George Washington Hart (1936)
COMER, HART, HENDERSON, HUSTON, LEWIS, MEANS, PHILLIPS, SKINNER, STEVENSON, TAYLOR, TRESTER, UTTERBACK, WILLIAMS
Posted By: Kent Transier (email)
Date: 8/16/2014 at 20:32:11
Afton Star Enterprise, Afton, Iowa
Thursday, August 6, 1936Geo. W. Hart Passed Away Friday Evening
Last of Civil War Veterans Answers Last Roll Call; Interment Sunday
The last one of the Civil War veterans in this community, Geo. W. Hart passed to his reward last Friday evening, following an illness of over a year.
Mr. Hart came to this County in 1860 and the following year enlisted in the Army and fought through until the war closed. Returning here he spent many years in this County, taking an active part in the affairs of the community, county and state. Geo. Hart was a good and useful citizen and was permitted to live a long and useful life.
Following is a short sketch of his life:
George W Hart was born in Cumberland county, Illinois, Dec. 31, 1844, a son of William and Rebecca Hart, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The parents came with their family to Iowa in 1851, and settled in Wapello county, where the father died in the fall of 1855. The mother came to Union county in 1860 making her home in New Hope Township.
George W. Hart was a mere boy when he was brought by his parents to Iowa, and in this state he was reared on a farm, receiving his education in the common and graded schools of Ottumwa.
He enlisted October 15, 1861, in Company I, Fourth Iowa cavalry, being then a boy of sixteen. He enlisted at Winterset, this state, when entering the army, and with his regiment was first taken to Mt. Pleasant where they were drilled until March 1862, at which time they were ordered South and attached to General Curtis' Army in Arkansas. With this Army they operated until Grant's army moved on to Vicksburg. With his company George W Hart was in the never-to-be-forgotten siege of Vicksburg. He was also in the hottest of the fight has Selma, Ebenezer Church and Columbus. It seemed to have fallen to the fate of his company to be continuously active in the number of skirmishes and small battles in which it engaged would occupy an entire page dimension. The brigade was composed of the third and fourth Iowa and the 10th Missouri cavalry, and was known as the Inslow Brigade. In the spring of 1863, Mr. Hart re-enlisted for a period of five years and did not lay down his arms until the war was over and a glorious victory won. Although a mere boy when entering the service he proved one of the best of soldiers and soon had the respect and confidence of all his comrades in arms. Once his horse was shot and killed in a charge but the soldier boy went through many a hard fought battle and returned to his without a scar.
He was married to Rebecca E. Trester, Dec. 31, 1868 who is left to mourn his departure. He also leaves five children, John M., Chas E., Mrs. Alice Henderson, Mrs. Ella Utterback, and Mrs. Ruth Stevenson, 14 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He passed away July 31, 1936 at the age of 91 years, 7 months.
He was a member of the Christian church and the Odd Fellows Lodge.
He also leaves a half sister, Mrs. Melissa Williams of Lorimor, Iowa, and a half brother, Leonard Skinner of Oklahoma.
The pall bearers were six grandsons: Geo. Hart, Jr., Claud Hart, Kenneth Henderson, Keith Henderson, Clair Utterback and Dean Utterback.
Relatives from a distance attending the funeral service were: Cleone Henderson and Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Huston of Des Moines; Mrs. Ed. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Birney Lewis and son Billy, Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Utterback and sons Clair and Dean, Mrs. Claudine Phillips, Veda, Nola. Lewis and Frank Utterback and Ray Taylor of Creston; Will Comer, Mrs. Ida Means, I. N. Williams, Guy and Wm. Williams of Lorimor; Geo. Comer, Bussey, Iowa.
Funeral services were conducted at the late home by Rev. P. S. Apfel of the M. E. church. The I. O. O. F. lodge assisted with the services at the house. many American Legion members were present and assisted with the service at the grave, firing the salute and sounding taps. Interment was in Greenlawn cemetery.
_____________________Transcriber's note: The deceased lived in Madison county in the late 1860s, was married there and their first child was born there.
Gravestone Photo
Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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