Eminent Homemaker
County: Bennett
Mrs. George Millar, Martin, is a native of Missouri, moving to South Dakota, where she married a Charles Mix County Farmer in 1921. In 1925 they moved along with the two oldest sons to Bennett County where their family grew to eight children.
Millars occupied several farms in south central South Dakota before moving to a wheat and livestock operation located 13 miles northeast of Martin in 1942. As you would expect the task of a mother of eight was usually monumental. In addition to the daily routine of homemaking Millar supervised gardening, milking and the management of a chicken and turkey flock that contained as many as 1,000 birds each per year. Many times the family cellar contained over 1,000 quarts of vegetables at the end of the gardening season.
She joined Extension Club in 1932 and helped with 4-H. While these also provided most of the Millar social life when the family was young she is now also active in Eastern Star and in the Presbyterian Ladies Aid at Martin. She also serves as secretary of District 5 Extension Homemakers Council.
In spite of financial setbacks caused by hailstorms, blizzards and the polio epidemic of the late 40s, Millar considers her lot a fortunate one. All children involved in WWII and the polio epidemic survived without serious after effects and Millars have had the privilege of seeing each develop into an adult, with each securing as much education as he or she desired. “That has been the most satisfying experience of raising a large family,” she says.
Allen, the oldest, is president of Southern State College, Springfield; Howard is office manager in the Bennett County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation office in Martin; Lawrence is a construction foreman for Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles, California; John is principal of a Greeley, Colorado grade school; Arnold is employed at the Martin Locker; Ward is a pharmacist for Mills Drug in Rapid City; Daniel attends seminary in Idaho and Beulah is employed at Children’s Hospital at Denver.