Gene Homer George ²

   Cause of his death was cancer.

  General Notes:

NOTICE: Finally received (13 Jun 1998) a copy of Gene's family history work. Thank you Lord

Gene George's widow, Phyllis, has all of the extensive work he did on the family history covering at least the George and the Mallory lines. This family history includes many photographs (carefully preserved) and may extend as far back as 1395. This history is apparently still in the rough draft form. My uncle, Lloyd Mallory, is currently making efforts to obtain a copy of this precious document. This history is supposed to be computerized.

Source: letter sent to Margie and Don Lacy after Gene's death George married Phyllis while on leave from the Navy. Right after their marriage, they spent the next six months of his tour stationed in Hawaii. Gene graduated from Rifle Union High School and returned to Rifle to ranch after the Korean War. He owned and operated OMCO, a machine shop, in Ogallala, Nebraska for 3 years and worked for Gates Rubber Company's Research and Development Division in Denver for 7 years. He and Phyllis lived in Durango for 3 years before moving to Grand Junction in 1976. His business interests in Grand Junction include Orchard Mesa Mini Storage and 15th and North Office Complex, as well as various rental properties, a mobile home park and a car wash. . Gene was a family historian and spent many years researching the George/Mallory and Hall/Renbarger family lineages and computerizing this information to be published in a book. Other hobbies include gardening and years earlier Gene had his private pilot's license. Gene was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose.

Gene was born at the family ranch on Rifle Creek. He was not well known by many of his siblings as a boy, but they all became close as adults. As the family gathering the few days before Gene's funeral, many incidences from their childhood and adult years have been remembered. Gene's one remaining sister, Annie, remembers how he was always there to take care of her, especially in the last several years. The brothers, Bud, Burt, Walter, Bill, and Curly, have related several instances that covered Gene's life from Burt remembering being sent to the barn to do the milking and then standing in front of the log house waiting to see his new baby brother, to the long talks all of the brothers had in the last months about Gene's one passion, family history.

Because of his sunny disposition, he was a favorite of the older girls in the family. Margie would take the wagon over to the George house, pick Gene up, and take him back to the "Brown House" so she could "take care of him" for the day. Gene was not known for his love of horses, but Walter and Burt remember Gene's horse Freckles and the trying times he and Freckles had. He did enjoy riding when he went riding with Hazel and her girlfriends. His natural mechanical ability created an unending supply of gadgets, widgets, and assorted goods as well as many ingenious contraptions. Curly remembers rebuilding the engine to the 1936 Chevy using the potato cellar as a garage and at one point resorted to using the block as a hammer. Gene's interest in flying was sparked by brother Bill and proved to be a source of enjoyment for him and Phyllis. Gene, being slightly older than some of the nieces and nephews, Bud sheepishly remembers conning him into watching several of them so that the adults could go out in the evening. Gene was generously paid for this service by Bud taking him to the Stock Show the next day.

Saturday evening get-togethers and holiday parties with the Kizers and Rydens, picnics up Rifle Creek, and arrowhead hunting with Cyril Murphy were occasions of special enjoyment for Gene, Phyllis, and the kids. While living in Denver, favorite Sunday outings were flying and hunting for spent ammunition shells with his family and friends.

In the last twelve years Gene and Phyllis enjoyed taking "almost four-wheel drive" trips to look at the wildflowers and scenery, listen to the birds, and search for the perfect piece of retirement property. Gene enjoyed looking at undeveloped pieces of property and visualizing how it could be developed. Many hours were spent while at the office complex "holding up the building" and discussing every subject that came up with friend Bob. Gene was always eager to listen to or talk with anyone who had the time, whether they were an old friend or a new acquaintance.

Gene's grandchildren provided endless hours of pride and joy. Each one was special in their own right and loved by Papa and Grandma equally.

Sarah thrilled Gandpa when she gave her first flute solo on Christmas Eve in 1986 . That same Christmas, Ruth sweet-talked Grandpa out of his brown western tie, so she could wear it and "be like Grandpa". Stephen Daniel took considerable joshing from Grandpa as he was always the first one to the table if he knew that there would be "the brown stuff", Grandma's homemade apple butter, as part of the meal. His granddaughter, Bonnie Faith, was born last March; it was not possible for them to go see her.

