McGUIRE, George G.

MCGUIRE, HARMAN, UPDIKE, MYRICK, NEWCOMER, CARLTON, KULP, MOREHEAD

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/11/2014 at 23:12:13

History of Decatur County Iowa and Its People
Illustrated, Volumne II.

Prof. J. M. Howell and Heman C. Smith
Supervising Editors

The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Pp. 395-96. Chicago. 1915.

GEORGE G. McGUIRE

George G. McGuire, a respected citizen and representative agriculturist of Decatur county, has been successfully engaged in the pursuits of farming and stock-raising in Garden Grove township for about four decades. His birth occurred in Platte county, Missouri, on the 26th of March, 1844, his parents being John J. and Anna (Harman) McGuire, the former a native of Barren county, Kentucky, and the latter of Tazewell county, Virginia. Squire McGuire, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Ireland and a gentleman of Scotch-Irish parentage. By occupation he was a farmer, as was also his son John. The latter held the rank of assistant wagonmaster in Colonel Doniphan's regiment in the Mexican war, serving throughout the entire conflict. When hostilities had ceased he continued as wagonmaster, having charge of the trains of wagons furnishing supplies to the soldiers who were in the forts ready for Indian strife. He had charge of these supply wagons for a period of twelve years. When the war ended he took up his abode in Platte county, Missouri, and subsequently removed to Andrew county, that state, where he continued to reside until called to his final rest in 1877. His wife passed away in 1876. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and John J. McGuire was also a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity. They became the parents of eight children, as follows: George G., of this review; Mary, who is the wife of F. F. Newcomer; Squire Daniel; William H.; John; Isabella, who gave her hand in marriage to a Mr. Myrick; Elsie; and Christopher C. Daniel and William participated in the Civil war as members of the Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry and both were wounded at the battle of Shiloh.

George G. McGuire acquired his education in the public schools of his native countj^ and spent his early life on the home farm. In 1862, when a young man of eighteen years, he went to Illinois, and for seven years he remained in the service of the Alexander Cattle Company. On the expiration of that period he removed to Nebraska, where for one year he acted as foreman of a stone quarry and then came to Iowa, residing in Lucas county until 1876. In that year he came to Decatur county and has here been actively engaged in the pursuits of general farming and stock-raising continuously since, having resided on his present place in Garden Grove township for the past twenty-two years.

On the 19th of March, 1867, Mr. McGuire was united in marriage to Miss Emma Updike, a daughter of Peter C. Updike, of Mason county, Illinois. To them were born five children, as follows: Charles S.; Elizabeth, the wife of O. E. Carlton, by whom she has four children — Harold, Hugh, Guy and Gertrude; Mary, who is the wife of Charles Kulp and has two children, Helen and Hugh; Jack, who died in 1904, when twenty-eight years of age, at Sheridan, Wyoming; and Claud, who wedded Miss Belle Morehead, by whom he had four children — Ruth, John M. (deceased), Paul and Eugene. The son Jack was a noted horseman and enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most daring and expert riders in the United States. As a trained rider he participated in contests with many of the best riders in the country and won several prizes. He rode at Denver, Colorado, when there were sixty-eight riders entered for the contest and sixty-three of these were disqualified by injuries received in being thrown from their horses. Jack McGuire was one of the five who went through the trying ordeal.

Mr. McGuire gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served as township trustee for three years, while for fourteen years he has been a member of the school board. Fraternally he is identified with the local organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is a past grand. He has now exceeded the Psalmist's allotted span of threescore years and ten but is still hale and hearty and is numbered among the representative and highly respected citizens of Decatur county.

NOTE: George G. McGuire died in 1935. Emma Lou (Updike) McGuire was born in 1848, and died in 1929. Interments were made at Garden Grove Cemetery, Garden Grove IA.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2014