NOTES FROM YESTERYEAR

#2

BY A. L. SPOONER

LeRoy (Lee) Mills, who passed away at the ripe age of 86, was a man of many accomplishments, not the least being an outstanding stone mason. His home south of Hesperia is a good example of that type of work.

At the age of 81 he built his last job of stone masonry, the monument in the Old Pioneer Cemetery east of Fremont for the donor, the late Harry L. Spooner. The stones were dumped by the side of the road and at his advanced age he carried them up the hill and erected the monument where it now stands.

He related to me a bit of history which I don’t believe has ever been recorded. He said that when his father-in-law, John Lewis, was lumbering south of Hesperia in Dayton Township, a young man by the name of Hayes appeared in the fall and asked for work. Mr. Lewis gave him a job which he performed satisfactorily until spring at which time he departed. This young man was a quiet, assuming young fellow and not too talkative. Nothing was heard of him after he left for a considerable time until one day Mr. Lewis received through the mail an autographed picture of him and his father, President Rutherford B. Hayes.