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Kansas Family History


FAMILY HISTORY OF REUBEN GEORGE
The Heritage Server thanks Nancy Sween (Sftrail@aol.com)
for providing this information 9-AUG-1994. (Links updated: 17 MAR 2001)
More details on this family is also here


related sites: A George Family History, Reuben George families, Andrew County, MO, Butler County, Ohio, Doniphan County, KS, other genealogy (older site here), Kansas Interactive Genealogy, Interactive Genealogy Surname Searches

Descendants of REUBEN and ANN (HANDLEY) GEORGE: Kansas Connections

Reuben George Sr was born July 31 1776 in Virginia, according to family tradition. (The 1810 census for Monroe County, WV may be in error to suggest that he was born about 1765.) Reuben married Ann Handley (born 1764 according to the 1810 census) on March 2 1797 in Greenbriar County, WV. Between 1798 and 1810, Ann and Reuben had at least 6 children: Fannie, Joshua, Reuben, Jane, Enoch, and a daughter who seems to have died in childhood. The George family moved to farm land in western Ohio near Okeana (Butler County) about 1812. Ann died in Ohio in the 1820s. Reuben was already a grandfather when he married Esther Hardin Phillips (born 1780s?) on Feb 2 1826 in Butler County, OH. Reuben and Esther had two children between 1827 & 1830: Isaac and Mary (Polly). Reuben, Esther, and Isaac died in 1837 in Butler County.

Fannie George Johnson was born October 5, 1798 in what is now West Virginia, the eldest of Ann and Reuben George's children. The George family moved to Butler County, OH about 1812 when Fannie was a young teenager. In 1818 she married Jacob Johnson in Butler County. Fannie and Jacob had five children. Fannie died in 1851 when she was 52. Her daughter, Rebecca Johnson Waltz's husband John Waltz Sr. was a carpenter who made wagons with his son George Waltz, who was a blacksmith. George's daughter Evelyn Waltz married Harry McDonald, who farmed in Butler County until they moved to Oxford, OH and operated a dry cleaning store. John Waltz Jr. was a brakeman on the C&O Railroad in Richmond, IN. James W. MacDonald who began teaching in one-room schools in Indiana, retired as professor of American History at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. He and his wife Lois George MacDonald could both trace their ancestry to Reuben and Ann Handley George: "Mac" was their great-great- great grandson and Lois their great-great granddaughter.

Joshua George was just entering his teenage years (around 1812) when his parents moved to western Ohio from West Virginia. Joshua married Catherine Thompson Gough (born 1801 in VA) on May 7, 1825 in Henry County, IN. Catherine was the widow of Dr. William Gough, and had a son (Charles T. Gough) by that marriage. Like his parents before him, Joshua and Catherine farmed in Butler County Ohio. Joshua died of typhoid fever when he was about 35, and Catherine (with their five children aged 10 to 1) maintained the farm and raised the children. Catherine died in 1862 when she was about 61 years old. In the summer of 1917, families of 6 of Enoch Jackson George's children met for dinner at Fred George's house near Okeana, where the 1st annual reunion was planned for the 2nd Sunday in August 1918 at Glen Miller Park in Richmond, IN.

Reuben George, Jr. was still 21 in 1825 when he married Margaret Lynn in Butler County, OH. Three years later he married Nancy McCotter, also in Butler County, although so far there is no record of any McCotter family living in the county. There is also no record that he and Margaret had any children before she died, presumably about 1827. But the same year Reuben Jr.'s eldest known daughter, Elizabeth, married Alexander Baily in Andrew County, MO, a Mandy George had married Charles Shipman there (January 19, 1845). The Shipman family was not listed in the 1850 census for Andrew County; they had moved northeast to Wisconsin. The Baily's also were not listed in the Andrew County 1850 census, having gone back to eastern Ohio for awhile before returning to settle in Kansas. Being born in 1826, and getting married in Andrew County, MO, are two clues suggesting that Mandy George Shipman may have been Reuben (and Margaret)'s daughter.

Reuben George Jr. moved to Andrew County, MO about 1845, settling on the 101st River. He and Nancy moved across the Missouri River west to Doniphan County, KS about 1855 where they continued farming. Reuben died of cancer on September 20 1869. Nancy George continued living in Doniphan County, attending an occasional picnic for the many residents of the county from Ohio. She died in Sept 1898.

Jane George Skiles was 20 when she and Isaac Skiles married in Butler County in 1825. They had at least 9 children between 1826 and 1842, with the twins coming in 1842. Later most of the family moved to Decatur County, IN.

Enoch George was about 5 when his parents moved the family to Ohio. In 1826 when he married Jane McCotter (perhaps his sister-in-law Nancy's sister?), he was 19 and she 17. Jane and Enoch had 10 children between 1827 and 1851, in three states. The George's moved to Green County, IN in the early 1840s, then joined Nancy and Reuben Jr. in Andrew County, Missouri about 1849. After Jane died in the 1850s, he lived for a time across the Missouri River in Doniphan County, KS, but returned to Andrew County before the 1860 census. Little is known of his second wife, Matilda. Enoch died in 1892, preceding his youngest child who died of tuberculosis by six months.

