Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 563
GEORGE W. MOTZ

The MOTZ family came to Harrison county, Iowa, in the fall of 1853, and the various members of the family have been connected with the history of this county since that year. George W. MOTZ was born in this county nearly sixty years ago and has devoted his active career to general farming and stock raising in Clay township.

George W. MOTZ, a son of Jeremiah and Leah D. (KAYWOOD) MOTZ, was born October 3, 1856, in Magnolia township, Harrison county, Iowa. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania and Indiana, respectively, and were married in Indiana in 1851. Three years later they started down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi and Missouri to St. Mary's, in the state of Missouri. From there they took the stage to Coonsville, or Glenwood, as it is now known, and in August of 1853, located in Harrison county, where they lived the remainder of their lives, Jeremiah MOTZ dying in 1903, and his widow seven years later. He was the first road supervisor in the western part of the county and took an active part in the early history of the community in which he lived.

George W. MOTZ was one of eleven children born to his parents and the third in order of birth. He was given such education as was afforded by the schools of his boyhood days and remained at home until he was married. He then bought eighty acres of his father's farm in Clay township. It was new land and had never been touched with a plow when he secured it. He bought an old saw-mill shed, and from the lumber in this one building erected a house, stable, corn crib and hog pen. His house was sixteen feet square and contained only one room, and in this he lived for the first thirteen years after his marriage. He then built his present comfortable home and has also added a good barn and other outbuildings at various times. As he prospered from year to year he added to his first eighty acres until he now owns two hundred and forty acres of excellent farming land.

Mr. MOTZ was married October 11, 1877, to Merinda MILLS, who was born in Warren county, Indiana, a daughter of Wesley and Mary J. (CASSIDY) MILLS. Her parents came to Iowa in 1866, and to Harrison county in 1873.

To George E. and Merinda (MILLS) MOTZ were born nine children, five of whom are living, Stonewall Jackson, William W., Frank, Charles S. and James C. S. Jackson, who married Mary SMITH and lives in Taylor township, has three children, Fred, Guy and Linna H. William W. married Lillian SEEGER and lives in Clay township. He has two children, Lawrence and Francis. Frank, a farmer of Taylor township, married Lorena THOMAS, and has one daughter, Vesta. Charles S. and James C. are still living at home. The deceased children are Ada, Charlotte, Floyd and Lloyd. Ada married S. B. BOYD, and at her death left her husband with three children, Fern, Ada and Lois. Charlotte died when she was two years of age, and Floyd and Lloyd, twins, died in infancy.

Mr. MOTZ is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he and his wife both hold their membership in the Daughters of Rebekah. He is a stanch Democrat and has been clerk of his township for six years, justice of the peace for eighteen years, and also a member of the school board for several years. Mr. MOTZ gives his hearty support to the Christian church, of which denomination his wife is a member.

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