Claude Alfred George ^{3 4 5 6 7}

  General Notes:

When Claude registered for the WWI draft on 5 Jun 1917, he was farming his own farm in Garfield County, Colorado. (Mailing address Rifle, Colorado). He had a wife and 4 children under 12 but did not claim an exemption. At the time of the 1920 census, Claude was a manager of a general farm in Austin, Garfield County, Colorado. He rented his home. The 1930 census showed that the family lived on a farm in Austin, Garfield County, Colorado. Claude was a farmer and owned his farm.

Source: obituaries of Clyde F. George (names/dates of papers unknown)

The Rife Telegram

Claude Alfred George, a long-time Rifle Creek rancher, died at Clagett Memorial Hospital Sunday afternoon after a long illness. He was born in Grand Junction in 1886.

His parents, Al and Clara Noble George, moved to the Rifle community in March 1887, where they settled on a ranch on Rifle Creek. He attended School on Rifle Creek, and in Rifle, and also attended the Colorado Agriculture College at Fort Collins.

In 1911 he moved to his ranch on Rifle Creek where he was engaged in the profession of farming and ranching until his retirement in 1958 when he and Mrs. George moved into Rifle.

He carried the U.S. Mail north of Rifle for one year in 1910.

He was united in marriage with Clarissa Mallory at her parents home at Antlers [near Rifle but no longer exists] on Nov. 30, 1911. Mrs. George passed away in August 1961.

Mr. George was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose with his membership in the Rifle Lodge where he was very faithful for many years. He took and active part in the community, serving as president of the Farmers Union, both the local and county units. He was an active member of the Rifle Creek Cattle Growers Association, serving as a member of its advisory board for many years; a county committeeman with the A.C.P., and president of the Garfield County Sugar Beet Growers Association. In 1950 he received the Skelly Oil award for superior achievement in agriculture.

The following is the script from the Skelly Award radio broadcast

SKELLY SATURDAY SHOW
"WORLD NEWS" with Bob Murphy
"THIS FARMING BUSINESS" with Lloyd Burlingham
NBC - Jun 17 1950 - 7:00 A.M.
BURLINGHAM

Good Morning This is Lloyd Burlingham, greeting you on behalf of your Skelly jobber, dealer, Skelly Tank Station man and Skelgas dealer. Reminding you, too, that on weekday mornings, Monday through Friday, Alex Drier speaks for Skelly, bringing you the first network news commentary of the day.

Sit tight and we'll ride the ether waves to the Centennial State, to the western slope of colorful Colorado. We'll stop in Garfield County where you can see the largest outdoor hot mineral water swimming pool in the world, vapor cave baths heated by mineral springs to 113 degrees, Lookout Mountain, the Colorado River and Hanging Lake.

Hear Robert Murphy's summary of the morning news and then we'll treat ourselves to a trip to the most elevated state in the nation.

Murhpy: (WORLD NEWS)

Burlingham: (FARM NEWS)

I'd like to remind you again of the personnel of the Committee of Awards. These are the busy Agricultural leaders who select the farm people honored on this program. They are: Dean L. Blizzard, Oklahoma A. M. College; Prof. Gus Bohstedt, University of Wisconsin; Howard Gramlich, general agriculture agent, Chicago and North Western Railway System; Harry D. Linn, Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture; Dr. C. W. McCampbell, Kansas State College; Sam McCelvie, Nebraska rancher and Herford breeder; W. S. Moscrip, Minnesota dairyman and farm leader; Guy Noble, National Committee on 4-H Club Work, and R. C. Pollock, National Live Stock and Meat Board.

MURPHY

Once Colorado's first attraction was its gold deposits. There's still gold in "them thar hills" but now two other sources of income are greater. Tourists come to see the State's 54 mountain peaks above 14,000 feet and to revel in as fine of scenic attractions as may be found. And agriculture, with two million irrigated acres, turn out values far exceeding the total take of the golden metal. Colorado is the ninth state in wheat yield, first in sugar beets, fourth in potatoes, twelfth in cattle numbers, and third among the states in numbers of sheep.

Skellymen are here in the "top o' the world" state. They supply quality motor fuels and lubricants to the men who run the ranches and the farms under water and to motorists on the states beautiful highways. Skelly jobbers, dealers and Tank Station men furnish Skelly premium gasoline, tractor fuels, kerosene, Skelly Fortified Tagolene, Fortified Tagolene Heavy Duty motor oils, Skelly Supreme motor oil and Tagolene long life greases. Skelgas dealers give farm women more time to enjoy Colorado's out o'doors by putting Skelgas in farm and ranch kitchens -- Skelgas for cooking, heating water and refrigeration.

