Robert Henderson "R. H." McMillan, Jr., 92, of Tifton passed away Friday, June 18, 2004, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service was held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 20, 2004, at Northside Baptist Church in Tifton with the Rev. Chuck Yzenski, the Rev. Tommy McMillan and the Rev. Dr. Fred Evers officiating. Mr. McMillan was laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Mr. McMillan's grandsons served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were the members of the American Legion Masonic Lodge and the members of Rainey's Sunday School Class of Northside Baptist Church in Tifton.
Born January 6, 1912, in Berrien County, Mr. McMillan was the son of the late Robert Henderson McMillan, Sr., who was born in 1887, and Martha Irene Connell McMillan, who was born in 1890. R.H. had one sister, Inez and two brothers, Edwin W. and Emory D. McMillan. The family moved to Brookfield in 1915, where he joined Brookfield Baptist Church and attended elementary school there. He went to Tifton High School from 1929 to 1931.
He married Gladys A. Green, who was born June 17, 1914, on December 20, 1931, in Tift County. R. H. borrowed money from the Federal land Bank and purchased the farm and homeplace of his grandfather, Malcolm L. McMillan, Land Lot #420 containing 500 acres of land in Berrien County. Gladys preceded him in death on April 25, 1999. There were married for 67 years.
Their four children are Martha Louise, who was born January 8, 1933, in Polk County, Florida; Robert Henderson III, who was born March 23, 1935, in Berrien County, Patricia Nell, who was born January 20, 1937, in Berrien County and Christopher Paul, who was born October 9, 1940, in Tift County.
Martha had one son, John D. Lee of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and he married Phyllis. They have one daughter, Kristen. Martha then married Lloyd L. Berger, Jr. They had three children, Debra J. "Debi", who married Allan Marple and they have no children; Lloyd L. III "Buddy" has three children, Brandon, Drew and Kaylee. Buddy's wife is Judy. Richard "Ricky" Berger has two children, Derrick and Kevin. Martha died in January of 1981.
Robert H. III "Tim" served in the Air Force during the Korean War, after which, he owned the Little Six Florist. Tim died in an auto accident on April 18, 1962.
Patricia married John B. Mason, Jr., who died in 1997. they had three children, Susan A., married to Bob Baldwin, Karen E. and John Michael Mason. Susan has two children, Joel N and Jessica D. Godfrey. Karen graduated from Georgia Southern University with a B.A. degree in occupational therapy as well as a R.N. degree in nursing from Abraham Baldwin College. She loves being a nurse. John Michael Mason married Wendy Echols. They have three children, Abbey, Mallory and William Henderson Mason. Patricia has now married James Hammond and resides in Roswell.
Christopher P. "Chris" married Mable E. Williford and they have three sons, Paul Jr., Robert H. IV and Daniel L. McMillan. Paul married Stacey Watson. They have three children, Stephanie, Joshua and Sarah McMillan. Robert married Anita Smith and they have two children, Alexa and Jenna McMillan. Dr. Daniel McMillan graduated from Creighton University with a doctor's degree in pharmacy and married Kerri Floyd.
With his family, he moved to Tifton in 1941 and was employed by the Southern Cotton Oil company from 1938 to 1948 as a cashier. He served in World War II in the 5th Armored Division from 1943 to 1945 and was awarded an honorable discharge, a good conduct medal (AR 600-68), a Purple Heart at Go 1B HQ 61st General Hospital 44 and the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, with two Bronze Stars.
R. H. built a 90-foot-wide concrete brick building behind his home facing 6th Street for a grocery business. This is where he reared his children and sent them through school. R. H., Gladys and their four children worked in the store. It was called the "Little Six Grocery" at 110 West 6th Street.
During his years in Tifton, he was always active in civic affairs. He served nine years as Vice Chairman of the Tifton City Commission. He also served nine years as Vice chairman of the Tifton Legislature as Senator of the 4th District in South Georgia. R. H. was a member of Northside Baptist Church, the American Legion Post 21, the V.F.W., the D.A.V., the Tifton Masonic Lodge #47, Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton City Hall, Tifton Maintenance Warehouse and the Regional Wastewater Complex.
As a Freemason, R. H. was awarded the Mason of the Year Plaque and a KYCH charm. This charm is awarded to only those Masons who have been through all degrees and all the chairs of Freemasonry.
R.H. was elected Vice Chairman of the City Commission in December of 1975. He served from 1976 through 1984, three terms or nine years. He was elected Senator of the Silver Haired Legislature from 1985 through 199, four two-year terms or eight years. He served on the South Georgia Area Aging Advisory Council from 1985 to the present. He also received a certificate of appreciation from the American Cancer Society for serving on the Fund-Raising Committee in 1990. he has been a member of the Golfen Age Club since 1974. He is also a member of the Older American of the Month Committee, the Coastal Plain Area Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc. Board, the ECA Advisory Committee and he served on the Library Board from 1976 to 1984.
R. H. built seven homes from the ground up and remodeled two homes for his family. He also wrote and published family histories on both of his parents, "Record of McMillan and Allied Families" (1973) and "Record of Connell-Morris and Allied Families" (1985), with his wife, Gladys' help. He also helped Glady write and publish a book on her mother, Nancy Louise Fletcher Green's family, "Irwin County Fletchers and our Kin" (1985). These three books, with indexes are about 1,000 pages each.
In addition to the family members previously mentioned, Mr. McMillan is survived by his wife, Lilie Mae Faircloth McMillan of Tifton; and two step-sons and their wives, Donald L. and Charlotte Osborne of Loganville and Darrell M and Debbie Osborne of Tifton.