WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
OLIVER DeMILLE
(early settler, church leader)
BIOGRAPHY
In the fall of 1861, Brigham Young called a group of people to leave Sanpete County and go to settle in southern Utah. This group included Oliver DeMille and his wives and children. DeMille purchased some land along a small creek from an old Paiute Indian chief named Shunes (or Shones). A town site was laid out and a settlement commenced which the people called Shunesburg or Shonesburg and sometimes Shuensburg or Shirensburg.Shunesburg was always closely tied to Rockville. Until about 1865, the people of Shunesburg had no ward of their own and would travel the six miles to Rockville for religious services. Then Oliver DeMille was called as the Presiding Elder in Shunesburg and John J. Allred was made superintendent of the Sunday Schools. This ecclesiastical organization lasted for about three decades.
Over the years as the flooding of the river washed away farmland, the Shunesburg settlers moved on, mostly to Rockville. Shunesburg was gradually abandoned. By the year 1900, only Oliver DeMille was left and even he moved to Rockville in 1902.
FAMILY
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Parents and Siblings:
Freeborn de Mille Anna Knight DeMille Mariah DeMill Orpha DeMill Lora Ann DeMill Oliver DeMill Adelia DeMill Elias DeMill Lavinia Esther DeMill |
(3/3/1795-1/23/1881) (married 3/11/1819) (3/5/1804-7/22/1878) (5/12/1820-3/25/1889) (married Daniel Buckley Funk Sr.) (12/24/1822-10/29/1846) (married Perry Dewain Davis) (6/2/1828-4/6/1870) (married Samuel Kendall Gifford) (3/30/1830-7/8/1908) (married as shown below) (9/29/1832-12/20/1917) (married John Prichard Squire) (1/12/1838-7/21/1905) (married Melvina Winget) (5/13/1843-3/13/1880) (married John Alma Beal) |
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First Wife: Rachel Gifford DeMill |
(2/21/1829-2/14/1846) (married 2/14/1945) |
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Seecond Wife and Children: Emily Almina Beal DeMill Olive Emily DeMill Oliver DeMill Jr. Orpha Almina DeMill Ozro DeMill Oscar DeMill Ida Sylvina DeMill Ira DeMill Benjamin Franklin DeMill Levi Garrison DeMill Anna Mariah DeMill Roswell DeMill Anna DeMill |
(3/29/1839-11/3/1905) (married 5/13/1855) (1/25/1857-3/10/1913) (married Franklin Charles Stevens Sr.) (4/25/1859-7/26/1938) (married Harriet Sylvania Millett) (4/1/1862-3/22/1909) (married Joseph Millett Jr.) (11/29/1863-12/7/1942) (married Lillie Cecelia Bliss) (11/21/1866-1/21/1946) (married Emily Permelia Beal and Emily Josephine Higgins) (12/3/1868-8/16/1941) (married Byron Glines Millett) (4/17/1871-1/5/1918) (married Clara Dennett) (7/26/1873-8/21/1944) (married Georgianna Viola Sullivan) (11/29/1876-1/24/1950) (married Cora Elvira Farnes) (10/31/1878-5/12/1960) (married John Lyman Webb and Joseph Edward Petty) (10/1/1881-2/19/1955) (married Valerie Stout) (11/9/1887-2/15/1947) (married Charles Merrill Hall) |
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Third Wife and Children: Fidelia Winget DeMill Ada Elvira DeMill Melvina DeMill Almeda DeMill Melbourne DeMill Adlinda DeMill Jesse DeMill Adelia DeMill |
(12/18/1847-11/2/1931) (married 6/13/1865) (2/23/1869-2/4/1948) (married Newell Knight Beal) (12/3/1872-12/3/1872) (4/11/1874-6/1/1902) (married Edgar Alonzo Beal) (7/5/1877-4/21/1950) (married Jennie Petty) (12/17/1878-11/3/1963) (married Arthur Wright Hall) (6/21/1882-4/29/1964) (married Zilpha Genet Petty) (2/6/1885-9/11/1906) (married Nathan Alma Petty) |
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Fourth Wife and Child: Rebecca Jane Allred DeMill Mary Jane DeMill |
(12/11/1849-2/26/1899) (married 10/10/1865) (3/25/1868-8/19/1936) (married George Curtis Estes, Andrew Jackson Kadie, and Samuel Morris Rowley) |
PHOTOS
Photos on the web:Photo of the family of Oliver DeMille Sr. and his second wife Fidelia Winget in Shonesburg
Photo of the Oliver DeMille Family in Shonesburg
REFERENCES
FamilySearch entry for Oliver DeMillFind-A-Grave entry for Oliver DeMill
Find-A-Grave entry for Rachel Gifford DeMille
Find-A-Grave entry for Emily Almina Beal DeMille
Find-A-Grave entry for Fidelia Winget DeMill
Death certificate for Fidelia Winget DeMill