George Washington Shell (1858 - 1940)

Born 30 Apr 1858 in Marshall, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Clara Belle Rand — married 8 Feb 1885 in Atchison County, MO

Descendants

Died 12 Apr 1940 at age 81 in Boone County, NE

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Biography

Born in Marshall county, IN where his family was living before his father Jacob enlisted in the Union army. He would have been about age three when Jacob left.

After the war, his parents were likely somewhere in the Miami river valley of Ohio before moving to NE for a short time, and then to Jewell county, KS where they homesteaded 160 acres. It was in Jewell County that George first met his future wife Clara Belle Rand. After the 1880 census, George's father Jacob sold the Kansas homestead and moved to Atchison County, MO where George married Clara Belle in 1885. She was 14 years old.

After both his parents passed, George took over the family farm in MO. He had two younger brothers who were still minors, and another brother who had apparently gone west to seek his fortune. 12 of George and Clara's children were born in Atchison, MO, although, two sons and a daughter died young there from illness.

By 1910 he moved to Boone County, NE along with his twice widowed father-in-law Simeon Rand. George and Clara had two more children there.

After the 1920 census, George moved to adjacent Greeley County, NE and ran a cattle/hog ranch for about 4 years. He then returned to Boone County where he spent his remaining days.

It's unknown when he stopped spelling his name with the 'c' because various records include both Schell and Shell. His death certificate is spelled Shell.

Sources

• 1900 Clay/Atchison/MO
• 1910 Boone/Boone/NE
• 1920-40 Plum Creek/Boone/NE
• Nebraska Death Certificate
• Evergreen cemetery, Boone, NE

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15619500/george-washington-shell