LEWIS, George Washington

LEWIS, WYATT, PARKER, UPHOFF

Posted By: Linda Walden (email)
Date: 3/6/2014 at 18:31:17

History of Mills County Iowa 1985 p.472 and 473.

George Washington Lewis was born in Quincy, Illinois October 24, 1834,and died March 22, 1902 in the East Liberty community. His parents were Daniel J. and Harriet Holstine Lewis. His wife, Mariah Wyatt Lewis, was born Febuary 28, 1841, and died July 14, 1900.

Burial for all these grandparents is in the East Liberty Cemetery. In his obituary it is written that George Washington Lewis` parents came to Iowa when he was yet an infant, coming years before Iowa was admitted into the union of states. First locating near Burlington before coming to Mills County, arriving in September of 1850. On August 7, 1851 Settling in what was known as Cutler Camp, his father Daniel Lewis secured squatters rights to the land in 1851.
George Washington Lewis drove an ox team, driving what was known as a `Lynch Pin` wagon, across the entire state of Iowa. Soon after reaching his majority, almost single-handed and alone, he cut and hewed logs and erected for himself a log cabin on the home place near where his parents resided.

Soon after completion of this task on November 30, 1856 he was united in marriage with a neighbor girl, Mariah Wyatt, whose parents were also pioneers, coming to the East Liberty community a few years later and settling on a farm near the Lewis. Not content with his surrounding, but characteristic of his life, he early sought to better his condition, tore down the old log cabin and removed it to the prairie, and erected it once more. He then began the task of opening up what finally became the beautiful farm and home that he left as a monument to his energy, pluck, and enterprise. George resided in the East Liberty community for over fifty one years, living in but two townships, Silver Creek and Ingraham, as stated the change was merely moving across the public highway.

In G.W. Lewis` obituary it states that he had belonged to the church for over thirty years; it had to be the East Liberty Methodist Church as that is where the Lewis family attended church. The only thing found out about Mariah Lewis was that funeral services were held on Monday, July 16, 1900, at the East Liberty Church. We know that she is buried in the East Liberty Cemetery. There was a notation 'What added to her infirmity was the care and anxiety in regard to her husbands mental condition which had been of a most alarming nature for the past two years`. Submitted by Helen Parker.