Obituary for Otis Mills
Otis Mills Sr. was born in Camilla Georgia on October 9, 1926 to Jack and Rosalee Mills however he was raised primarily by his grandparents, Freddy and Ida Mills.
When Otis was a young teen, his family moved from the Camilla area, but Otis decided he rather stay in Camilla with his sharecropper grandparents. This decision was not based on his love for farming, but was influenced more by his grandfather’s new Model-T Ford which Otis was hoping to drive.
Otis a quiet young man of integrity, nurtured his faith through his regular church attendance at Friendship Baptist Church. One Sunday a month, a beautiful guest pianist named Barbara Ruth Reynolds would visit there to play. Their lifelong love relationship budded and blossomed during that time, culminating in marriage on September 22, 1951.
This union produced their first child in 1952 and prompted Otis to move north in search of a better job. He decided to catch up with his mother and siblings who had moved to Pittsburgh, PA. Here, his bother Clyde told him about job openings at Armour Meat Packing Company. Otis got the job and sent for his wife and new baby. There the family rooted and grew adding seven more children.
Otis and Barbara grounded and raised their family in the knowledge and love of God supported by their participation and attendance at various local churches. Otis was on the ministerial staff at New Jerusalem Holiness Church, then to Bethlehem Temple Church where he was active member of the Radio Choir and gained some notoriety for his rolls for the Sunday dinners. They finally joined Covenant Church of Pittsburgh where he was active in the small groups and men’s ministries. Now he’s joined with the eternal hosts of angels with our God Almighty!
To his immediate family, Otis often would make his point through an idioms and phrases; his most admired one was “You Want Horns, But You Gonna’ Die Butt Headed.” (we still don’t know what this means)
Otis was proceeded in death by his wife Barbara, his son Anthony, bother Clyde, sister Claretha, brother Nate and other half-siblings not identified. He is survived by his children Katrina, Otis (Gail), Fred (Lisa), Alphonso, Lisa, Chanel and Johnny; ten grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews; and many other family and friends.
When Otis was a young teen, his family moved from the Camilla area, but Otis decided he rather stay in Camilla with his sharecropper grandparents. This decision was not based on his love for farming, but was influenced more by his grandfather’s new Model-T Ford which Otis was hoping to drive.
Otis a quiet young man of integrity, nurtured his faith through his regular church attendance at Friendship Baptist Church. One Sunday a month, a beautiful guest pianist named Barbara Ruth Reynolds would visit there to play. Their lifelong love relationship budded and blossomed during that time, culminating in marriage on September 22, 1951.
This union produced their first child in 1952 and prompted Otis to move north in search of a better job. He decided to catch up with his mother and siblings who had moved to Pittsburgh, PA. Here, his bother Clyde told him about job openings at Armour Meat Packing Company. Otis got the job and sent for his wife and new baby. There the family rooted and grew adding seven more children.
Otis and Barbara grounded and raised their family in the knowledge and love of God supported by their participation and attendance at various local churches. Otis was on the ministerial staff at New Jerusalem Holiness Church, then to Bethlehem Temple Church where he was active member of the Radio Choir and gained some notoriety for his rolls for the Sunday dinners. They finally joined Covenant Church of Pittsburgh where he was active in the small groups and men’s ministries. Now he’s joined with the eternal hosts of angels with our God Almighty!
To his immediate family, Otis often would make his point through an idioms and phrases; his most admired one was “You Want Horns, But You Gonna’ Die Butt Headed.” (we still don’t know what this means)
Otis was proceeded in death by his wife Barbara, his son Anthony, bother Clyde, sister Claretha, brother Nate and other half-siblings not identified. He is survived by his children Katrina, Otis (Gail), Fred (Lisa), Alphonso, Lisa, Chanel and Johnny; ten grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews; and many other family and friends.