George W. Shafer (1838 - 1911) and Antoinette Bronson (1840 - 1905)

George W. Shafer was born 29 Sep 1838 in Lorain County, Ohio, USA.  He was the son of David Shafer (03 Mar 1802, Schoharie County, New York, USA - 28 Oct 1853, Camden, Lorain, Ohio, USA) and Hannah Sherarts ( 16 Aug 1811, Florence Twp., Erie County, Ohio, USA - 09 Apr 1877, Lorain County, Ohio, USA).  He died 03 Feb 1911 in Monroe Twp., Benton County, Iowa, USA.  He is buried in Garrison Cemetery, Garrison, Benton County, Iowa, USA.

Antoinette Bronson was born 21 Sep 1840 in Kipton, Lorain County, Ohio, USA.  She was the daughter of Horatio Gates Bronson (16 Oct 1809, Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticutt, USA - 16 Jan 1872, Kipton, Lorain County, Ohio, USA) and Lucy Jane McCreary (10 Apr 1820, New York, USA - 29 Jan 1903, Kipton, Lorain County, Ohio, USA).  She died 13 Mar 1905 in Monroe Twp., Benton County, Iowa, USA.

They were married Abt. 1862 in Kipton, Lorain County, Ohio, USA, and had three children:

+    Elmer Elsworth Shafer (1863 - 1939) 
      Carrie Redda Shafer (1865 - 1891)  Carrie was born 09 Sep 1865 in Benton County, Iowa, USA and died 27 Jun 1891 in Benton County, Iowa, USA.  She married Bet. 1885–1891 in Benton County, Iowa, USA a man whose last name was Smith.  His first name is not known.
      Clayton Allen Shafer (1868 - ?)  Clayton was born in Jan 1868 in Monroe Twp., Benton County, Iowa, USA.  He cannot be found in the 1900 or 1910 censes, but by 1920 he had married, moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA and had a son.  His wife was named Nancy W. "Nan" (abt. 1885 - ?), and his son was named John Franklin "Jack" Shafer (04 Sep 1919, Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming, USA - 16 May 2008, Allen, Collin County, Texas, USA).

Notes for George W. Shafer:

DOB: Firelands Pioneer v. XXI, Jan, 1920, p.2476/typed Shafer Family

DOM: estimate from children

DOD/Burial: Iowa Death Certificate 6-00036

1860 census, Camden, Lorain, OH: with mother Hannah.

1870 census, Monroe, Benton, IA: Shafer, George 31 farmer OH; Antoinette 29 keeping house OH; Elizabeth 6 OH; Cary (f) 4 IA; Clayton (m) 2 IA; Theodore [brother] 25 farmer OH; Harriet 20 keeping house OH.

1880 census, Benton Co., IA, film 1,254,327: Monroe Twp, 2/35/2/5: Shaffer, George 41 farmer OH; Neete 39 OH; Elmer E. 16 OH; Carrie R. 14 IA; Clayton 12 IA. Two doors away, Horace Bates and family, his nephew.

1885 IA census, Benton Co.: George W. Shafer 46 OH; Antoinette 44 OH; Elmer 21 OH; Carrie 19 IA; Clayton 17 IA.

1895 IA census, Benton Co., IA: Shafer, George W. 56 OH; Nettie 54 OH; Linton, Isa M. 19 IA; Linton, Myron 16 IA; Shafer, Mabel 2 IA.

1900 census, Jackson, Benton, Iowa: Shafer, George W. head Sep 1838 61 M for 38y OH OH OH Occupation: n.g. (0-0-2) [unknown meaning); Nettie, wife Sep 1840 59 M 38y OH CT NY; Mabel A. grand-daughter Jan 1893 7 S IA OH IA.

1910 census, Monroe, Benton, IA ancestry.com p. 11 of 12: Shaffer, George W. 72 OH OH OH, Elizabeth M. 65 PA PA PA.

Garrison Cem., Jackson Tnshp, Benton Co., IA, lot 174: Shafer, George W., b. Sept. 29, 1838 - Huron Co., OH - d. Feb. 3, 1911 - Benton Co., IA.

History of Benton Co., IA, Western Historical Co., Chicago, 1876, p. 595: "Shafer, G.W., farmer, Sec. 23; P.O. Garrison; born in Huron Co., Ohio, in 1839; removed to Benton Co. in 1863; has 210 acres of land, valued at $35 per acre. Married Annette Bronson in 1861; she was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1841; they have three children - Elmer E., Carrie E., Clayton A. Republican in politics. Enlisted in 2d Ohio Cavalry in 1861; skirmishing and running guerrillas; assisted in capturing several of Quantrell's men at Independence, Mo., was mustered out in 1863. Members of the Christian Church. Mr. Shafer came to Iowas in 1863 with $250; now has 210 acres of land, well improved, well fenced, has just completed a fine residence, and has accumulated a property by his industry and frugality worth $8,000 or more."

