Charles Mills Family

Greetings from Minnesota where the Charles Dudley Mills Family has lived since 1991.

Stereotypically, one thinks of Minnesota as cold. This is true; I have seen -35F (no wind chill) on the thermometer. Surprisingly, the average summer temperature is about 4 degrees warmer than upstate NY. “Extreme” well describes some other features of Minnesota. Historically the most liberal political state (the only state that Ronald Reagan did not win in his reelection), more recently Jesse Ventura (a former pro wrestler) handily defeated a democrat and republican to become governor. As it turns out, he was an effective and moderate governor, and is an articulate, albeit large, man. He and his wife live nearby. Another example of an extreme here is the mosquito - often called the State Bird.

Audrey Frances Mills (20, after her grandmother, Audrey Mills) just finished her Sophomore year at Macalester College where she is majoring in Chemistry. She will likely go to medical school after college. Until 8th grade, Audrey was a competitive gymnast. She then moved into other sports, serving as Captain of Soccer, Basketball and Track in High School. This year she played basketball and was Macalester’s best high jumper. All of these athletic activities come at some cost. At the Senior Basketball Banquet, for example, her teammates noted the one thing they recognized above all else about her - smelly sneakers. Despite this handicap, Audrey is a hard worker, and not surprisingly, received her High School’s highest award for best overall student, athlete and person.

Charles Raymond Mills (15, after his great grandfather, Raymond Mills) just finished his Freshman Year in Forest Lake High School. Interestingly, my parents (Robert and Audrey Mills) looked back in Mills History in naming me the 4th Charles Dudley Mills in the US. But, I decided to stray from history, and this has worked out because my son has come to be called Charlie Ray, a most colorful and fitting name. I say fitting because Charlie Ray has a very outgoing personality and a terrific sense of humor. He is also blessed with exceptional eyesight (20/12), and coordination. These traits have helped him in competitive basketball (that he has played since 4th grade), lacrosse the last few years, and he recently started playing guitar (rock and roll). Overall, he’s a guy’s guy, enjoying dirtbiking, snowmobiling – anything mechanical, and recently, girls.

Charles Dudley Mills (59) is the largest Mills (and arguably, the handsomest). I was 6’2” in eighth grade. Such height allowed me to score 52 points in a basketball game that year. I am a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Chicago, and most of my life has been spent as a Medical Research Professor, first at Brown University, then the University of Minnesota. In 2000, I published (in the Journal of Immunology), the discovery of 2 white cells (previously thought to be one type of cell), which I named M-1 and M-2. M-1/M-2 is now used worldwide in medicine to describe these 2 different cells that help one heal wounds or fight infection. I have been blessed with important things in life: good health, life-long friends, healthy children and wonderful parents. My (much older/smaller) brothers aren’t bad either, since they periodically have weddings that I get to attend and meet new friends and see family.

Charlie Mills