Joseph Lynwood Mills: Tabor City

    Funeral services and a celebration of the life of Lynwood Mills were planned for 1 p.m. Saturday, June 21 at Tabor City Baptist Church, with burial following in Forest Lawn Cemetery. The family planned to receive friends prior to the funeral service beginning at 11:30 a.m.
    After a remarkably healthy life, Lynwood passed away on Wednesday, June 18.
    A son of the late John Leon and Beulah Coleman Mills, Lynwood was born in Columbus County on Oct. 23, 1929. He was a graduate of Tabor City High School, a veteran of the US Army, and a long-standing, faithful member of the Tabor City Baptist Church. For many years, Lynwood enjoyed a career on the tobacco market, traveling over a five-state territory. After his retirement from the tobacco market, he co-founded The Jewelry Tree, a business that, over the years, had stores in Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Loris.
    A master gardener, Lynwood enjoyed planting and nurturing his vegetables, flowers, and trees, but he found his greatest enjoyment in tending his farm and its crops and what he planted grew exceedingly well. In all seasons, he could be found working outside, on many days from first light to dusk.
    An enthusiastic fisherman, he was always looking forward to the next trip with his fishing buddies. The produce from his garden and the catch from his fishing trips were shared abundantly with neighbors and friends. Lynwood grew and shared the most beautiful zinnias and camellias; he loved muscadine grapes, boiled peanuts, and his wife Doris’s biscuits; and he was a loyal North Carolina Tar Heel fan. Generous and caring, he had a wonderful sense of humor throughout his life and possessed a fine appreciation for a good joke. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend and he will be missed so very much.
    Living on are his wife, Doris W. Mills, of Tabor City; sons, Barry Mills of Tabor City, Dr. Mike Mills (Barbara) of Loris, and Dr. Chuck Mills (Kim) of Loris; grandchildren Chris Mills, Blair Mills, Hope Rogers, Faithe Lahn (Ricci), Jason Mills, Macon Mills and Brinkley Mills; great-grandchildren Jacob Rogers, Justin Rogers, Nash Lahn, Cohen Lahn, Madeline Mills and Rafe Mills; sisters Drucilla M. Josephs (Bill) of Loris, and Mary Catherine Stewart of Winston Salem, NC, and special “daughter” Vicky Lefler, mother of grandson Chris Mills.
    In addition to his parents, Lynwood was preceded in death by his brothers Richard and Michael Mills, and his sister, Carolyn M. Fuqua.
    The family is indebted to Dr. Emily Touloukian and staff of Coastal Cancer Center of Loris, the doctors and staff of Southern Medical Associates, and the staff of Lower Cape Fear Hospice Angel House. “May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
    A guest register is available at here.