Hi Dave, My Mom was a Rethmeier and was from Dunlap, Ia. which is a couple of counties up from Mills. Even tho the spelling is alittle different there are several names like Nellie, Mary, George that seem to run in my family too, If you want to contact me I'm more than willing to share what I have to see if there is any connection. Right off it doesn't look like it as my line came from Germany. Mary