BURLINGHAM

We'll stop here in Garfield County, far northwest in the state. Theodore Roosevelt used to hunt bear and mountain lions here. Now 980 farms are laid out in the fertile valleys of the Colorado and its tributaries. Here melting snow from the surrounding mountains supply water to the fast growing crops. Alfalfa is the first production followed by potatoes, sugar beets, grain and fruit. On the mountain slopes are 60,000 sheep and 30,000 cattle. A very beautiful place Robert -- four hundred miles of fishing streams in the county. Mountain trout

For more that two years the Committee of Awards has known of the fine record of Claude A. George, in food production and in community service. When the Committee became concerned by its delay in getting here, County Agricultural Agent A.V. Lough assured them, saying, "there's no hurry. Mr. George has been here 38 years and everyone hopes he'll be here a long, long time yet. He's a permanent institution in Garfield County."

Mr. George owns 780 acres five and half miles north of Rifle, on the Colorado River. He has been on this farm since 1912. He and Mrs. George have raised 10 children and never failed to grasp every opportunity to serve the community and the county. They are very generous people.

Eight of the ten children have been 4-H'ers and four of the seven sons were in the armed forces during World War II. Of the ten, Annie lives in Rifle; Clarence and Ruth are both married and in Denver; Clyde is married and running his own ranch north of his father's 780; Florence is married and living on a ranch east of Rifle; Walter, married, runs a farm east of Rifle; Burt, married, helps with the home place; Bill is in college under the G.I. Bill and Gene and Dale are at home, Gene helping on the farm and Dale attending high school and putting in his summers on the land.

MURPHY

What a remarkable family, all doing a good job.

BURLINGHAM

They could have all stayed at home on the farm. There's work enough. Of the 780 acres, 480 are in dry land pasture and 300 irrigated. There's work Crops include 12 acres of sugar beets, 14 acres of potatoes, 24 of silage corn, 23 of wheat, 14 of oats, 70 acres of irrigated pasture and enough of the rest in alfalfa that the annual cut exceeds 300 tons -- green, luscious legume hay. Livestock includes about 90 feeder calves and 35 hogs fattened during the winter and 200 stock cattle.

From now on Mr. George plans to have less acreage in row crops and to enlarge his pasturing and feeding of livestock. To help maintain the soil, crested wheat grass is sown, 400 tons of manure are hauled to the plowed land, green manure is plowed under and crops are rotated so that legumes go on each field at least one year in five.

MURPHY

May I say a word for Mrs. George? She plays quite a big part, not only on the farm but in the community.

BURLINGHAM

Glad if you will. Go ahead.

MURPHY

It does occur to me that rearing ten children could be something of a chore. Mrs. George had much of that job -- and all of the ten have done all right. Mrs. George, says County Agent Lough, is also a real partner in the operation on the farm. She has a large vegetable garden and cans a great deal of food. Also she raises 100 chickens and 40 to 50 turkeys just to have something to do.

She has served as president and secretary of her community Home Demonstration Club and in fifteen years has attended all but one of its meetings. She was chosen as county president of the Home Demonstration Council in 1946 and in 1947 was District President of ten counties.

BURLINGHAM

Robert, put my name on the list of those who cannot understand how people can do so much as Claude and Clarissa George accomplish.

Mr. George is president of the Farmers Union, has been president for 25 years of the company through which he receives his irrigation water, is a member of the Forestry Advisory Board of the Cattle Growers Association, has been president or secretary of the Sugar Beet Growers Association for 25 years, was long a member of the potato growers association, is a member of the Garfield County Planning Committee, served on the weed control committee for four years; for 10 years has been a member or chairman of the county or community committee for the Triple A, was a member of the committee which introduced R.E.A. to the county and was on the potato control committee in 1949 and again this year.

MURPHY

I'm tired -- just listening to the list.

BURLINGHAM

I don't see why the Georges aren't worn out. But they keep on the ball. Their neighbors and other friends have come together in Rifle this morning to honor Claude and Clarissa George for the fine things they have done. As they all breakfast together in the Christian Church, Mr. Skelly's personal representative's extend Mr. Skelly's congratulations and best wishes and present the Agricultural Achievement Award to Claude A. George, on the unanimous vote of the Committee of Awards, the Award including a $100 United States Saving Bond, a Gold lapel pin and a handsome scroll.

MURPHY

Next Saturday at this same time another W.G. Skelly Agricultural Achievement Award will be made. Meantime, take advantage of the service offered by your Skelly Tank Station man and your Skelgas dealer. They're good men to know.

Listen as Alex Drier, speaking for Skelly, brings you the first network news analysis of the day, at this time Monday through Friday. For Lloyd Burlingham and myself, good by until next Saturday. ⁷

  Medical Notes:

During his life, he had rheumatism, gout, hay fever, and heart problems. He was 6' 4" tall.

Claude married Clarissa Toner Mallory, daughter of Frederick Walter Mallory and Anna Miles, on 30 Nov 1911 in Antlers, Garfield County, Colorado.^{1 2} (Clarissa Toner Mallory was born on 11 Sep 1890 in Central City, Gilpin County, Colorado,^{7 9} died on 26 Aug 1961 in Glenwood Springs, Garfield County, Colorado ^{7 9} and was buried in Moose Lodge Section, Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado ^{7 12}.)

  Marriage Notes:

Claude and Clarissa were married by Horace Mann, clergyman. Their witnesses were his brother Harry George and her sister Ida Mallory.