George Gardner LIVERGOOD

LIVERGOOD, MCDONALD, RISVOLD, HURLEY, HURLY, BOYLAN, LONE, BENSCHOF

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:52

George G. Livergood
February 26, 1870 ---– April 20, 1909

OBITUARY OF GEO. G. LIVERGOOD
The remains of George G. Livergood arrived in Eagle Grove Sunday morning May 2nd accompanied by his brother-in-law John McDonald, Jr., and were taken to the home of the latter. The funeral services were held at 2:30 in the afternoon and were in charge of Rev. Lander of the Baptist churoh with Miss Fannie Bandy as soloist. Interment was in Rose Hill cemetery with the services at the grave in charge of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

From the facts gleaned by Mr. McDonald while at Yuma, Arizona, it seems evident that the death of Mr. Livergood was the result of a premeditated murder, involving conspiracy. Mr. Livergood was a locomotive engineer employed by the Government Reclamation service at Laguna Dam, Arizona, twelve miles from Yuma. He had acquired a relinquishment right to forty acres of land from a friend for $35, and had made improvements on about fifteen acres. Prior to the improvements there had been difficulty with Dr. Jackson who had located a squatter on the land. Mr. Livergood was successful in establishing his right in the contest.

On Sunday April 18th, while he and two companions were walking through the camp, singing sacred songs, they were accosted by one, Gray, a discharged engineer, recently appointed deputy sheriff, who was accompanied by Dr. Jackson, a justice of the peace and who was a discharged physician from the hospital at Yuma. The deputy requested Mr. Livergood and his companions to desist from singing which they did whereupon Jackson addressed them in a most vile manner and with drawn gun informed them they were under arrest for disturbing the peace. There was no objection to the arrest but Mr. Livergood resented the vile epithets applied to himself and companions and thereupon Jackson shot him twice with a forty-four caliber revolver in the right thigh and in the left side of the abdomen. He was taken to the hospital at Yuma where he died from the effects of his wounds Tuesday morning April 20. The crime seems all the more cowardly and unprovoked from the fact that Mr. Livergood and his companions were all unarmed and were at the time entertaining themselves in singing, as was their custom for they were all beautiful singers.

George Gardner Livergood was the second son of Silas and Nellie Livergood and was born in Decatur, Illinois, February 26, 1870. When about thirteen years of age, his parents moved to Ackley, Iowa and later to Iowa Falls at which place his father died in March 1896. He was married June 21, 1900, at Humboldt, Iowa to Miss Ilese Risvold, who preceded him in death in Mexico in August 1906. When about 23 years old he entered the service of the Chicago Northwestern Railway and remained in their employ a number of years, making his home in Eagle Grove. For about two years he was employed by the Mexican Central. At the time of his death and for some months previous he was in the Government Reclamation Service in Arizona and California.

He belonged to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers being a member of Division 587 at Aguas Caliente, Mexico.

Mr. Livergood is survived by his mother, Mrs. Nellie Livergood, Eagle Grove; S. R. Livergood, Nora Springs, and O. W. Livergood, Reinbeck also one sister, Mrs. John McDonald, Jr., Eagle Grove.

The following relatives attended the funeral: Mr. and Mrs. Hurley, Council Bluffs, J. A. Hurley, Omaha; Mrs. M. L. Hurly, Eldora; Mr. and Mrs. John Boylan, Eldors; Mrs. J. R. Lone, St. Paul; Miss Bessie Benschof, Iowa Falls; S. R. Livergood, Nora Springs; O. W. Livergood, Reinbeck.

Times Gazette --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
May 6, 1909