George A. Hess, M. D., a distinguished regular practitioner of medicine and specialist at Grand Rapids, Mich., was born in Belleville, Hastings county, province of Ontario, dominion of Canada, June 7, 1843, but was early taken by his parents to Rochester, Monroe county, N. Y., where he was reared to manhood. His education was acquired in the common schools of Rochester and at Falley seminary, in Oswego county, and his business life was begun as principal of a school at Charlotte, where he achieved a fine reputation as an educator and remained two years. He continued to follow this vocation for three years longer at different places,. And at the age of twenty-three years began the study of medicine at Rochester, under the tutor-ship of Dr. J. F. Whitbeck, with whom he remained three years.

At the age of twenty-five years, Dr. Hess entered the university of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, from which he was graduated March 11, 1870, when he returned to Rochester and engaged in the active practice of his profession for ten years, winning golden opinions from the general public as well as from his fellow practitioners. While in that city he was a member of the Rochester City Pathological society, the Rochester City Medical society, the Monroe County Medical society, and the New York State Medical society, to all of which he contributed many valuable papers on medical jurisprudence.

In May, 1880, Dr. Hess came to Grand Rapids, and has here almost entirely confined himself to office practice, making the treatment of cancer a specialty, in which he has met with phenomenal success and acquired a continental renown, his practice extending from the Atlanta to the Pacific ocean, per mail, and hundreds of patients from all quarters seeking the benefit of his skill and experience in his elegant apartments at No. 511 South Division street.

The marriage of Dr. Hess took place at Rochester, N. Y., May 23, 1873, to Miss Millie Clements, a native of that city, and this happy union has been blessed with four children, three of whom still survive, viz: Frank A., a practicing attorney at No. 6 Canal

street; Arthur W., a dental student, and Carrie L., a student—all in Grand Rapids. The deceased child, Clara E., passed away at the age of three years.

Politically, Dr. Hess is a republican, and for three years was county physician of Monroe county, N. Y. Fraternally, he is a Knight of Pythias; also a member of the Maccabees, of which he is surgeon general of the uniform rank. In religion he is inclined to Methodist, having been reared by Methodist parents, but he does not affiliate with any religious organization.

The parents of Dr. Hess, Francis and Almira (Rose) Hess, were born in Canada and were Mohawk-Dutch descent. Francis Hess was a contractor in iron, but retired from business with a competency and passed his declining years at the home of the doctor, where he died in 1896, at the age of seventy five years. Mrs. Almira Hess still survives at the age of seventy-seven years and resides with the doctor. Dr. Hess is the only son and the eldest of the four children born to these parents, the daughters being Sarah A., now wife to James Riley, a farmer of Gratiot county, Mich.; Cecilia H., married to Bela Kentner, a contractor and builder of Monroe county, N. Y., and Minnie E., wife of Vincent Chapman, of Grand Rapids, Mich.