Poem for peace
Verse penned in 1918 celebrates end of The Great War

Phyllis Millholland sits with her daughter Carolyn Mahnke at their home in Gallup on Tuesday. Millholland was born in 1916, but she doesn’t fail to remember where she was for the 1918 armistice for World War I. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Adron Gardner

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — Phyllis Millholland has a story to tell.It all started when she was born on Aug. 13, 1916. And she’ll tell you. She was delivered early, right in the middle of one of her father’s sermons. After her mother delivered her, her father continued his service to the family at home.

Her mother Harriett Annette Holland and her father Paul Millholland married after serving in the missionary field for several years. They first lived in Beechgrove, Ind., where they founded the Beechgrove Methodist Church. Eventually Paul and Harriet went to India as missionaries with two small toddlers and established a metal works factory and sari weaving company. Phyllis and two brothers were born in India.

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x223.