Biography of David Milks, pages 788/789/790.  History of 
DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.,  
Indianapolis, 1914.



The following is a brief sketch of the life of one who, by 
close attention to business, has achieved marked success in 
the world’s affairs and risen to an honorable position 
among the enterprising men of the county with which his 
interests are identified. It is a plain record, rendered 
remarkable by no strange or mysterious adventure, no 
wonderful or lucky accident and no tragic situation.  Mr. 
Milks is one of those estimable characters whose integrity 
and strong personality must force them into and admirable 
notoriety, which their modesty never seeks, who command the 
respect of their contemporaries and their posterity and 
leave the impress of their individuality upon the age in 
which they live. David Milks was born on April 3, 1861, in 
Green county, Wisconsin, a son of Ezra and Sarah (Ronds) 
Milks. Ezra Milks, who was a native of New York state, went 
to Pennsylvania with his parents in young manhood and soon 
afterwards migrated to Wisconsin, where he followed 
agricultural pursuits during practically his entire life.  
He was born in 1820, and died at the Soldier’s Home in 
Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1907, having been a veteran of the 
Civil war. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Ronds, was 
born in Massachusetts in 1827 and died in Wisconsin on June 
7, 1909. Mr. Milks was the father of seven children, of 
whom three, Amos, Thomas and Hattie were born of his first 
union, and four, Frank, Ruth, David and Ella (Mrs. Estes), 
to the second union. Mrs. Milks, the subject’s mother, had 
a child, Martha, by a former marriage, she being now 
deceased.  David Milks was reared on the paternal 
homestead, receiving a common school education and 
following the vocation of farming during his early manhood 
years. In the spring of 1887 he went to Kansas, where he 
remained until 1902, being engaged in farming operations, 
and then came to Smithfield township, DeKalb county, 
Indiana, and bought the Kimmel farm of one hundred and 

forty acres. In the fall of 1911 he bought a residence 
property in Ashley, this county, remodeling the same and 
moving into it in the spring of the following year, his son 
Bert, taking charge of the farm. The latter place is one of 
the best farms in Smithfield township, being well drained 
and practically all under cultivation, very little timber 
being on the place. From the age to twenty years until he 
attained his majority Mr. Milks was reared by Arnold 
Bennett, who gave to him the same careful attention that he 
would have given to a son of his own blood. Mr. Milks has 
proven to be a man of broad, humanitarian impulses, and he 
has not only achieved a large success in this own personal 
affairs, but has also been successful as a citizen, giving 
the proper care and attention to those things which have 
for their object the advancement of the general welfare of 
the community.  On Christmas day, 1886, Mr. Milks was 
married to Maria, the daughter of Jacob and Angeline 
(Minert) Abley. Jacob Abley was a native of the little 
republic of Switzerland, where he remained until twenty-
four years of age, when he emigrated to the United States 
and he followed the trade of a carpenter until his 
marriage, in September, 1859, to Angeline Minert. He was 
married in Wisconsin and there he settled on a farm.  He 
followed agricultural pursuits there until his death, which 
occurred on April 18, 1897. By this union Mr. Abley became 
the father of six children. Mrs. Maria Milks, Cassie, Ida, 
Mrs. Lizzie Lewis, William and Mrs. Vera Marlcook, the 
mother of these children was a native of Indiana, born near 
Covington, Vermilion county, and died in Albany, Wisconsin, 
on July 28, 1906. To Mr. and Mrs. Milks were born two 
children, Bert and George. The former married Georgia 
Conrad and lives on his father’s farm, which he operates.  
Politically, David Milks gives his earnest support to the 
Republican party, in the counsels of which he was a 
prominent figure for many years. Fraternally, he is a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Ashley. 
Religiously, he has for a number of years been a member of 
the Christian church, of which he has served as treasurer 
and is now one of the deacons. A man of kindly and 
charitable impulses, he breathes a spirit of optimism where 
ever he goes, and those who know him best hold him in the 
highest regard. A man of clean character, a good business 
manager and keenly alive to the highest and best interests 
of his community, he is entitled to that measure of 
confidence and regard in which he is held by his fellow 
citizens.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com