Clarissa surprised Papa and the rest of the family last spring by keeping the full extent of her part in the school play "Annie Get Your Gun" a secret. In the course of the play, Clarissa launched into a song and dance routine that no one in the family had any hints about. As Papa sat in total amazement, shaking his head, Clarissa did an excellent job of her performance. Gordon was Papa's "Dusty Sidekick" and they spent many hours fixing stuff, including a long awaited bicycle bought from the Salvation Army for two dollars. Gordon had the bicycle loaded into the pickup before Papa could finish paying for it. Papa wanted to make sure Gordon had a strong male influence, someone to look up to and admire, and someone to teach him all the "man things" a boy should know.

Papa had many special memories of "Sir Clayton", but the one that almost brought tears to his eyes was when Clayton showed Papa, before anyone else, that he could walk on his tip-toes, forward and backwards, when three years earlier no one was certain he would ever walk.

Gene was always a kind and understanding father that was there to offer advice and moral support when it was needed. All of his children were given the encouragement to be their own person and to follow their own paths in life. No one could have had a better father or friend.

Gene was Phyllis' life and her love, more than just a husband, he was her best friend. Their life together was filled with love and the memories that remain will be a golden treasure never to be forgotten.

As we have heard so far, family was the mortar of his life that held all the pieces together as a whole. His desire was to publish a text containing the family ancestry and history compiled over the years, for future generations of the George/Mallory family. This project will be completed, as Gene would have wanted.

The family wishes to thank all of you for being his friend and for sharing this time with us.

Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 20 January 1931

(News of Rifle) Mr. and Mrs. Claude George of the Rifle Creek section are the proud parents of a baby boy [Gene Homer] born Thursday morning.

Source: Rifle Telegram, 21 April 1938

(GRADE SCHOOL NOTES - First Grade) Mrs. Lytle's room had 20 perfect spellers on Friday of last week. Those who do not miss a word will be given a spelling certificate. Those having a perfect record thus far are: Dick Brady, Gene George, Sammy Hodge, Jimmy Hoffmeister, Bobby Rowland, Dot Brown, Norma Jean Harris, Helen Hoaglund, Betty Hixon, Beverley Kinman, Marjorie Moore, Mary Lee Oglesby, Marlyn Peppiatt, Nellie Torrez, Shirley Jones, Richard Rogers, Lola Mae King.

(C.J.G.) Dad's perfect spelling certificate was mentioned often as a "kid" growing up. Everyone who knew Dad knew he was terrible at spelling, but he often teased us with his perfect spelling certificate. He was letting us know we could achieve "great things" too. Just an FYI, the certificate was in first grade. We still have one of the spelling lists that earned him his honor. The list - fat, come, not, one, it.

Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

(High-tech sleuth tracks ancestors, Dave Fishell) Some folks may walk into the Ancestor Shop expecting to purchase an exciting great-grandfather or an infamous great-great aunt who will add some color to the family tree. But when you walk through the door of the office at 1460 North Ave., to view the glowing computer screen, microfilm readers and rows of books, the owner, Gene and Phyllis George, can offer you information only on real-life ancestors. The shop has been in business just a few months, but already the Georges have helped people track down elusive distant cousins, unknown great-great great-grandparents and long-gone ancestors across the country.

The heart of The Ancestor Shop is a small Leading Edge computer and a powerful yet simple to use genealogical computer program that Gene developed and had a local computer expert program into his machine. The program not only guides you through each step needed to fill out your family tree, but the computer's word-processing functions and memory also keep paperwork and duplication to a minimum.

"My wife and I have been family historians for the last 12 years," said Gene. "And when we, or anyone else, were tracking down our ancestor, we'd end up with this big scrapbook full of little pieces of paper and notes. And if you did get around to filling out a family history book, just about the time you were done, you'd find some new information, and you'd have to start all over again. The computer eliminates all those notes and papers, and if you do have to add some new information to the family book, it's easy to do."

When a customer first comes into The Ancestor Shop, Gene develops a file for him and then has the computer guide him through the first steps of filling out the family tree. "Even if a person doesn't have any idea where to start, we can help them," said Gene. "Everyone knows what their own birthday is, and most folks know about their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles and other close relatives. We'll start with information like that, and fill in all the blanks we can." "Then we'll print out the chart that will show the person what information he needs to start looking for. They can go out and talk to relatives and search for documents and records, and when they get some new information, they can come back here and we'll fill out more of the blanks. We'll keep going until we get the whole story." If a person doesn't know how or where to start looking for documents, birth and death records and other information relating to their relatives, Gene and Phyllis can help there, too.

