Martha Jean Mills

Martha Jean (Alvey) Mills, 84, died October 26th at Tradewater Pointe in Dawson Springs. She was born in Morganfield, Kentucky on August 5, 1929, the fourth of Everett and Mary Fidelis Alvey’s nine children. When Martha was 13, her mother and two youngest brothers were tragically killed in a house fire, leaving Martha and her beloved brother JD to manage the household and raise three younger siblings. Martha attended St. Ann’s elementary school in Morganfield and graduated from St. Vincent Academy in 1947. In 1948, she married Jim Fred Mills and they moved to Crittenden County in 1951. In the early 1960s, Martha and Jim Fred were instrumental in establishing St. William Catholic Church. Their persistent requests to the Bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro to create a parish in Marion were successful. Sunday masses were offered in the basement of Martha and Jim Fred’s home on Elm Street for several months until a suitable building was obtained. They continued to work tirelessly to ensure the success of the new mission church by identifying parishioners, fundraising and maintaining the church building. To the end of her days, Martha remained devoted to the Church and advocated for the rights of the unborn.



Martha was predeceased by her husband (Jim Fred), three children (Tom, Catherine and Frances) and all eight of her siblings. Survivors include seven children Jerry (Elizabeth) of Benton; Betty Boyd of Oblong, IL; Donnie (Rhonda) of Dawson Springs; Laura (Jeff) Smith of Dawson Springs; Bill (Cindy) of Bowling Green; Hank (Lesley) of Dawson Springs; and Elisa (Richard) Nielson of Louisville; 22 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren (with one always on the way).

ARRANGEMENTS: Visitation for Martha will be held from 5pm until 8:00pm Tuesday October 29th at St William, Martha’s funeral mass will be held 10:00am October 30th at St. William followed by final internment at St. Agnes Cemetery in Uniontown.



In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the American Life League, the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life education organization in the United States, at PO Box 1350, Stafford, VA 22555 or online at www.all.org/donate .