Mills was born in Gray, a small town in Knox County, Kentucky to Dr. William H. Jones and Bertie (Steely) Jones. She graduated from Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky and attended Eastern Kentucky State Teacher's College.
Mills was born in the rural town of Gray, in Knox County, Kentucky, to a family headed by her father, Dr. William H. Jones, and her mother, Bertie (Steely) Jones. She went on to complete her education at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky, before furthering her studies at Eastern Kentucky State Teacher's Academy.