According to family lore, Tillman's offer of marriage to a pretty young girl was spurned and he became immersed in his farm and lands. When he died he owned a significant amount of prime land in Clayton Township, Crawford County, WI, which was inherited and sold for a great deal of money by an unknown female relative, who is said to have spent it recklessly.

My father, who knew Tillman well in the last 10 years of his life, said that he always thought Tillman greatly resembled and sounded like Sterling Holloway, the old film actor and voice of the Winnie the Pooh cartoon character.