Rev George Washington Noble ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

George Noble was a native of Pennsylvania. George was a blacksmith and a preacher. For a number of years he wrought at his forge during the week and preached on Sundays, but later turned his attention to farming, first at Rifle and later at Plateau, Mesa county.

Harris, Charles H; 1905 Bio, Garfield County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.org/co/garfield/bios/harrisch.txt Donated April 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook <[email protected]> from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill.

He gave the age wrong in the 1860 census. Consistent all other years. His occupation for years 1860, 1870 and 1900 was given as blacksmith. In 1880 he was farming. He was in Monroe County, Iowa, for the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census. The obituary for his father stated that he resided in Arkansas in 1871. In 1900 the residence was De Beque Town, Mesa County, Colorado. At the time of the 1910 census, George was an apple orchardist in Collbran, Mesa County, Colorado.

Source: The following is from an article in the "Rifle Reville", 17 May 1901

G. W. Noble was in town yesterday. He was on his way home from a visit at Catherine. Mr. Noble accompanied by his wife drove to Catherine and when on their way home they met a train in the canyon below Glenwood and the team became frightened and ran away, throwing the buggy over an embankment into the river. The occupants escaped unhurt but were compelled to walk five miles to New Castle.

Source: The following history was compiled by fellow family history buff, Gene Homer George (1980)

The obituaries and documents on the following pages pretty well tell the story of G. W. Noble. A more detailed look at his time in Colorado shows him having churches in Rifle, 1893, Ridgeway, 1897, Plateau City, 1898, Eaglite, 1894, and Collbran, 1901. He was Justice of the Peace for a time in DeBeque in 1894. In Collbran, he purchased land and developed a section of the town know as the Noble Addition. He was also partners with Cary M. Keeton in a blacksmith shop where they developed and patented [Patent No. 662,131, dated November 20, 1900] a plow invented by G. W. He had this manufactured in St. Paul, Minnesota and sold them throughout the area. They were by our standards a one row corrugator and the forerunner of the present day Mormon Corrugator. One story told around Collbran of him was that he drove his team of trotters on the buggy from Collbran (about 45 miles) to Grand Junction in 8 hours. In 1904 he was chairman of the Democratic Central Committee in Grand Junction. His name and tracks are plentiful wherever he lived.

Source: The following is from a article in a Collbran newspaper

G. W. Noble Summoned
Rev. G. W. Noble, pioneer preacher, veteran of the Grand Army, and honored citizen, at about six o'clock Wednesday evening, February 14, 1912, laid down his body of flesh, full of years and bent with cares and suffering and his spirit was born on wings of unwavering faith to join the choir invisible. His death was not unexpected. For months he had gradually failed, his body simply giving way before the implacable forces of nature. Whatever the symptoms may have been, he undoubtedly had fulfilled his allotted span and died of old age. He had lived eighty-two years, eleven months and four days.

Since 1892, for nearly a score of years, Father Noble has had his home in this community. Few there are among us who are privileged to have as wide a circle of friends as he enjoyed.

He was a Methodist minister and an orthodox Christian of the same stern, uncompromising type which marked the Pilgrim Fathers. He hated the semblance of evil, and had no tolerance for hypocrisy, intemperance or frivolity. Yet, like most stern parents, his character had its gentle and sympathetic side, and he was loved and respected by a multitude.

His life history, could it be written would make a large and interesting volume. The following is merely and outline of his life.

George W. Noble was born March 10, 1829, on the present site of Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he lived until young manhood, when he removed with his parents to Fairfield, Iowa. In 1849 when the gold excitement was at its height he, with three companions, went overland to Hangtown, California. He spent four years among the fortune-hunters of that state, then returned to Iowa and settled in the town of Albia.

Here Mr. Noble married on February 28, 1854, to Mary E. Johnson who died August 15, 1855. On July 21, 1856 he married Marietta Woolsey, who passed from this life on February 13, 1862. To this union were born four children of whom two, Mrs. Rosetta Harris of Carbondale, Colorado and Mrs. Clara V. George of Rifle, Colorado are still living.

In 1864, on April 3rd, he married Elizabeth Knight, who remained his devoted wife until she too passed to the Great Beyond, July 3, 1888. To this union were born four daughters, of whom Mrs. Emma N. Turner of Grand Junction, Mrs. Minnie Armstrong of Grand Junction, and Mrs. Fannie Manifold of Glidden, Iowa, are living. The youngest, Celia Ann, died at the age of eighteen.

During the early part of the Civil War, George W. Noble was instrumental in organizing Company K. 36th Iowa Infantry of which he was made captain. He served in this position for eleven months when, on account of ill health, he was honorably discharged.

