The story of Robert Early Mill's headstone

This is a story about how the headstone for Robert Early Mill came to be.

Shorty Mill, as he came to be called, was born to John and Emma Mill on the homestead of his grandfather, Robert Mill, a Washington Territory pioneer, on May 27, 1882. The homestead is located south of Cheney on Wells Road.

Shorty attended school at Wright School in the Pioneer Township, Spokane County. The school was located at the corner of Wells Road and Pine Grove Road, south of Cheney.

After completing school, Shorty started farming with his papa, John Mill, on the family homesteads which totaled 560 acres in 1903. They farmed using horses and mules.

Finally, on May 28, 1931, Shorty married the only true love of his life, Margaret Fuller.

Margaret was born to Benjamin Franklin Norton and Lillie Belle Norton, maiden name Clarno, in Paradise Oregon on Oct. 18, 1899. The Norton family was living on the bluffs overlooking Badger Lake, southeast of Cheney, when Shorty met Margaret. Shorty had never married before. The marriage was short. Shorty and Margaret divorced in 1935.

Shorty never remarried. Also, in 1935 Shorty decided to retire and move to Spokane. Shorty was believed to have lived in the Avon Apartments, South 318 Post Street, which he owned at the time. Margaret and Shorty remained friends after the divorce and Margaret continued working for Shorty managing the apartments until Shorty’s death on Dec. 29, 1947.

After Shorty’s death family problems started. The original last will and testament of Robert E. Mill leaves his nephew John Bauer two-fifths of his estate. It also leaves his nephews Albert and Emery Babb and Leslie Mill one-fifth each of his estate.

The will is dated Dec. 3, 1935. The will was filed Oct. 3, 1947 with the Spokane County Clerk’s office. Along with the will there was a codicil filed giving his only wife, Margaret Uptagrafft, one-fifth of his estate.

Margaret had remarried since their divorce in 1935 and had the last name of Uptagrafft. Margaret’s share of the estate was the Avon Apartments. The apartment building was one-fifth of John Bauer’s share of his Uncle Shorty’s estate.

To make the situation more complex, there was an open checking account and safe deposit box at the Old National Bank of Spokane belonging to Shorty. It was the account to operate the Avon Apartments.

Inside the safe deposit box was an envelope with the name Margaret Mill written on it. Enclosed in the envelope was $1,000. Margaret felt Shorty had left her the money. John Bauer did not agree, and he was not happy about losing one-fifth of his Uncle Shorty’s estate.

In early 1948, probate started, and John saw an attorney to see what he could do to block the codicil. John soon found out there was nothing that could be done about the codicil but maybe something could be done about the $1,000.

A lawsuit was filed against the estate of Robert E. Mill. On June 2, 1948 an “Order for Authority for Executor to Settle Lawsuit” was filed. In the filed order it awards Margaret the $1,000.

From the $1,000 Margaret was to repay the estate of Robert E. Mill $124 owed for apartment rentals. Also, Margaret was to purchase a monument for the grave of Robert E. Mill, not to cost more than $400 but not less than $300.

The “Final Account and Petition for Distribution” was signed on May 5, 1950. Margaret obeyed the final order of the court and purchased a monument for Shorty. It was installed at his gravesite in the Mill Family Lot, Lot 44, Spangle Cemetery, Spangle, Washington in 1950.

The mystery in this story is the engraving in the monument of Shorty’s. Across the top it says, “UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.”

No one has ever figured out if Margaret was sending Shorty a message or if it was a message from Shorty to his family and friends.