His obituary, father's pension papers, marriage licenses to Mary(3) and Mary(4), as well as his daughter Josie's birth record (1941) all state that he was born in Fredericktown on July 30, 1859. However, the "History of Knox Co, Ohio" erroneously says he was born Aug 30, 1860; while the 1900 census says it was Jul 1858.
In 1881 he was living with his mother in Knox Co. He and Ida were married by Rev J. S. Roundwell on Feb 8, 1883 in Mansfield.
The 1900 census shows him as Miller J. Wells, born Jul 1858 and says that he had been married 16 years and was renting his farm in Perry Twp, Morrow Co. On June 22,1908 he bought his own 80 acre farm in Perry Twp, Richland Co. from G.J. Ewers (vol#133, pg 475) on Painter Rd for $2,500. For some reason the Mansfield News lists a property transfer the next day, the date of Ida’s death, of the 80 acres from Ida E. Wells to G. J. Ewers for $1, followed by the transfer of 80 acres from G. J. Ewers to J. M. Wells for $1. (Clarence's family later lived on the adjoining farm.) After Ida died, Josie helped to keep the children together as a family and acted as a mother to them. In 1910 he is listed as Millard Wells, age 51, a widower with children Josie, Frank, Oliver, and Robert. He owned his own (mortgaged) farm. He also lived on a farm south of Batemantown in Knox Co.
He was married to Mary E. (Stafer) Lake, a widow with 3 children from Mt Vernon in 1913. He was living in Middlebury Twp at the time and listed as a farmer. He sued for divorce in 1917, based on cruelty and gross neglect, which was granted on 18 Oct 1917.
In 1920 he was living in the home he owned on Grant St in Fredericktown, age 56 and listed as Millard J. Wells. He was widowed, working as a laborer in a Foundry.
He married again to Mary Elizabeth (Zolman) Silliman, a widow of Fredericktown in Jan 1920, right after the census. He was listed as a laborer living in Fredericktown. They didn’t stay together long and in September separated. In 1922 he filed for divorce based on incompatability, and it was granted 11 Oct 1922.
He retired in Fredericktown, doing odd jobs and yard work. Clarence said that he was short and had only one eye (can be seen in family photo), but didn't know why.
He subsequently married Mary Elizabeth (King) Roth on 28 Aug 1923. Their marriage license says that he had been married 3 times previously and was divorced.
He wrote a first will on 28 Aug 1923 when he remarried, which I have a copy of, in addition to the last one written 20 Nov 1928.
Died of Bronchial Pneumonia after 5 years of Myocarditis. Death Cert says he lived in Fredericktown 10 years prior to his death and was buried in North Fork Cem, near Waterford. His tombstone there also shows 1859 -1929. An obituary says that he had 2 brothers, which was confirmed in the pension papers of his father and the Melva Bradrick family bible. The Waterford Church of Christ was the family faith.