funeral Home with Rev. Harold R. Crandall, pastor of the Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church, officiating. Interment was in the First Hopkinton Cemetery. H. R. C.

Census: 1880 Dodge Center, Dodge Co., Minnesota: age 25

"The Sabbath Recorder", 1904 Services in memory of the late Rev. N. M. Mills, pastor of this church, who was killed in a railroad accident at Litchfield, IL., July 3, were held at Marlboro, July 16. Committees were appointed by the Marlboro Church to prepare for the services. The flowers were both abundant, & beautifully arraigned. The pulpit was draped in mourning & music furnished by the Shiloh church choir. The Marlboro congregation was seated in the body of the house. After a selection by the choir, Pres. B. C. Davis read selections of Scripture, after which all joined in repeating Psalm 23. Prayer was then offered by the pastor of the Shiloh church, who had been requested by the committee to take charge of the exercises. After another selection of music, President Davis spoke in part as follows: This beautiful memorial service which you have arranged is a fitting tribute to the memory of your beloved pastor. Loving hands have arranged these banks of flowers about the pulpit, which, draped in black, tell the double story of love & loss. This inscrutable providence emphasizes anew significance of the Christian ministry. Men have sometimes supposed that the day of pulpit power & usefulness is waning under the pressure of the printing press & the new & economic social relations. But today your loss refutes the criticism. These very new conditions which threaten the home & the church, call anew for the best talent to be consecrated to the Christian ministry. The rage for wealth tempts the ambitious to forsake this sacred calling & the ranks of able pastors are being depleted in every denomination. We as a people have felt this depletion, & I trust that this experience & the clear call of God may awaken among our young people of talent & possibilities, a consecration that will lead them to offer themselves to this holy office. A knowledge of Bro. Mills' struggle in entering the ministry has led me to make these observations. He had reached middle life; had proved his ability to succeed in business & as a teacher, but he felt that God could use him in the ministry & he was willing to make personal & financial sacrifice that whatever talent he might have should find this channel of service, do all the good he could. Though early education had been deficient he resolved to overcome this handicap to the best of his ability & he entered Alfred University, where he studied for three years. He was an interested & Industrious student, & it has been a pleasure to have him express in recent weeks, his appreciation of the service which I as his teacher, was enabled to render him while he was a student in Alfred. My observation of him this spring at the Association at your won church, & also at the Central & Western Assoc. re-affirmed my conviction of his earnestness, consecration & happiness in his chosen calling. We can not understand why he should be called away in the prime of his life, & when he seemed best able to perform the work to which he had consecrated his life. But our times are in God's hands, & His overruling Providence can bring good even out of our losses & disappointments. It is my prayer that this shocking sorrow & loss may lead this church to a fuller consecration & more unselfish effort, & may God raise up some on to take up this work & carry it on the Glory of God & the salvation of souls. Pastor Saunders said it was a great comfort that our relations had been so pleasant & brotherly, exchanging pulpits as we had done. Bro. Mills was above any spirit of jealousy. The sister churches love each other. I was permitted to live in his home & assist him in a a series of meetings in his former pastorate; I never heard an unkind word in the family to one another or of anyone. He was untiring in his work & devotion to the church & for the unsaved. Little we thought 2 yr. ago, when we three sat on a committee to appoint delegates to sister associations, that our choice of Bro. Mills as alternate would result as it has. We strove to favor the ministers who made sacrifice to preach Christ for meager salaries. A favorite song of Bro. & Sister Mills was sung by a quartet, a beautiful poem was read by Dea. J. B. Hoffman, composed by Bro. Frank Unice. Bro. Luther Davis read letters from Litchfield, IL., written by strangers who saw him & talked with him after the accident. The following are extracts from letters written by Rev. W. R. Moon, a First-day Baptist: "The accident occurred about 6 o'clock at night. I did not learn of it until they had removed all the injured to the hospital, where I found Bro. Mills about 7 o'clock. His limbs were crushed below the knees. The doctor placed him on the operating table the first of any, but found he could not stand the operation from loss of blood, so did not operate. He told me of his family understood everything to the last. He wished me to tell you that the only cloud was that he so much wished to see you & the children before he went; that he died happy! What a legacy to you & the children, worth more than the combined wealth of the world. Not all who died that night could give such a testimony." The following