Jacob George is a native of Hesse-Cassel, Germany; was born September 30, 1829, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Shafer) George.  The family removed to America and settled in Virginia. Jacob left home and went to Ohio, whence in 1855, he came to McDonough county, and purchased 40 acres on section 28.  He bought 79 acres on 30, where he lived five years, and again moved to section 31, but on building his house on section 32, he removed thither, and has a nice residence two stories in heighth, the main part 18x32 and an ell, 20x26.  His farm consists of 320 acres, mostly improved.  He makes stock-raising a specialty, having a good herd of cattle, and some fine horses, keeping the Clydesdale brood mares, and raising some as fine horses as are found in the township. Jacob George is one of the best farmers in the township and compares favorably with any in the county, being neat in his work; and attending strictly to his business, he has amassed a good property.

His marriage occurred October 18, 1849, to Catharine George, also a native of Hesse-Cassel.
They have had a family of nine children--Mary E., wife of Joseph Morgan, living in Tennessee township; John H., who married Ida Bloyd November 23, 1876.  She died June 2, 1884, leaving three children--Florence A., Jacob B., and Clarence W.  They make their home with their grandfather. The third child was Louisa, now deceased; William P.; the next two, Lewis and Milton C., died; Catharine F., Clara V., and Dora B.

Mr. and Mrs. George are members of the M. E. church.

From the History of McDonough County, Illinois, 1907, page 885

 
GEORGE, Jacob, a well-known and substantial farmer, whose agricultural experience in Hire Township, McDonough County, Ill., has extended over a half century, was born in Germany on September 30, 1829.  The father and mother, Henry and Elizabeth (Schafer) George, were also natives of the same country.  Jacob George came with his parents to America in 1848.  The family spent some years in Virginia and Ohio, and, in 1855, came to Illinois and settled in McDonough County.  Mr. George bought a farm a mile east of his present home and, after living there four or five years, moved west to Section 32, where he built a house and made all needed improvements. He is now the owner of between 400 and 500 acres of land, and his farm is one of the best managed and most productive in the county. He is known as a man of strong character and strict integrity.

In 1851, Mr. George was joined in wedlock with Christina George, who was born in Germany, and died July 21, 1898.  Nine children resulted from this union, of whom five are living and four deceased.  The living are: Mrs. Mariah Morgan, John George, William George, Mrs. Clara Kieffer, and Mrs. Dora Riser.  The deceased are: Louis, Milton C., Louisa and Katie (Mrs. Fisher).  Politically, Mr. George is a Democrat.  He served as Road Commissioner for six years, and also held the office of School Director for several terms.  His religious faith is that of the Methodist Church.

In 1850 Jacob George was in Concord Township, Ross County, Ohio, as were the families of John George (1804-1882) and John Sibert (1817-1892).

Jacob was working as a laborer and was counted in the 1850 census in the household of, perhaps, his employer.  The census also reported he had been married within the census year.

Also in 1850, in the home of the above mentioned John George (1804-1882) and his wife, Catherine Kube George, was "Christena", who had been married within the census year.  That census reference, the 1907 biography of her husband, a 1921 biography of her son, John Henry George, marriage documents of her daughter, Clara, and her tombstone name her as Christina or Christena. The intervening censuses and the 1885 biography of her husband, all name her as Catharine.  We are guessing her full name was Catharine Christina George.  See: John and Catherine Kube George, her parents.

The above 1885 biography stated that Jacob and Christina were married on October 18, 1849.  A transcription of Ross County marriage records indicates that Jacob and Christena were married on October 18, 1850.  If 1850 is correct year, the census taker errored in reporting each of them married.  The rule for that column stated, "Under No. 10 make a mark, or dash, opposite the name of each person married during the year previous to the 1st of June, whether male or female."

Jacob's parents, Henry and Elizabeth, were still in Virginia in 1850, but by 1860 they, too, were in Hire Township.  Elizabeth's maiden name is found as Schaffer and Schafer.

Both biographies give the impression that Jacob, Christina and family came directly to Illinois from Ohio, but the 1860 census reported that their three youngest children at the time, Louisa, William and Lewis, had been born in Indiana, with Lewis being four months old.  Lewis died when just a little boy; all subsequent census records for Louisa and William reported they were born in Illinois.  It appears the anomaly was an error by the enumerator.

