Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 966 - 967

GEORGE W. UNDERWOOD, an extensive and prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Grant Township, is a resident of section 13. He is a native of Illinois, having been born in Logan County, June 19, 1858. He was the sixth child in a family of nine children born to his parents, Meriweather and Louisa (Roney) Underwood, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The paternal grandparents of our subject were William S. and Lucy (Poindexter) Underwood.

            The father of the subject of our sketch removed from his native State to Illinois at a very early day, and was a pioneer of Shelby County, where he settled more than fifty years ago. For a number of years he made that portion of the State his home, and from there removed to Peoria County, and finally to Logan County, where the subject of our sketch was born. In 1880 the father came west and settled in Gypsum Township, this county, but is now a resident of Minneha Township. Both he and his wife are still living and in the enjoyment of a comfortable competency.

            The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm and was early initiated into agricultural labor. He received his education in the district schools of his native State, and assisted his father in the work on the old homestead until he commenced the battle of life for himself. He engaged in tilling the soil in Illinois until the fall of 1877, when, with a natural ambition to improve his fortunes, he came to Kansas and settled in Minneha Township, this county, where for a time he remained with his brother-in-law, and in that and in the adjoining township of Gypsum passed some four years. After his marriage in 1881 he remained but a short time in the last-named township, and during the autumn of that year removed to Grant Township and settled on section 13, where he now resides. He has a fine farm of 160 acres of highly cultivated land, which he acquired on moving here. It was partially improved at that time, but he has improved the residence it then contained, and has been very successful in its tillage, bringing the property to a state of high productiveness. He has it thoroughly stocked with horses and cattle, some of which are thoroughbreds, and all of most excellent strains. He is also giving great attention to raising Poland-China hogs, which he has brought to great perfection.

            The subject of this personal narrative was united in marriage, in December, 1881, with Miss Jennie Josephine Busenbark, a native of Linn County, Iowa, and born June 26, 1863. She is the youngest of a family of four children born to her parents, Henry and Judith Ellen (Scott) Busenbark, natives of Indiana and Iowa respectively.

            Mr. Underwood, although not very active in politics, still votes with the Republican party. True to the influences under which he grew to manhood, he has always been deeply interested in educational matters, and is serving at present as School Director. He is also the incumbent of the office of Township Treasurer, and is highly esteemed in the community in which he lives. He is a plain, solid and practical farmer, and with considerable foresight intends feeding all the stock he raises, so as to turn his attention entirely to stock-raising in the future. The horses which he places upon the market, half and three-quarter grade animals, for draft purposes, find a ready sale at extremely good prices. His farm is most pleasantly situated about three and one-half miles from Furley, nine from Valley Center and eleven from Sedgwick City. His improvements are all of a substantial and comfortable character, and the place evinces the taste and thrift of the owner.

            Mr. and Mrs. Underwood have been blessed with a family of three interesting children-Charles Albert, Clarence Ruel and Richard Lawrence. It is his intention to give his children all of the facilities for acquiring a good education, being convinced that it is the best heritage that he can leave them. Capital in the brain cannot be taken from them while they live, while riches ofttimes take to themselves wings and flee away.

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