myFamily

Charles William Millard

Biography by his daughter, Marjorie May Millard Neese

My father, Charles William Millard was born on Oct. 26th, 1889, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, which was still a territory of the U.S. His father Daniel James Millard (an only child), who was born in Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 6th, 1860, was Justice of the Peace of the territory at this time. His mother Annie Anderson Millard was born in Boras, Sweden, May 25th, 1855 and came to the U.S. in her early twenties. (21 years old- in 1876)

My grandparents said the Indians came from miles around to see him, as he was the first white child born in their valley. There was another baby born in 1891, but didn't survive.

In 1893 he and his family moved to Chicago, where his father and Col. T.B. Mills had charge of the Aztec Indian Village and also the New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma exhibits (The World's Fair).

While living in Chicago he had a baby sister born, but she only lived 5 days. On Dec. 4th, 1893 his sister Wanita Jeanette Millard was born. She was 2 months premature and they nearly lost her too.

In 1985 my father and the family came to Los Angeles. Their first home was on Boyd Street, then 6th San Julian then 52nd Street.