is from a letter written by Mrs. Anna E. Titsworh, a resident of Litchfield, to Mrs. Mills: "It will be a comfort to you to know that everything was done for your husband that could be done. He was tenderly cared for [something is missing] young man watched over him, fanning him & gave him a drink of water. When I looked at him I knew that his hours were numbered, but he was so brave. When they asked him his name, he replied in just as cool a tone as if he had been talking to you, `My name is Rev. N. M. Mills; am a minister of the Gospel; have worked in the vineyard of the Lord all my life; my ways are committed unto Him. I am not afraid to die; but Oh God, if I may be permitted to look at my dear wife & children, to take my last look at them.' A carriage was brought, & he was carried to it. One of our ministers helped. He said he never say anyone so cool & collected in such a terrible hour. He told them just how to lift him to pain him least. He was driven immediately to the hospital, but was very weak, pulse very low with loss of blood. How God sustained him in that trying hour! I wish the children could realize, as they grow up how firm was their father's trust in his God. I extend my deepest sympathy." A biography of Bro. Mills was then read by Geo. Ellis. For this & the letters we are indebted to Rev. Geo Lewis of Dodge Center, MN., where they were used at the memorial services the previous Sabbath. Resolutions of sympathy & regret from the Marlboro Church were then read by Dea. Henry Davis. Resolutions from the C. E. Society were also read by Mrs. Geo Ellis. Another church is left without a pastor. Biography & Obituary - also from "The Sabbath Recorder" Rev. Nathan M. Mills, eldest son of the late Samuel T. & Sarah P. Mills, was born in Utica, WI., July 15, 1853. A few years later the family moved to Dakotah, WI. In March 1868, his father, the late S. T. Mills, in company with the late Rev. H. B. Lewis & Edward Langworthy emigrated to MN & settled in Ashland twp., in this county. In common with other boys of his age, he was deprived of continuos school privileges by the urgent demands of the work on the farm. Some years later, however, he was so favored by opportunities at the Seminary in Wasioja that he soon became one of the efficient teachers of Dodge County. as a teacher he labored about 20 yr. During the winter of 1868-9, in a revival conducted by Eld. Stephen Burdick, he gave his heart to the Lord & joined the Seventh-Day Baptist church at this place, Dodge Center, Jan. 22 1869. From that time he has been a faithful & zealous supporter of the various departments of church & denominational work. He was married to Miss Mertie Greene of Dodge County, June 22, 1887. To them have been born 2 sons & 2 daughters, three of whom are living, Leroy G. Arthur M. & Althea M., aged about 15, 5, & 2 yr. respectively. For a number of yrs. Bro. Mills was deeply impressed that he should give his life to the Gospel ministry. In the spring of 1895 he removed his family to Alfred, NY., where he had the privileges of preparation in Alfred University until Mar. 1898, when he accepted a call from the First Westerly, RI., church. Some three of four month later, he was ordained to the gospel ministry by a council chosen by the church of which he as a pastor. He efficiently served this church 4-1/2 yr. [Some missing] voted & much beloved pastor of the church at Marlboro, NJ. Bro. Mills was chosen June, 1903 by the Eastern Assoc. as delegate to sister assoc. to be held in 1904, at Brookfield & Independence, NY & at Milton Jct. WI. At the latter place he visited his brother, Rev. O. S. Mills. After visiting 2 sisters & friends in Mpls, he came to Dodge Center, June 30, to visit other relatives. The following Sabbath, July 2, in the old home church where he was converted he preached from 2 Peter I: 10, a most stirring gospel sermon. That evening he returned to Chicago, intending to go to St. Louis to meet his brother, R. J. Mills of Hammond, LA., the only member of the family not yet visited. Unfortunately he took the ill fated train on the Wabash line & on Sunday evening about 6 p.m., with many others, received injuries in the wrecked train, which caused his death some four hours later at St. Francis, Hospital, Litchfield, IL., July 3, 1904. While the splintered train was burning, he crept out, with both limbs badly crushed below the knees & with other severe injuries. He was picked up by rescuers, as the letters show. Being among strangers, he called to his side a Baptist pastor of the city, who gave him works of comfort & cheer, & to whom he dictated a telegram to his family at Marlboro, NJ. The remains were brought to Dodge Center by his brother, R. J. Mills, the grief stricken widow & children arriving later. Brief services were held on Thur. July 7, at the home of his sister Mattie, & the body interred in Riverside cemetery, where rest the remains of his parents & 2 sisters. Memorial services were held in the church on Sabbath morning, July 9, conducted by Pastor Lewis, assisted by Rev. H. D. Clarke. The texts used were Prov. 27:1 & 2 Peter 1:10 the latter being used by Bro. Mills the previous Sabbath July 3, 1904, Sunday - Fair Closed (St. Louis Worl's Fair) - Wreck of Wabash Limited train near Litchfield Illinois killed over 21 on their way to the Fair and the National Democratic Convention