George Washington Elerick

George Washington Elerick is your son's wife's second great grandfather.

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Daniel Willard

your son

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Jennifer Willard

his wife

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Max Elerick

her father

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Ellis Earl Elerick

his father

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George Delbert Elerick

his father

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George Washington Elerick

his father

With the absence of his father, George Washington Elerick, being the eldest of twelve children, became the man of the house. On 4-3-1856, G.W. purchased from his mother, Susanna, their family farm about 55 acres for the sum of $ 1,000. This land adjoined the farm of Wesley Vanausdeln, the father of his soon to be wife.

On 11-21-1857, G.W. married Maria J. Vanausdeln, in the home of her Father. In 1859, they lost their first child at birth. At about the same time a neighbor by the name of Hamm, lost his wife in child birth. Not being able to care for a newborn, Mr. Hamm, gave the child to Maria to raise. He was legally adopted and named Charles Fredrick Elerick. ( see more about him in his file )

G.W. enlisted 7-2-1862 in Company D of the 30th Iowa Infantry, made up of Vanburen Co. Volunteers, including his brother in law John Vanausdeln. He was made a Corporal while in training. Gov. Kirkwood of Iowa commissioned him a 2nd Lt. on 3-12-1863 and he eventually rose to the rank of Captain. His unit saw action in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama,Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas and Viginia. Including the battles of Vicksburg, ( Where he was wounded ) Lookout Mt., Chattanooga, Atlanta, Shermans march to Savannah and other lesser known battles and many skirmishes. He was part of the "Grand Review" in Washinton D.C. where he was mustered out of service on 6-5-1865. He then returned home to Iowa. Several of his brothers also served in the War of the Rebellion.

After the Civil War, G.W. and Maria, in 1868, built and operated a steam powered grist mill on the Des Moines River in Independent, ( now Selma ) Iowa. They were also very active with land transactions and development in and around Village Twp. A residential section is platted as Elerick's Addition to Selma. Although involved in many different vocations in his life G.W. usually considered himself a Farmer.

They had six children all were born in Iowa except George Delbert Elerick who was born in Kansas. More information is available on their individual pages.

In the later 1870's, probably 1877 or 1878, the family moved to McCune, Osage Twp., Crawford Co. Kansas. Here G.W. was listed as a farmer in a couple of publications. But like in Iowa, he was very active buying and selling real estate. He was also very active with his son, C.F. in several retail outlets called The Headquarters General Store. They were located in four or five towns in S.E. Kansas.

On 4-22-1889 G.W. made the historic Land Run in Oklahoma. He staked a claim on 160 acres near present day Cashion, Okla. His son Allie claimed 160 acres joining him on the south. His brother Samuel also staked a claim in near by Guthrie, Okla. On their Homestead, Maria his wife of 36 years was killed by a tornado on 5-8-1893.

Sometime after Maria's death, toward the end of the century, G.W. moved to 29 E. 3rd St. in downtown Okla. City. He opened and operated a bank there called the Bank of Oklahoma City. He stayed active buying and selling land in Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma Till his death at home on