"George A. Pridgen was born March 16, 1865, near Thrush, where he was reared
to manhood. He was united in marriage to Maggie George of that neighborhood March 8,
1893. This marriage was severed by death in less than a year. On May 20, 1896 he was
married to Mrs. Elizabeth Combs (Hee Curnutt). To this union were given three children,
Mrs. R. A. Chapman, Kansas City; Stella Pearl, who departed this life at age four years,
and Herbert Ray at home, who is a graduate of the senior class of the Calhoun High
School this year. He was a loving father to the three children of the latter wife who
were bereft of their father at an early age, Namely Elmer Combs, Mrs. H. W. Burch and
Mrs. G. W. Chapman, all living west of Calhoun. There never was a particle of difference
shown between these three and his own. After his last marriage, he moved to a farm
four miles west of calhoun where he lived until last December; when realizing his
failing health he sold the farm and moved to Calhoun for winter. He was a carpenter
by trade and was well known thourghout Henry County, where he had done a vast amount
of building. He joined the Drakes Chapel Methodist Church in 1906. He was a bebefacial
member of the M. W. A. Lodge for twenty-five years joining in Calhoun in 1900. He moved
his membership to Lewis Starion when that camp was organized. He was a patient
sufferer from dropsy and heart trouble which caused his death, which occurred May 6,
1925. Even though the family and friends knew he waould never get well, his death
was a shock to everyong. He realized his condition; told his loved ones he was
prepared and willing to go when the lord saw fit to take him home to rest. His
greatest worry was bringing this great sorrow on his wife and loved ones. Besides
the immediate fammily and the seven grandchildren there survive him, two sisters, Mrs.
Molly Spurlock, of Arkansas, and Mrs. S. C. Yosti, of Deepwater, and one brother John
Pirdgne, also Deepwater. Funeral services were conducted at the Calhoun Methodist Church at 2:30 P.M, Thursday, May 6, by Rev. E. T. Raney of Versailles, who was his former favorite pastor. The entire message was indeed comforting to the bereft ones and especioally were the truths he spoke in regard to the home ties that existed in his family. The body was tenerely laid to rest in the Calhoun Cemetery beneath a mound of beautiful flowers. The pall Bears were S. Morrow, J. M Motsi?, M. O. Means, Cann Jones, T. Allen, Frank Hargave." |