Pioneer Recollections, Harley Ransom, Historical Pub. Co., Vinton, IA 1941:p. 303: G.W. Shafer settled in 1863.

Garrison 1873-1973 Recollections of the Century (bookat the Benton Co. Hist. Soc. Archives), p. 101:

George W. Shafer

George W. Shafer - Pioneer Monroe Twp., Benton Co., Iowa farmer since 1863, was born in Huron Co., Ohio in 1838, of German Irish descent.

He was married to Annett Bronson in Ohio while in the Army during the the Civil War. She was born in Ohio and died in Monroe Twp. in 1904. During the last six months George was in service he was blind, resulting from sleeping on a pillow ofpoison oak boughs.

Their eldest son Elmer E. was born in Ohio in 1863 and, that same year, came with his parents to settle in Monroe Twp. at the east edge of Yankee Grove. In 1879 Geroge built a new home at this location.

Soon after coming to Iowa, George gathered all the young men in the community together and drilled them in preparation for the Army.

George and Annette's children were - Elmer E., Carrie and Clayton.

Elmer first married Anna Baker - 1866-1893 and had children - Lee, Clarence Ray and Mabel. The mother died soon after Mabel's birth. The farmed in Section 23, Monroe Twp. where Elmer raised pure-bred stock and seed potatoes. He was a first President of the Board of Directors of the garrison Co-op Creamery. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Gordonin 1894, who died in 1900. Children Bessie and George were born to this union. In 1905 he married Nellie Hatch. After Elmer's death in 1939 she retired to Vinton where she died in 1951. Their children are: Elsie E. who married a neighbor farmer Leslie Moore - son of a prominent Monroe Twp. farmer Fred and Ella Adler Moore. Fred was born in England and died in 1951. Ella was born in Ohio and retired to Vinton, after Fred's death, to live with her daughter Bess. She is 96 years of age in 1972. Elsie and Leslie, deceased, are the parents of Shirley J. Wax and Robert.

Lloyd Shafer married Gladys Jacoby who was killed in a train-car wreck in 1946. Their children are Raymond and Esther.

After the death of Annette, George Shafer married Mrs. Lizzie Rheder. He died in 1911 and is buried in the Garrison cemetery.

There are no descendents living in the Garrison area.

Elsie Shafer Moore (author of this vignette)

Notes for Carrie Redda Shafer:

Garrison Cem., Jackson Tnshp, Benton Co., IA, lot 174: Smith, Carrie, dau. of G. W. & "Nettie" Bronson Shafer, b. Sept. 9, 1865, d. Jun 27, 1891 - age 25 yrs, 9 mo. 18 das. Next to her in same plot is Blakely, Roland, son of C.L. and B.M. Blakely, b. Sept. 28 1895, d. March 9, 1929.

Notes for Clayton Allen Shafer:

DOB: typed Shafer Family

1880 census: with father in IA

1920 census, Cheyenne, Laramie, Wyoming (Jan 10, 1920): Shafer, Clenton (indexed as such) A. head 57 M IA OH OH clerk railway; Nan N. (indexed as Nona W.) wife 35 M PA PA PA; John Franklin son 4/12 WY [taken on 10 Jan 1920]

1930 census, Cheyenne, Laramie, Wyoming (10 Apr 1930): Shafer, John F. head 40 M 22y IA PA PA railway mail clerk mail service; Nancy W. wife 40 M 22y PA PA GER; John F. son 10 S WY IA PA. [this is obviously them (Shafer spelled correctly and birthplaces all correct, and son's age and father's occupation - but ages of parents way off, as are their parents birth places]

Photographs


George W. Shafer farm, built 1876 by George, and rebuilt in 1916 by his son Elmer E. Shafer. Copied from Helen (Christensen) Vaubel.

The house built by George W. Shafer, before the rebuild by his son Elmer. Out front is Elmer's Franklin car, and two of Elmer's daughters, Elsie (left) and Bessie (right).

Left to Right: 1) Cabinet card inscribed "Carrie Shafer Smith". From a large group of photographs from Dorothy (Johnson) and Dean Vaubel; 2) Unmarked cabinet card. The Ohio photographer suggests Shafer, which is from where they came. The man appears to be Clayton A. Shafer rather than Elmer. He has brought a dead fox into a studio, and carefully shows his ammo belt, which looks like 30-30, for what looks to be a model 1873 Winchester;: 3) Clayton A. Shafer. Identified by other photographs (not very clear though) and seated next to Elmer E. Shafer, his brother. Detail from a photograph of 5 young men, which may all be grandchildren of David Shafer. From Shirley (Moore) Wax.

Left to Right: 1) 'Aunt Nan and Jack'; 2)  'Clayton Shafer, nephew George and son Jack'.  Left: 'Aunt Nan and Jack'.  The photo was in the collection of Robert Leslie Moore, whose mother, Elsie, was a niece of Clayton Shafer, and she probably wrote the inscription. George is George E. Shafer, son of Elmer and nephew to Clayton and Nan. Jack is the son of Clayton and Nan.

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