Biography:

Dr. William Henry Millen was born in Ancaster, Ontario on the 4th of August, 1865.  Dr. Millen was the eldest of 5 children born to Thomas Millen and the former Mary H. Slater.  His father was born in England and his mother was born in Ontario.  Dr. Millen’s parents were farmers and his siblings were;  Thomas Millen, Elizabeth Ella Miller, Lottie Jane Miller and a little brother that was stillborn on the 3rd of May, 1880.

When he was still a little boy, Dr. Millen’s parents moved to Essex County (Ontario). He received his primary education there and after graduating from High School, he attended the Detroit College of Medicine, graduating in 1891. Dr. Millen then attended the Trinity College of Medicine in Toronto. He graduated M.D. in 1894.  Dr. Millen interned at Harper Hospital in Detroit. He worked in Mansfield, Ohio for a time then moved to Wheatley, Ontario.

Dr. Millen married Katherine Jessie McKellar on the 17th of May, 1894, in North Oxford Township.  Mrs. Millen was born on the 6th of January, 1866.   She was the 5th of 8 children born to Archie McKellar and the former Mary Jane Avery.  Her parents farmed in Oxford County near Ingersoll and her siblings were; Nina McKellar, Duncan H. McKellar (who died on the 11th of June, 1857 at the age of 20 months), an infant brother (who died in 1860), Eliza McKellar, Mary McKellar, Helen Louisa McKellar, John A. McKellar and Archibald McKellar (who died on the 12th of October, 1872 at the age of 4 months).

Dr. and Mrs. Millen had 2 daughters; Nina Lenore Millen was born on the 29th of September, 1895 and Mary Kathleen Millen was born on the 26th of May, 1899.  Dr. Millen practiced medicine in Wheatley for about 5 years, then in 1900 he took over the practice of Dr. Rourke in Woodslee, Ontario (Essex County).

Dr. Millen moved his family to Hillsdown, Alberta in 1906 where he continued to practice medicine.  His cousin, Dr. Stephen F. Millen worked with him in Woodslee for one year prior to his departure and took over the practice when Dr. William Millen moved to Alberta.  Listed on the 1906 Alberta Census is Dr. Millen and his brother Thomas Millen, both living in Hillsdown.

Dr. Millen died in a railway accident in Azilda, Ontario (near Sudbury) on the 12th of September, 1906.  The brakes failed on a Canadian Pacific Railway train and it collided with a harvester train.  He was one of 12 people killed.  He was buried at the Cottam Cemetery in Cottam (Essex County).

Dr. Millen’s wife Katherine, moved to Toronto after his death.  She died on the 5th of April, 1929.  At the time of her death, she resided on Harvard Ave., in Toronto.  She was buried at the Cottam Cemetery, next to her husband.