About 2 years later, he joined the Methodist Episcopal church at Albia, Iowa. Soon after his conversion he was made exhorter and local preacher in his church, and he served as such until his removal to Pontiac, Kansas, October 1883, where he identified himself with the M. E. Conference. In 1888 he removed to De Witt, Arkansas, and transferred his membership to the Arkansas M. E. Conference. He labored in this field until 1890 when he came to Colorado and settled at Rifle.

He came to Plateau Valley in 1892, to take up church work here, and after remaining about nine months he was called to the Breckenridge circuit for about a year. After his return to this valley he married Mrs. Rachel Stites, on May 14, 1896, and she remained his devoted companion until death beckoned this staunch old "Soldier of the Cross" to the other side of the river.

The funeral service was held at the Plateau City M. E. Church this afternoon, and was conducted by Rev. Flint, assisted by Rev. Simmons and Rev. Gray. It was attended by a large concourse of people who came to honor the memory of their neighbor, counselor and friend. The burial was at Eaglite cemetery.

Source: The following is from an article in the "Eldorado Kansas Times"

This office is in receipt of a paper from Mrs. W. G. Turner of Grand Junction, Colo. containing notice of the death of her father, Rev. G. W. Noble, which occurred at his home in Plateau City, Colo., February 14, 1912. This will come to many in the vicinity of Pontiac, especially as sad news. For several years himself and estimable family, lived on the farm, adjoining Pontiac on the east and it was during these years Mrs. Noble died and lies in Pontiac cemetery. He was very active in the building of the Methodist church in the town, in fact it was largely through his efforts the church was erected. The Noble and Fullinwider families, came to the neighborhood the same year, the Nobles from Iowa and the Fullinwiders from Illinois. They were close neighbors and very intimate. During the years of residence there, Mr. Noble was very active in work of the church and Sunday school and did all in his power for the upbuilding of the community, morally and socially. In all his efforts, he was ably succeeded by his good wife and lovely daughters. He was a power for good and his influence by his good wife and lovely daughters. He was a power for good and his influence teaching and example were felt all over all eastern Butler. At that time he was a local Preacher, afterward he moved to Arkansas, joined the Methodist conference and became actively engaged in the ministry. He was a veteran of the Civil War, a member of Co. K, 36th Iowa Inft. He was captain of this company and served until his health failed, when he was honorably discharged. In 1892 he moved to Colorado and continued his work in the ministry. May 14, 1896 he was again married to Mrs. Rachel Stites, who with five daughters survive him. The daughters are: Mrs. Rosetta Harris, Carbondale, Colo.; Mrs. Clara V. George, Rifle, Colo.; Mrs. Emma N. Turner, and Mrs. Minnie Armstrong, Grand Junction, Colo.; and Mrs. Fannie Manifold, Glidden Iowa.

Father Noble was rightly named. His was a sterling character, a firm believer in the right and uncompromisingly opposed to all that was wrong. He has yet many warm friends in this county and the community in which he lived and labored so faithfully. The funeral was held from the Methodist church in Plateau City and he was laid to rest in the Eaglite Cemetery. ⁵

  Additional Information:

• Military Service: as Capt, Union Company K. 36th Iowa Infantry: the Civil War. A key wind pocket watch and pocket lantern that he carried in the Civil War is on display at Rifle Museum.

George married Mary E. Johnson, daughter of Clement Johnson and Hester A., on 28 Feb 1854 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa. (Mary E. Johnson was born in 1835,⁷ died on 15 Aug 1855 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa ⁸ and was buried in Oak View Cemetery, Albia, Monroe County, Iowa ⁸.)

  Marriage Notes:

[Hi, I was just at the Des Moines County, Iowa Courthouse in Burlington, Iowa this morning and ran across a marriage record for George W. Noble and Mary Johnson in their marriage records. License was February 28, 1854 and marriage February 29, 1854 (at least, I think...almost looked like 1837 but most of the others on the page looked the same way). It is not in their card index. You have to actually pull the marriage book for that time period. I was looking for info on my ancestor Andrew J. Noble married in Burlington in 1852 and found this by chance. Thought maybe he was a relative...but just don't know. At any rate, thought you may want to know.
Laura Engel <[email protected]>]

George next married Marietta Woolsey, daughter of Charles Woolsey and Elizabeth Hills, on 24 Jul 1856 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa. (Marietta Woolsey was born on 8 Mar 1836 in New York,⁵ died on 13 Feb 1862 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa ^{5 8} and was buried in Oak View Cemetery, Albia, Monroe County, Iowa ^{5 8}.)

George next married Mary Elizabeth Knight on 3 Apr 1864. (Mary Elizabeth Knight was born on 26 Dec 1831 in Indiana ⁵ and died on 3 Jul 1888 in Pontiac, Butler County, Kansas ⁵.)

George next married Rachel Hodgson on 14 May 1898 in Collbran, Mesa County, Colorado. (Rachel Hodgson was born in Apr 1838 in Illinois ⁴ and died on 28 Jan 1915 in Eaton, Weld County, Colorado ⁵.)