As his name indicates, George A. Campbell, of Ottawa, comes of
Scotch-Irish ancestry. His father, Hugh Campbell, was born in the city of
Belfast, in the northern part of Ireland, and in his early manhood he came
to the United States. At first he resided in New York state, where he
married Miss Nancy Polls, a native of Orange county. Later he removed with
his family to Michigan, and throughout his active life he devoted his
attention to farming. At the time of his death he had reached the extreme
age of eighty-seven years. His widow is still living and makes her home with
her youngest son, Joseph R., in Clinton county, Michigan. The three eldest
sons of this worthy couple, James, Chester and Robert W., were heroes of the
civil war, nobly upholding the Union in its time of peril. Chester was
wounded in one of the numerous battles in which he participated, and for six
months was a captive in a Confederate prison. Thomas, a railroad conductor,
whose home is in Frankfort, Indiana, and three children, who have passed to
the silent land, complete the family.
George A. Campbell, whose name
forms the caption of this sketch, was born near Newburg, Orange county, New
York, September 6, 1848, and was reared to farm life. In his boyhood he
accompanied the family in its removal to Michigan, where he experienced the
vicissitudes of pioneer life, and in order to pursue his education was often
obliged to walk two miles to school. When a young man he came to Ottawa,
where he remained for several years. In 1880 he went to Montana, where he
spent about four years, but returning here at the end of that period, he
located his place with the intention of remaining permanently. On the 1st of
July, 1887, he was appointed to his present position as mail carrier and
delivery clerk, and has made a desirable record for efficiency and
faithfulness. In his political convictions he is a Democrat, as was his
father before him.
In October, 1874, occurred an important event in
the life of George A. Campbell, as at that time his marriage to Miss Lizzie
Cross was solemnized in Ottawa. Mrs. Campbell is a native of Wayne county,
New York, and is a daughter of Jairus Cross. Louise, the only daughter of
our subject and wife, is employed by J. E. Scott & Company; and Norman D.,
the only son, is at home, attending the local school. The pleasant home of
the family is at No. 635 Chapel street, in the eastern part of the town. Mr.
and Mrs. Campbell and their children are members of the Congregational
church, lending their influence to the support of religion, morality,
temperance and all that makes a community prosperous.
Extracted 13 Jun 2019 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 639-640.
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