George W. Coonrod is a great(2) uncle to the writer.
George W. Coonrod is found on the 1880 census. George W.'s
parents were born in Kentucky. His wife's parents were born in Vermont and
Maine. George W. was a Justice of the peace. George W. was married to Mattie E.
In 1880, they had quite a family; Arthur G. age 21, Louis P. age 19, Emma age
14, Helen G. age 11, Curtis M. age 4, William J. age 2 and Guy N. age 1. Arthur
is shown to be a school teacher. They had Eliza Natting living with them. She
was 75 and from Vermont, most likely she was Mattie's mother or grandmother.
The Marriage Index of Greene County, IL shows George W. Coonrod
married to Mattie E. Natting, Book F, Page 16.
Information "copied from material prepared by Troy Burger -
not dated" by the Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society shows
George W. Coonrod as the son of Stephen Coonrod and Candis Lee. He was born in
Wayne Co. IL on Sept. 3, 1827; married first to Mary A. Parks who was born in
1837 and died in 1870; married second to Mattie E. Nutting, born 1847.
George W.
and Mary A. Parks married in 1858 and had 5 children; Arthur born 1859, Louis P. Coonrod born 1860, Catherine E. born 1863 - died 1864, Mary E. born 1865 and
Helen G. born 1868.
George W. and Mattie E. married before 1873 (sometime after
the death of Mary E. and the birth of Edith J.) and had 4 children; Edith J.
born 1873 - died 1873, Curtis M. born 1875, William J. born 1877 and Guy born
1879. Mattie was born 1847 in Portland, ME.
The next to fill this position was (office of sheriff) G. W. Coonrod who was elected in 1864, and served two years most efficiently.
Geo. W. Coonrod, of Greenfield, Ill., an old settler, and one of
the prominent men of Greene county, was born in Wayne county, Illinois,
September 3, 1827. He is the son of Stephen and Candis (Lee) Coonrod, both
natives of Kentucky, his father being born in 1798 and his mother in 1800. His
father was a Baptist preacher.
In the year 1829 he moved his family from Wayne
county to Greene county, where he made his first entry of land, on the northeast
quarter of the northwest quarter of Sec. 33, T.11, R. 10, on which he built his
first cabin, afterward entering the 40 acre tracts, adjoining the first entry,
north and south, and purchasing the 40 acres adjoining east, where he built a
more commodious house, and moved into it in the year 1835, where he died in 1872
of that dreadful disease - small pox, his wife surviving, dying at her son
Jefferson Coonrod's in Greenfield, in the fall of 1879.
George W. was the fourth
child in the family of 11 children. He received his education in the common
schools of that early day, becoming proficient enough in the branches then
taught to teach, himself, and followed the profession of common school teacher,
interspersed with teaching classes in penmanship in Greene and the adjoining
counties, from 1847 to 1852, when he went to Texas and followed the same calling
until 1855, when he came back to Illinois and engaged in the fall of that year
in the mercantile business, in company with G. N. Kinkead under the firm name of
Kinkead & Coonrod, at Greenfield.
In 1858, having been appointed postmaster,
he retired from the firm and connected with the post office a confectionery,
notion and grocery business in company with a younger brother.
In 1861 he
resigned the postmastership, continuing in the mercantile business.
In February,
1858, he was married to Mary A. Parks, born Dec. 28, 1837 in Meredosia, Morgan
county, Ill. By this union they had five children, four of whom are living -
Arthur G., born Jan. 6, 1859, at Greenfield;
Louis P. born Oct. 5, 1860;
Catherine E. born April 17, 1863, died Oct. 8, 1864;
Mary E. born at Carrollton,
July 12, 1865, and
Helen G., also born there, Dec. 14, 1868.
Mrs. Coonrod died
at Greenfield, Ill., June 2, 1870. Mr. Coonrod was again married Dec. 25, 1871
to Mattie E. Nutting, a native of Portland, Me., born March 3, 1847. By this
union were four children, three of whom are living -
Edith J., born Jan. 3,
1873, died Nov. 22, 1873;
Curtis M., born June 24, 1875;
William J., born Aug.
5, 1877;
Guy N., born Feb. 14, 1879.
Mr. Coonrod in 1864 was elected sheriff of
Greene county on the democratic ticket, and in November of that year moved to
Carrollton. After his term of office expired he engaged in the family grocery
business at that place, closing out the same in the spring of 1875, and moving
back to Greenfield he engaged in the same business in partnership with J. W.
Piper, under the firm name of Coonrod & Piper. In 1876 he retired from
mercantile business.
He had held several positions of trust in the city, having
served many years on the board of education; was twice elected president of the
town council; in 1877 was elected police magistrate and served fours years. In
1883 he was appointed, by the governor, a notary public, which office, with
insurance and general agency business now occupies his time, together seeing
after his farming interests in Greene county, Illinois, and Bates county
Missouri.
He was elected in 1884, the attorney for the city of Greenfield on its
adopting a city government, and compiled the code of ordinances governing that
young city. Was one of the commissioners to divide the county into political
townships after the adoption of township organization.
In politics he has
usually acted with the democrats, but votes independently for the man he
conceives to be the best qualified for the office. He belongs to no church,
believing more in practical Christianity than creeds and dogmas of sects.
Independent in thought and action, regardless of popularity, preferring always
to be right as his best judgement dictates. He belongs to no secret
organization, and by strict attention to business has made life a success
financially.
Mike Coonrod states that he has several newspaper articles
saying that George W. Coonrod also worked as a deputy sheriff while he was in
TX.
