Dear Betty, I knew about the records for St. Michaels and downloaded them which is where I found out about William and his children, Abner, & Ruffus. I also got the books from Irene Clanton Blank of cemetery records (including St. Michaels). Although, they gave me a lot of info., I still could not tie my Mary Ann Mills into any of them, including Charles Nathaniel and Richard W. I have tons of stuff on the Mills, but nothing (other than the St. Michaels records) for my Mary Ann. I found a cousin online who is supposed to be sending me more Mills info. (that was 2 wks. ago). I thank you for your help and will indeed check out the Troutman website. Thanks. Janis bglawson wrote: > Dear Janis, > > I started a more extensive reply to your request and then my > server > disconnected me and although the memo was still there, all was > frozen. So > will try to make this more brief, but will hit the "high > points." You > possibly have already found the St. Michael's and St. Martin's > Lutheran > Church records on line. If not, I think you will find a great > deal of > information there, and possibly your answer to your brick wall-- > > Go to the following web site: > > http://www.iredell.com/mikes.htm > > There are three books for St. Michaels -- B (1839 -1949), C > (1850), and D > (Renewed 1868) > > The very first reference I found was in Book B, p. 2 -- The deed > was given > by Michael Walcher in September 1823 to the trustees, Charles > Mills, Martin > Harkey, William Lippard ....." There are references for Mills > all > throughout this book - communcants lists, memberships list. > Also, a number > of Bass family members. Page 2 also mentions a list of names of > the members > who communed at the very first communion at the new St. Michael's > in 1815 -- > "Then following was a list of names beginning with Charles N. > Mills and > wife, Elizabeth. This list contained twenty names." and > continues .... > > Book C has a more of what you are looking for: Archabale Bass > confirmed by > Rev. Anthony (p. 19) - many Mills baptisms and a few deaths. > > Book D is the largest book - p. 2 says that the property for the > new St. > Michael's Church in Troutman was donated by Dr. R. W. Mills and > wife Mary > Mills (along with several others) - purchased for $1 - record > dated 1885. > The church was built in 1886. Members listed in 1868 -- include > Mary A. > Bass and Archable Bass. (p.6). On pages 4 & 5 there are > references to the > Trustees Martin Harker, Charles Mills and William Lippard --- > which goes > back to the original purchase of land for the original church > building in > 1823. Page 15 shows Archibale Bass removed by letter -- and a > Mary "Jane" > Bass to Concord Presbyterian church. There are many Mills in the > membership > lists -- William, Joseph M. Sara Ann, Charlotte, and Sarah E. > (Likewise in > the earlier books - some that you reference) and also a baptism > or two. > Likewise there are some Sherrills, too. > > I hope all of this will be of help. I know it was a thrill for > me to find > my ggrandfather's confirmation and my grandfather's confirmation > in the St. > Michael's records - also the baptism and confirmation of my > ggrandmother in > the St. Martin's records before the two churches merged. She was > a Lippard > -- a descendent of the William Lippard mentioned above. There > are probably > many more Mills references that I overlooked in my quick search. > > There are also copies of a Troutman family history by Thomas L. > Troutman at > the web site: http://www.coe.uh.edu/~troutman/gene/DJL/ > Interesting > reading even if you don't have any Mills family members who are > part of the > Troutman clan. > > I found my ggrandfather's wife in those pages - she was a > Troutman - died > during the Civil War. That was also a thrill. > > I wish you well in your search for the Mills -- last fall we > visited Iredell > County and visited the St. Mark's cemetery and the Troutman > family cemetery, > as well as the old St. Michael's cemetery in Troutman. I'm sure > you have > discovered in your search that both churches combined to become > Holy Trinity > Lutheran in Troutman - we visited there, also. There are still > records > there for St. Michael's and St. Martins, too, I believe. We had > a brief > glimpse -- as another of our distant relatives was there > searching, also. > > Good Luck! > Betty Lawson > Atlanta, GA > 4/19/99 > > Hadi Ghrairi wrote: > > > After purchasing almost every book available on Iredell Co., I still > > have been unable to locate the parents of Mary Ann Mills (20 Jan 1834 - > > 25 Jan 1887) that married Archibald Bass (Jr.?) (22 Sept 1828 - 16 Dec > > 1895) on 30 Aug 1849. She attended St. Michaels Lutheran Church before > > transfering to Concord Presby. with her husband. I had originally > > thought she was the dau. of one of Charles Nathaniel Mills' sons, but am > > not so sure now. The men I have found at St. Michaels that are old > > enough to be her father are William (Charles Nathaniel's William ??), > > Abner, and Rufus. I cannot link these men to Charles Nathaniel's line. > > Most of those Mills attended St. James Lutheran, but there is reference > > made to C. N. in church records. I am up a brick wall here. Can anyone > > help? > > Thanks. > > Janis Sherrill Ghrairi