SCHELLENGER, George T. - 1914

SCHELLENGER, LAMB, GILMORE, DILLON, KENNEDY, WELSH, MCCONNELL, SWANSON

Posted By: VOLUNTEER (email)
Date: 6/26/2009 at 16:59:10

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914

GEORGE T. SCHELLENGER.

George T. Schellenger, who has lived retired at Cleghorn for the past fourteen years, was long and successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits in this county, owning and operating a valuable farm in Sheridan township. His birth occurred in Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on the 22d of August, 1837, his parents being George and Beulah (Lamb) Schellenger, who were natives of New York and Indiana respectively. The father, an agriculturist by occupation, removed to Wisconsin prior to the period of the Black Hawk war and in that state engaged in preaching and also in farming. In 1873 ne came to Cherokee county, Iowa, and here purchased and improved a tract of land which he subsequently leased, the property lying in Sheridan township. He organized the first Christian church in this county, near Meriden, but after a short time returned to his Wisconsin farm and thereon spent the remainder of his life, passing away in 1882.

George T. Schellenger was reared and educated in his native state and remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority. At the age of twentyone he began learning the blacksmiths trade and worked at that occupation in Wisconsin for about seven years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Central City, Colorado, fortyfive miles west of Denver, where he worked at his trade in the employ of a mining company for five years. Returning to Wisconsin, he remained in that state until 1876, when he came to Cherokee county, Iowa, and purchased a tract of land on section 5, Sheridan township, which he improved. There he successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits until 1899, when he leased the property and bought an attract ive and commodious residence on the main street in Cleghorn, where he has since lived in honorable retirement.

On the 12th of March, 1860, Mr. Schellenger was united in marriage to Miss Alice L. Gilmore, a daughter of John and Mary (Dillon) Gilmore, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Boston, Massachusetts. John Gilmore, an agriculturist by occupation, removed to Wisconsin in 1849 and there purchased land which he cultivated throughout the remainder of his life. His demise occurred in November, 1864, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Schellenger have seven children, as follows: Fred, who is a resident of Los Angeles, California; Sherman, who is engaged in farming in Sheridan township; Stella, who is the widow of Phillip Kennedy and resides in Nebraska; Mary, the wife of Jay Welsh, of South Dakota; Anna, who gave her hand in marriage to William McConnell, of Sioux City; Sarah, a teacher in the Cleghorn schools; and Edna, who is the wife of A. I. Swanson, of Cleg- horn.

Mr. Schellenger is a republican in politics and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to several positions of public trust. He has served as a member of the town council, in the capacity of street commissioner and also on the school board, ever discharging his public duties in a prompt and able manner. His religious faith is that of the Christian church. The period of his residence in Cherokee county covers thirty-seven years and he has long been numbered among its esteemed and representative citizens.