George W. English

George W. English

GEORGE W. ENGLISH, resident on section 7, Croton Township, was born Jan. 4, 1837, in Crawford Co., Ohio. His parents Abraham and Sarah (McKee) English, were born in Pennsylvania, respectively of English and Irish descent. The father was born in 1800, and died in May 1882. The mother was born in 1807 and died in 1875.

Mr. English has worked most of his active business life as a carpenter and builder, and cabinet-maker, to which trade he was apprenticed at 16 years of age. He pursued it as a vocation in his native county until 1861, when he went to Williams Co., Ohio and engaged in cabinet-making. He enlisted in the civil war in September, 1862, enrolling in Co. H., Ninth Ohio Cav., for three years. The war closed before his period of enlistment had expired, and he received his discharge at Columbus, Ohio. He was in active service during the entire time, and among the important campaigns of which he was a part wwas that of Sherman's grand march to the sea. His wife and three children went to Crawford County while he was in the Union service, and on the termination of the war he returned to Ohio and they went to Wood County, returning two years later to Williams County. In 1873 they came to Hillsdale Co., Mich., and resided thee two years. In 1875 they removed to Isabella County, where they continued to reside until July, 1882, when they made a permanent settlement in Newaygo County.

In 1867 Mr. English began his labors as a minister in the interets of the denomination of First-Day Adventists, and at the date named he came to this county to take charge of the circuit of Big Prairie, Croton village and Snowtown, in Croton Township, where he is till discharging the duties of the position. He is a Republican in principle, but is in no sense active in politics.

Mr. English was married in Crawford Co., Ohio, Oct. 8, 1857, to Nancy, daughter of Robert and Jane (Doney) George. Her parents were born in Pennsylvania, respectively in 1812 and 1815. Her father died in 1855, in Williams County, where her mother now resides. Following are the names of the eight children born of this marriage: Emma Jane, Abraham Lincoln, Frank Ellsworth, Ida Belle, Sarah Ellen, Charles Grafton, George Edward and Herbert (deceased).

Return to Home Page

Return to Pioneers