The Mills Family Cemetery a/k/a Nathan Mills Cemetery is located near Apex, NC in western Wake County, off a dirt road which connects Road 1604. The cemetery was established by Nathan Mills (1792-1875) during the 1830s, on a tract of land he purchased 1 Aug 1832.

It is not known how many people are buried at the cemetery, but old plats have helped considerably. Many gravesites are marked with tombstones, but some with only a fieldstone. During 2003, there are 62 visible gravesites located in five rows.

The Mills Family Cemetery is about 125 feet square, and surrounded by woods on three sides. The west side is open and faces a dirt road which provides access. The original boundaries may have encompassed as much as one acre.

There are at least 11 military veterans buried at Mills Family Cemetery. The veterans' gravesites are marked with government military service markers. The seven Civil War veterans have the "Southern Cross of Honor" engraved into their marble headstones.

On 28 Jan 1995, there was a formal marker dedication service held at Mills Family Cemetery to dedicate six of the new military service markers. It included members of several lineage societies.

Naaman Mills (1757-1835) is the progenitor of many of those named MILLS who live in and around Wake Co., NC today. He and five of his sons are buried at Mills Family Cemetery. They are: John, Britain, Matthew, Nathan, and Shadrack Mills.

Nathan Mills (1792-1875) had at least twelve children, of which eight are buried at Mills Family Cemetery. They are: James, Britton T., Martha L., Sarah, Julia Ann, Joseph Hinton, John Haywood, and William Henry Mills.

The gravesites of Nathan, Candis (Wilson), James, Martha L., Sarah, Julia Ann, Shadrack, and John Mills are marked with concrete gravestones, engraved with their names and dates.

The Mills Family Cemetery has stood the test of time and weathered the ages well. The ground is level and the gravesites are well organized. It has been in use for over 170 years. The latest burial was October 1988.

Surveyed by William A. Mills in Dec 2003

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UPDATE from an email received from William A. Mills on July 27, 2013:
When you created the memorial pages for burials at what is called Mills Family Cemetery off of Castleberry Rd, Apex, NC around 2005, it was based on info from my 1996 book: The
Naaman Mills Family of NC 1757-1996.

Since 1996, I have received info from Mills family members, pertaining to other known Mills family cemeteries of the Wake & Chatham County line areas. There are at least 3 separate cemeteries, and what was called Mills Family Cemetery in my book, is actually the Nathan Mills Cemetery. Here is what I have concluded over the past decade:

Shadrack Mills is not buried at Mills Family Cemetery. His family were buried at the Wilson & Mills Cemetery in Chatham Co., NC, which is now under the water of Lake Jordan.

Patsy Wilson Mills is not buried at Mills Family Cemetery. Shadrack Mills and family were buried at the Wilson & Mills Cemetery in Chatham Co., NC, which is now under the water of Lake Jordan.

Matthew Mills is not buried at Mills Family Cemetery. His family is buried at what is known as John Mills Cemetery, within a mile of the Nathan Mills Cemetery. I had walked
that cemetery in 1993, but it was severely wooded.

Piety Wade, wife of Matthew Mills is not buried at Mills Family Cemetery. His family is buried at what is known as John Mills Cemetery, within a mile of the Nathan Mills
Cemetery. I had walked that cemetery in 1993, but it was severely wooded.

Britain Mills is very likely buried at the John Mills Cemetery, as Britain Mills was a twin to Matthew Mills, who was the father of John Mills (John Addison Mills). Britain and Matthew Mills died within a few years of each other; 1856 and 1854.

Naaman Mills is not buried at the Nathan Mills Cemetery. I was told in recent years, that he was buried in a grave near White Oak Creek, which is within a mile of the Nathan Mills Cemetery. Naaman Mills lived in a log cabin in that area.

Penelope Lassiter, wife of Naaman Mills is not buried at the Nathan Mills Cemetery. I was told in recent years, that Naaman Mills was buried in a grave near White Oak Creek, which is within a mile of the Nathan Mills Cemetery. Naaman Mills lived in a log cabin in that area. Penelope Lassiter died prior to her husband, Naaman Mills.

Catherine Jinks, wife of Britain Mills is very likely buried at the John Mills Cemetery, as Britain Mills was a twin to Matthew Mills, who was the father of John Mills (John Addison Mills). Britain and Matthew Mills died within a few years of each other; 1856 and 1854.