In 1855 the township where Jacob and Christina settled had no name; it was identified only by the coordinates resulting from the survey of the Military Tract.  In 1856 it was named Rock Creek, renamed Hire in 1857.  Jacob and Christina spent the rest of their married years there. Christina died in 1898; Jacob survived her by a decade, died in 1909.  They are buried amongst numerous George family members in Friendship Cemetery.

Except for Clara, all of the George children were buried at Friendship Cemetery.  The children were:

i.	Maria Elizabeth George, also found as Mary and Mariah, born in 1851 in Ross County, Ohio.  She died in September 17, 1922, at Colchester, McDonough County.
ii.	John Henry George, born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1853.  He died December 25, 1918, in Fountain Green Township, Hancock County.  John Henry and William Philip married sisters.
iii.	Louisa George, born September 27, 1855, died March 25, 1878.
iv.	William Philip George, born in 1857, died in 1936 in Hire Township.
v.	Lewis F. George, born about January 1860, died March 22, 1863.
vi.	Milton Cornelius George, born December 23, 1861, died September 20, 1880.
vii.	Catharine George, born September 17, 1864, died May 29, 1906.
viii.	Clara V. George, born February 4, 1867 (date calculated from tombstone inscription).  She died December 25, 1912, burial at Central Cemetery, Hire Township.
ix.	Dora Belle George, born in 1869.  She died January 17, 1935, in Hire Township.

Jacob George, 21, male, laborer, born Germany, married within the year

John George, 46, male, farmer, born Germany
Catharine, 45, female, born Germany
Cristena, 22, female, born Germany, married within the year
Elizabeth, 19, female, born Germany
Maria, 16, female, born Germany
Catharine, 12, female, born VA
Mary, 9, female, born VA
Barbara, 6, female, born VA
Fanney, 2, female, born VA
[School attendance was indicated for one child on this census page and for other children on previous and following pages, none for the George girls.]

Jacob George, 30, male, farm, value of real estate 650, value of personal estate 700, born Hesse
[continued on next page]
Catharn George, 31, female, born Hesse Ger
Mary E, 9, female, born OH, attended school within the year
John H, 7,male, born OH, attended school within the year
Louisa, 4, female, born IN
William P, 2, male, born IN
Lewis F, 4/12, male, born IN

George, Jacob, 41, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 6000, value of personal estate 2000, born Hesse Darmstadt ?, both parents foreign born, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Catharine, 41, female, white, keep house, born Hesse Darmstadt ?, both parents foreign born
Mary E, 18, female, white, born IL, both parents foreign born
John H, 17, male, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, attended school within the year
Louisa, 15, female, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, attended school within the year
William, 12, male, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, attended school within the year
Cornelius, 8, male, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, attended school within the year
Catharine, 5, female, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, attended school within the year
Clara, 4, female, white, born IL, both parents foreign born
Dora, 10/12, female, white, born IL, both parents foreign born, born Aug

George, Jacob, white,male, 50, married, farmer, born Germany, both parents born Germany
Catharine, white, female, 50, wife, married, keep house, born Germany, both parents born Germany
Cornelius, white, male, 21, son, single, works on farm, born IL, both parents born Germany
Catharine, white, female, 15, daughter, single, at home, attended school within the year, born IL, both parents born Germany
Clara V, white, female, 13, daughter, single, at school, attended school within the year, born IL, both parents born Germany
Belle, white, female, 10, daughter, single, at school, attended school within the year, born IL, both parents born Germany

George, Jacob, head, white, male, "Cpt" 1829, 70, widower, born Germany, both parents born Germany, year of immigration to the U.S. - 1852, number of years in the U.S. - 48, naturalized, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 181

Riser, Dora, daughter, white, female, Aug 1869, 30 [heavily written over previous entry], married for 9 years; mother of 1 child, living; born IL, both parents born Germany, could read, write and speak English

Charles, son-in-law, white, male, Dec 1870, 22 [sic], married for 9 years, born NY, both parents born NY, farm laborer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English

Willis, grandson, white, male, July 1897, 2, single, born IL, father born NY, mother born IL