They have a small, but expanding, library of books on genealogy and history, as well as local burial records on microfilm. For an additional fee, the shop also can get copies of historic and family records on file at the massive American Genealogical Lending Library in Bountiful, Utah. According to Gene, there are several commercial genealogical computer programs on the market, but he said none has the capability of simply rewriting or re-editing family information already stored in the computer file. "My program is easy to use," said Gene. The program seems to work well. It took Gene only a few seconds to call up his own family history chart, which told about his grandparents moving to Rifle in 1887, and his father moving to Antlers in 1911, and later ranching along Rifle Creek.

Fees at the Ancestor Shop vary, with the first visit costing just a few dollars. Cost go up with increased use of the computer. Although the computer and Gene's program are the heart of The Ancestor Shop, the machine is also one of the business' biggest drawbacks. "So many people come in here wanting to find out about their family, but they are scared of the computer," said Gene. "They think they can't run it, that it takes all sort of special training. I tell them that if they can type and follow directions, we can help them run the computer and start learning about their family's past in just a few minutes."

Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 21 September 1987

(Genealogy buffs digging up data on county's past - Bryan Gallegos) Phyllis George looks intently over cemetery records, and smiles.

No, she's not a ghoul who gets a kick out of hanging around cemeteries. George is a member of the Mesa County Genealogical Society, which is conducting a cemetery inventory. George, her eyes twinkling and smiling from ear to ear, is happy because the grueling, seven-year project is almost over.

"It hasn't been a piece of cake," George said. "I'm looking forward to it being done." George said the project will help preserve local history. The society, which has roughly 35 members working as volunteers, is compiling a 100-year cemetery record of the burials in Mesa County. When the leg work is done and the data formulated in a book, the society hopes to publish it. In the early 1980's the society visited all 27 cemeteries in Mesa County and recorded all the names from every tombstone. They put those names on cards for the Museum of Western Colorado. The museum will also have a master list when the project is completed, George said. Last year, the society began entering those names in a computer. By using the computer, George said, it will be easier to compile a master list. They will also have an easier time editing the copy, said George, Phyllis' husband, who also volunteers.

The tombstone reading was completed a couple of years ago, Phyllis said. Now the society concentrates on compiling a list of names from unmarked graves in the 27 cemeteries. She said several volunteers go out every Monday for a few hours, and examine cemetery records to find names of people buried in the unmarked graves. Right now the society has on the computer a list of roughly 28,000 name of people buried in Mesa County since 1892. Next year, when George anticipates the project will be done, there will be an additional 2,000 names on the list. "We're about half way through the Orchard Mesa cemeteries, as far as picking up unmarked graves," George said. Additional cemeteries in the outlying areas of Grand Junction still need to be reviewed, she added.

Although she admits that she would like to spend her time doing different things, George said she and the others will keep working on the project until its completion. "It's kind of like an itch that you want to scratch," George said, "But you can't until you're done (working)." You don't work on a project diligently for seven years without enjoying it a little bit, and George admits that she has enjoyed it. "You get involved in the different people buried out there," she said. "There's a story behind all of them." She said that by looking at the list, she can see history unfold. For example, Phyllis said, she could tell without looking at the burial dates, when the women's movement took place. She said before the 1920's, when women were buried, their first names were never used in cemetery records. But when the women's movement began in the 1920's, records show that cemetery managers began listing women by their full names, not just their last names.

You do get to see some history," agreed Gene George. But the project has caused some frustration. Phyllis said the enthusiasm of the society comes and goes, which makes it rough at times. Additionally, Phyllis is frustrated by the number of unmarked graves. Gene George, after taking a look on the computer, said there are roughly 5,000 unmarked graves in Mesa County.

"We just feel like it's a shame that those people do not have a tombstone," Phyllis said. She added that those buried without a tombstone are often forgotten forever. The list and subsequent book will ensure that those buried in unmarked graves will not be totally forgotten.

In addition to the project, the Mesa County Genealogical Society is sponsoring a Genealogy Workshop Tuesday at the E.L. Bacon Room of United Bank, 359 Main St. The seminar will feature two sessions, running 1-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. The workshop fee is $17.

Gene and Phyllis's tombstone reflects their passion for genealogy. It has a three generation ancestor chart for each of them and lists their children. ²

  Additional Information:

• Military Service: US Navy: Korea.

Gene married Phyllis Jeanne Hall, daughter of Leonard James Hall and Madelene Ann Renbarger, on 6 Oct 1953 in Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado.¹ (Phyllis Jeanne Hall was born on 28 Oct 1931 in Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado,^{2 4} died on 24 Apr 2016 and was buried on 4 May 2016 in Moose Lodge Section, Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado.)