George Theodore Herrick

HERRICK, MCCULLOOUGH, OCONNOR, VORRATH, ELLIOTT, CROZIER, CASKEY, BAWDY, JAMES, STRONG, COVELL, PETZOLDT, PARLEE, SINNER

Posted By: Peggy Elliott Webster (email)
Date: 2/1/2014 at 17:25:58

George Theodore Herrick, know as "The Old Preacher," was born on January 17, 1962, in Wisconsin, the son of James D. Herrick and Martha J. O,Conner. Both James and Martha are reported to have been from New York. Martha J. O'Conner's father was Patrick O'Conner as was from Ireland.

George was from a family of nine children. They are Wilford, Albert H. (half brothers),
Mary and Louisa (half sisters), James Arthur, Emma Jeanette (Herrick) Vorrath, Charles Orville, Florence (Herrick) Hull and Walter Dewitt. George moved to Madison County and it was there that he met and married Lidda Awilda "Ella" McCullough on July 3 1881. Ella was born on February 10, 1861, in Camp Creek (near Des Moines), Polk County, Iowa. There were ten children born to George and Ella. Mary Blanche married John Parker Elliott on March 15 1903; Ellis married Nellie Crozier on June 18, 1907; Charles "Oscar" Orville married Bess Caskey on January 26, 1910; Jenny, who died as an infant; Clarence Edison married Bessie Marie Brawdy on March 13, 1910; She passed away and he married Tencie Belle James on July 26, 1952; George Everly married Estella Pearl Strong on November 12, 1911; Verne Theodore married Esther Marie Covell on Jule 26, 1912; Emory "Dick" O. married Violet Elsie Petzoldt on December 20, 1916; Esther Mary married Cecil I. Parlee on August 1, 1920 and Ruby Hazel who died at the age of three years and three days. After James passed away, Martha married Henry J. Sinner and raised a family of five children.

George was a farmer and a minister and had the privilege of marrying several of is children. George and Ella resided in Madison County for three years following their marriage and then moved to Adair County where, with the exception of one year spent in North Dakota, he continued to reside until his death.

In 1889 George accepted Christ and a short time later started preaching the gospel. He held numerous charges including those at Anita, Oak Grove, Avondale, Clara Chapel, Carl, Lincoln Center, and Grand River. In 1924 he retired from farming and active ministry and located in Bridgewater and for nine years, served as janitor of the Bridgewater schools.

George passed away on July 23, 1934, in Des Moines, Iowa and Ella passed away on February 7, 1939, in Greenfield and both are buried in the Garner Cemetery near Bridgewater, Iowa.

Source: Adair County Iowa Sesquicentennial Edition 1851-2001, pg. 299-300