Mrs Rebecca Korkorfio Mills-Odoi, the late distinguished matriarch, was born in Kumasi on June 14, 1928 to the late Jacob Samuel Shamo Abbey, (Abbey’s Park fame, Ashanti Newtown, Kumasi) of La, Abbeytsewe and Klanaa respectively, in Accra, who had been appointed health official cum Sanitary Inspector by the Colonial Head of the then Gold Coast, Sir Arden Selwyn Clark and the mother, late Mrs Ama Frema Barima-Abbey.of Kantinkenkyire in the Ashanti Region.
Rebecca was the grand-daughter of the late Nana Yaw Barima, a fearless senior linguist of the Asantehene who was famously known as Kejetia Dzata (Lion of Kejetia).
The young Rebecca was sent off to school at the relatively early age of 6 in 1934. La Emmaus was her first point of call. Her schooling in Accra was short- lived but not before she made friends with mates like the future La Mantse, Nii Dr Kpobi Tettey Tsuru. She continued her education at the Convents of St.Monica’s, Mampong, Ashanti Region and Keta in the Volta Region. She made several friends including Prof. Miranda Greenstreet, late Marian Kufuor (formerly of the Attorney General’s department and later head of the legal department of Income tax. Marian Kufuor was the elder sister of ex- president Kufuor. Mrs Mills-Odoi also had the privilege of being the mate of ex-president Kufuor’s wife at Keta Convent.
Auntie Becky or Korkorfio as she was affectionately called by friends and loved ones, loved caring for people and this motivated her to enrol at the Korle- Bu Nursing Training School.
On completion of the rigorous programme,
she worked at Korle- Bu for a while before transferring her services to the University of Science and Technology Hospital in Kumasi. She had to pass a selection process which saw only three out of the hundreds interviewed, make it.
It was while working in Kumasi that she had her first son with Otumfour Nana Agyeman Prempeh the second’s personal physician, the eminent scientist, poet and playwright who was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology in 1949, Dr R.E.G Armattoe of blessed memory.
She was to meet her life- long companion and sweetheart, Lawyer G.C Mills- Odoi, a vibrant lawyer who was then practising in Kumasi.
They got married in 1960 and were blessed with three children; Donald Charles Nii Odoi Mills- Odoi, Ruby Afarley Mills- Odoi and Peter Odoi Boye Mills- Odoi.
Mr Mills- Odoi was later appointed the first indigenous Attorney- General who was to draft the VALCO agreement between the Government of Ghana and the consortium from the U.S.
He chaired the Commission which was tasked with the reformation of the Civil Service and subsequently became Judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
After marriage, Mrs Mills Odoi faced with the demands of caring for a growing family in addition to coping with the demands of her husband’s workload, chose to devote her time and attention to home making.
She displayed great culinary skills and receptions hosted by her husband were well patronised. She played an active role in church activities and greatly enjoyed her hobby of embroidery- making.
Auntie Becky led a long and fulfilling life and even after the husband predeceased her, she was always surrounded by the love and affection of her four grown children, many grand and great grand children, the larger family and long- cherished friends.
