George Enos Mortimer (1894 - 1970)

Born 6 Jan 1894 in Bangor, Marshall, Iowa, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Ethel Mae (Kays) Mortimer — married 4 Aug 1922 in Sarles, Cavalier, North Dakota, USA

Descendants

Died 4 Nov 1970 at age 76 in Devils Lake, Ramsey, North Dakota, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Randal Mortimer [send private message]

Biography

George E. Mortimer was born in 1894 at Bangor, Iowa, about ten miles northwest of Marshalltown. He was the third child and oldest son of William Mortimer and Viola Pyle. ^[1][2]

George's father worked on the railroad and the family moved frequently. The family moved to Minnesota about 1896 and were in Mapleton, North Dakota in 1900.^[3] They may have spent a little time in the Marshalltown, Iowa area about 1902 and lived at Detroit Lakes (then known as just Detroit), Minnesota when Viola, George's mother, passed away in 1905. George was eleven years old at the time.

Over the next few years, George periodically lived outside the family home, but appears to have spent the rest of his childhood in Minnesota. In 1914, he migrated to Sarles, North Dakota, probably along with his father, his brother, John, and sisters, May and Mabel.

George E. Mortimer enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, at Calgary, Alberta, on January 8th, 1918. He was sent to Victoria Park, Calgary, Alberta and served in Company A, Edmonton Regiment, 49th Canadian Battalion until his discharge. He served overseas from March 1, 1918, to March 23, 1919 and was discharged at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 31, 1919, as a Private. He participated in the campaigns at Amiens, Scarpe River, the Hindenburg Line, and the Pursuit to Mons, where on November 11, 1918 the battalion rested their arms.^[4][5]

By 1920, he was again living with his father and siblings at Sarles. George was farming with his father.^[6]

George met and married a local Sarles girl, Ethel Kays, in 1922.

George worked construction and farmed in the Sarles, North Dakota area.^[7][8] The family moved into Calvin, North Dakota in 1941 and George worked in carpentry.^[9] After selling their farm in 1952, they moved from North Dakota to Cut Bank, Montana. In 1967, George and Ethel returned to North Dakota.

Obituary, The Devils Lake Daily Journal -

George Mortimer

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Presbyterian Church in Calvin for George E. Mortimer, 77, Devils Lake, former resident of the Calvin community who died Wednesday morning in Mercy hospital.

Rev. Marvin Scherbenske of Devils Lake will officiate at the services and at interment in Corinthian cemetery, Calvin. Friends may call at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake, after 7 p.m. today and until 10 a.m. Saturday and at the church prior to services.

Mr. Mortimer was born Jan. 6, 1893, at Marshalltown, Iowa, the son of William and Viola Pyle Mortimer. As a child, he moved with his parents to Minnesota and was educated there. In 1914 he came to the Sarles. N. D., community and from 1916 to 1918 served with the Canadian Army in France. He then returned to Sarles and on Aug. 4, 1922, was married to Ethel Kays at Sarles. They lived in Sarles until moving to Calvin in 1941 and in 1952 moved to Cut Bank, Mont. In 1967, they returned to North Dakota and lived at Clyde until moving to Devils Lake in December 1969.

Survivors include his wife; five daughters, Mrs. Chester (Elaine) Logan, Devils Lake; Mrs. Karl (Inez) Moore, Calvin; Mrs. Frank (Marion) Kuster, Boulder, Mont.; Mrs. Louis (Carol) Larson, Great Falls, Mont., and Mrs. James (Donna) Keller, Spokane, Wash.; two sons, Kenneth, G., Imperial Beach, Calif., and Charles E., Tioga, N.D.; one brother, John Mortimer of Culbertson, Mont.; and three sisters, Mrs. Ellen Mott, Vancouver, British Columbia, Mrs. Archie (May) Hartry, Libby, Mont., and Mrs. Theodore (Mabel) Peterson of Devils Lake.

Twenty-seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. Besides his parents, one daughter, three sons, and one sister also preceded him in death.^[10]

Burial took place on November 7th, 1970 at Corinthian Cemetery, Calvin, North Dakota.^[11][12]

Research Notes

• Early in life, George added a year to his age, giving his date of birth as January 6th, 1893. It is clear from his birth record that he was actually born in 1894. His brother, Jack, also added a year to his age.
• George's middle name was "Enos", as evidenced by his birth record, named for his maternal grandfather. On his marriage record and death record, his middle name is given as "Eans".

Sources

1. ↑ Birth record (transcript) for George Enos Mortimer, Marshall County, Iowa.
2. ↑ 1895 Iowa State Census, Bangor, Marshall, Iowa.
3. ↑ 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Mapleton, Cass County, North Dakota.
4. ↑ Roster of the Men and Women who served in the Army or Naval Service (including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its Allies from the State of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918 Volume 3 Larkee to Rice.
5. ↑ Canada, WWI CEF Personnel Files, 1914-1918, Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Reference: RG 150; Volume: Box 6424 - 46. Ancestry.com.
6. ↑ 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Cypress, Cavalier County, North Dakota.
7. ↑ 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Cypress, Cavalier, North Dakota; Roll: 1734; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 8; Image: 46.0.
8. ↑ 1940 U. S. Federal Census, Sarles, Cavalier, North Dakota.
9. ↑ 1950 U.S. Federal Census, Calvin, Cavalier, North Dakota, United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29.
10. ↑ Obituary of George Mortimer, Devils Lake Daily Journal, Devils Lake, North Dakota, November 1970.
11. ↑ Grave inscriptions at Corinthian Cemetery, Calvin, North Dakota. Find A Grave memorial #30973552.
12. ↑ North Dakota, U.S., State Death Certificates, 1908-2007, North Dakota Department of Health; Bismark, North Dakota; North Dakota Death Records. Ancestry.com.

• Obituary of Ethel Mortimer, Devils Lake Daily Journal, Devils Lake, North Dakota, December 1977.
• Interviews conducted by Randal Mortimer with Jack Mortimer, Ethel Mortimer, Charlie Mortimer, Elaine Logan, Inez Moore, Marian Kuster, Carol Brandvold, Donna Keller.