WILSON, George S. (1841-1921)

WILSON, MAUDLIN, RALPH, RODMAN, PITZER, MOORE

Posted By: Kathy Weaver (email)
Date: 11/9/2018 at 15:19:52

Malvern Leader
Malvern, Mills County, Iowa
Thursday, Feb. 10, 1921

PASSING OF GEO. S. WILSON

Another Of Mills County’s Pioneers Called To His Reward

Geo. S. Wilson was born in New York, May 20, 1841. He was the son of Edward and Catherine Wilson. The family moved to Kalamazoo, Mich., when George was three or four years of age. Like most of the pioneers they built a log cabin and cleared a farm in the wilderness.

As a young man he learned the carpenter trade and was working at that when the war broke out.

He joined Co. M. 6th Michigan Cavalry. Most of the time he was in the war, he was under Gen. Sheridan. He was in the famous battle of Cedar Creek where the Confederates drove the Union forces from their position and Sheridan riding from Winchester twenty miles away gave the famous order to “Turn boys, turn, we’re going back” and they did go back and drove the Confederates out of their famous position and won the battle. He took part in the battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the dreadful battle of the wilderness and the famous raid up the Shenandoah Valley. He was mustered out of the war at Leavensworth and went back to his carpenter trade.

In June 1866, he was married to Miss Ella Maudlin and the next year came to Mills County.

To them were born five daughters. Two of them Mrs. Ralph and Mrs. Rodman, died several years ago. Mattie Wilson lives in Denver, Colo. Mrs. Jennie Pitzer lives near Shenandoah and Mrs. Hazel Moore at home.

Most of his life he spent as a carpenter at Tabor and Malvern, building homes in his neighborhood. He built the following country homes which stand as a lasting monument to the honest and faithfulness of his labor: The Fisher house, Brewers, Kestersons, Vern Matthews, Aistrope, Dyson, Tom Duncan, Morrow, and others. The fine home of Frank Wright near Glenwood, the Baptist Church in Malvern and many of the business houses in Tabor and Malvern.

In 1884 he was elected County Treasurer of Mills County and served so faithfully that he was twice re-elected, serving in that office six years. He served two years as post master at Malvern.

In all his work he was faithful and conscientious never neglecting the little things nor slighting the smallest detail, and was said by many other carpenters to be the best workman in Southwest Iowa.

He died January 31, 1921, and leaves to mourn his wife, three sisters, three daughters, three grand children, four great grand children and a host of friends.

Funeral services were held from the late home, Wednesday, February 2, conducted by Rev. J.E. Wilkins of the First Baptist Church and interment was made in the Malvern cemetery. A large number of his old time friends and neighbors were in attendance testifying thus to the love and esteem in which he was held.