Rebecca Dixon Farmer

  Burial Notes:

1929 - From Ashford Newspaper 6 Apr 1929...'DEATH OF NURSE MILLS.-The funeral o f Mrs Rebecca Mills-or as she was more popularly known, Nurse Mills-of 108, Godinton Road, the widow of Mr John Mills, took place on Tuesday. Mrs Mills, who passed away while sleeping on Saturday, had been a nurse for over sixty years, and had, in her delightfully happy way, tended to the needs of the highest and the lowest in the town for the past thirty-five years. She was the daughter of the late Mr Charles and Mrs Kitty Farmer, and was born at Staplehurst. She passed through her course of nursing at Guys Hospital, London, and then took up private nursing at Shadoxhurst, where she met and married Mr Mills. She continued her work as a nurse throughout her life, not relinquishing her duties until about twelve months ago, when she was stricken with what was to prove to be a fatal illness. The funeral service took place in the Wesleyan Church-she had been an ardent Wesleyan for fifty years-being conducted by the pastor (the Rev A J Summerfield), while one of Nurse Mills favourite hymns, 'A Charge to keep I have, was sung. The family mourners were Messrs. Charles, George, Alfred and Leonard Mills (sons), Mrs Stanley, Mrs Head and Mrs Brunger (daughters), Mrs G Mills, Mrs J Mills, and Mrs A Mills (daughters-in-law), Mr Brunger (son-in-law) Mr Daniel Mills (brother) and Mr and Mrs Tom Ditton (nephew and neice). The church was filled with sympathisers and friends, among whom there were a number of her former patients. Among the wreaths were tokens from Amy and family; Charlie and Mar y; George, Eliza and family; Annie and Arthur; Maurice; John and Jean; Leonard a nd Rhoda; little Ronnie; sister Mary; Minnie and Tom; Mrs Murril; Mrs G Ottaway ; Mr and Mrs Cornell; and Mrs Buckman.'

  Noted events in her life were:

• Census UK: Aged 4, 1851, Staplehurst, Kent, England. ⁷

• Census UK: Aged 14, 1861, Mount Pleasant, Shadoxhurst, Kent, England. ⁸

• Census UK: Wife, aged 24, 1871, Blindgrooms Cottage, Shadoxhurst, Kent, England. ⁹

• Census UK: Wife, aged 36, 1881, Village Green, Shadoxhurst, Kent, England. ¹⁰ Claims to be born Staplehurst

• Census UK: Wife, aged 46, 1891, Snailswood Farm, Shadoxhurst, Kent, England. ¹¹

• Census UK: Wife, aged 54, 1901, 104 Godinton Road, Ashford, Kent, England. ¹²

Rebecca married John Joshua Mills, son of John Mills and Martha Morris, on 25 Oct 1863 in Shadoxhurst, Kent, England.^{1 2} (John Joshua Mills was born on 20 May 1841 in Shadoxhurst, Kent, England ^{13 14}, christened on 1 Aug 1841 in Shadoxhurst, Kent, England and died on 23 Nov 1921 in Shadoxhurst, Kent, England? ¹³.)