The youngest of Reuben and Ann George's children was, according to the 1810 census of Monroe County, West Virginia, a girl born about 1809. She apparently died young.

Isaac George was born a year after Reuben George Sr. married Esther Hardin Phillips in Butler County. Isaac died in 1837, the same year as both of his parents.

Mary (Polly) George turned 7 late in the year her parents and brother had died. She was raised by the Squire DeArmond family, and like two of her nephews, married into the DeArmond family in the 1850s. Mary was known as "Aunt Pop" & lived to within three months of her 101st birthday.


Chronological History of Reuben George Jr of Doniphan County KS

1803:  On Jun 5, Reuben was born in Monroe County, West Virginia to
       Reuben (Sr.) and Ann Handley George
1812:  Reuben (about 9) moved with his parents & siblings to Okeana, OH
1825:  On Mar 10, Reuben (22) married Margaret Lynn, Butler County, OH
1825-35:  Common Pleas Record for Butler County Misc 3:368 shows John
       Skiles lodging a complaint of assult against Reuben George and
       Joshua Foster.  No one appeared and no order was made.  (Isaac
       Skiles was Reuben's brother-in-law)
1827?: Margaret Lynn George died?  Did she have a baby named Mandy?
1828:  On Sep 11, Reuben (25) married Nancy McCotter, Butler Co., OH
1829:  On Oct 24, Elizabeth George was born in OH [1850 census+fam rcds]
1834:  Mary Jane George was born in Ohio [1850 census]
1836/37: Austin George was born in Ohio [1850 census]
1840:  Reuben (37) was postmaster of Scipio, OH in Butler Co., OH [Rieth]
1844/45: Reuben (40-42), Nancy, & family moved west to Andrew County, MO
1845:  On Feb 21, Reuben (41) bonded the west half of the NE quarter of
       section 36-60-35 (Nodaway Township, Andrew County, MO) on the One
       Hundred and Two River from Jacob Adams [Book2, pg 475: Circuit
       Court].  He had 28.7 acres.
1845:  On Aug 23, Newton Hanly (sic) George was born in MO [Fletcher].
       The 1850 census suggests he was born earlier, in 1843 or '44.
1847:  On Aug 25, Elizabeth George (17) married Alexander Baily (28?)
       in Andrew Co., MO by the Justice of the Peace.  [Hodges Mar Rcrds]
1847:  On Nov  5, Reuben (44) witnessed the will of David Beatie (Baty)
       in Andrew County.  [Hodges Vol 7 pg 4]  The Beatie family lived
       on the section of land just east of Reuben's land, and the Beatie
       family was still living there in 1877 [1877 Plat Book]
1847-50:  Reuben (45?) and family moved to Platte township in Andrew
       Co, MO [per 1850 census].  Elizabeth and Alexander Baily had
       gone back to eastern Ohio [family records; no census proof].
1849:  In Dec?, Sarah E. George was born [1850 census]
1850:  Reuben (47) was living next to his brother, Enoch George, and
       near John George in Platte township.
1854:  On Oct 5, Mary Jane George (20) married James Crow Williams
       (22) in Andrew County, MO by Henry Epler, Cumberland Presby.
       [Hodges; Circuit Court book A, p 184]  Mr. Eppler would later
       become the father-in-law of one of Enoch George's daughters.
1855:  On Dec 7, Thomas Adamson and wife sold the NE section of
       20-60-34 and the SNE and SE section of 17-60-34 to Reuben
       George (52) in Empire township. [Circuit Court Bk 5, pg 302]
1856:  On Apr 5, Reuben (52) and family moved to Burr Oak township of
       Doniphan County, KS. [Sheldon letter]
1857:  On Apr 7, Reuben (53) sold SNE section of 17-60-34 (Empire twp,
       Andrew County, MO) and the NE section of 20-60-34 (Empire twp)
       to son-in-law Alex Baily (by the sheriff?).  [Circuit Court
       book 7, page 16].
1857:  On Oct 7, Reuben's (54) land in SNE 17-60-34 (Empire township)
       sold by Sheriff to Andrew R. Murphy.  [Circuit court book]
1859:  Austin (22) & Newton George (14?) bought land, Doniphan Co., KS.
1866:  Austin George (29?) married Chlorinda Hazen (23) on Feb 1.
       Newton Hanley George (20) married Mary J. Fleming (19) on Feb 20
       in Doniphan County, KS.
1868:  On Jul 9, Reuben (65) was guardian of Sarah E. and Amanda E.
       Hamilton, with E.J. Jenkins, the attorney.
      [NOTE: Patricia, at PJParsons@kcom.edu, is 
       descended from Sarah Eliz Hamilton, who was born in Iowa.  She would 
       like to make contact with anyone else researching this Hamilton family. 
       3 April 2000]
       
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