Background: George
was the first child of Kindred and Nancy Rose. He was born on the prairie west of
Curryville, Missouri. His mother (Nancy Ann) died when he was eight years old. His father
moved to Spencerburg, Missouri to live near his older sister Jane. His father, Kindred
bought land and George helped his dad clear the land and build a house. George recalled a
tool set for carpentry, which he received as a boy and thought of it as being his finest
gift. Its stated that during his school years he never failed to get a whipping at
some time during his school day by his teacher.
By the time he was twelve, he was a woodsman, doing much work on his fathers
land. He enjoyed exploring caves with his uncle. He also was a hunter. When he was
nineteen, he joined the Baptist Church and was baptized after a hole was cut in the creek
ice. He led the singing at the Baptist Church for many years. Later he joined the
Disciples of Christ Church in Bowling Green where his membership remained until his death.
As a man he was five feet eleven inches tall and weighed one hundred and fifty
pounds. When he was thirty-nine he met nineteen year old Ada Ruth Sutton, a local
schoolteacher. They fell in love and they were married on January 26, 1896. George and Ada
lived in the house that he helped his father build. One year later they moved to
Curryville, where George bought out the blacksmith shop. He later expanded the business
and sold and serviced farm equipment and even later sold Dodge cars. In 1904 George and
Ada bought a house on Main Street which is now U.S. 40.
George and Ada had five children; Julia Virginia, born July 18, 1900, George
Harve, born September 27, 1901, Louise E., born September 4, 1903, Joseph Kelsick, born
October 3, 1907, and Ruth, born August 1, 1909. George and Ada are buried in marked graves
in the Curryville Community Cemetery. |