Pillow, while still a boy moved with his family to Shawneetown. As soon as he was old enough Mr. Pillow was apprenticed to Karcher and Scandland, carpenters and undertakers, where he served for three years. But having ambition, he took up the study of the law and pursued it while working at the bench and at night.
He was persistent and diligent under the most adverse circumstances, and was admitted to the bar in August, 1882 in Shawneetown, Illinois.
He had chosen his life’s partner eleven years before, and with the care of a wife and an increasing family on his hands, continued steadfast in the pursuit of his ideal.
His first wife’s name was Miss M. Edith Slater, to whom he was united at Metropolis, December 13, 1871. Seven children came of this union, six of whom survived childhood. Their names were Eugene Rockwell, Gordon, Eva, C. J., Winona and Earl Herschel Pillow. He had the misfortune to lose his wife in the spring of 1892, and two years later, September 16, 1894, was married to Miss Mary A. Belt in Elizabethtown.
Mr. Pillow was always a Republican in politics and active and influential in his field. He was Republican candidate for Congress in 1890 in the old district in Gallatin County, formerly represented by Richard Townsend. He was defeated by J.R. Williams, the Democratic candidate by 3,100 majority, in a district with a normal majority of 6,000 running away ahead of his ticket on his own personal popularity.
Possessed of more than an average degree of patriotism, Judge Pillow at the outbreak of the Spanish American War in 1898 organized the 10th Provisional Illinois Regiment which was mobilized with Judge Pillow as Colonel in command, but was not needed for active service. Upon the entry of the United States into the World War, Judge Pillow undertook the organization of a Southern Illinois regiment for duty in France, but plans for raising of volunteer regiments were suppressed by the national conscription plan.
In the 1900 census, George was a 50 year old self-employed lawyer living in Ridgway. His wife Mary was 30 and they had two children from his previous marriage living in their rented home, Winona 13 and Earl H. aged 10. Mary indicates that they have had one child but it did not survive.
He continued the practice of law for 20 years in Gallatin County and the adjoining counties until January, 1901, when he moved to Marion and opened a law office in 1902.
In 1904 he bought a house at 914 West Main Street and moved into it just across the street from Marion Mayor Charles Denison.
George Pillow went into partnership with attorney J.C.B. Smith and they shared a law office at 201 Public Square . This is reflected in a 1907 directory listing for Pillow and Smith, lawyers, and insurance abstracts of title. This office would have been just west of the old City Hall building and where Sherman’s Department store was at for decades.
In the 1910 census, the Pillow family is still living at 914 W. Main Street. George has reached his 60th year of age while his second wife Mary is 20 years his junior at age 40. Their son Earl, age 20, is still living with them. Earl graduated from Marion Township High School in 1906 and was then working as an office book keeper.
Attorney George Stone formed a partnership with Geo. W. Pillow and J. C. B. Smith, under the firm name of Pillow, Smith & Stone with Pillow. This partnership continued until 1910 when Attorney Smith retired from that firm, and the new firm of Pillow & Stone, with Pillow as the senior partner , continued until January 1, 1917, after which time Attorney Stone maintained an office alone.
With WWI raging, George’s son, Earl Herschel Pillow, enlisted April 29, 1918. He was sent overseas May 19, 1918 and was engaged in the battles of Arras, St. Mihiel. He was wounded and carried from the field at Grand Pre in Argonne Forest while leading his crew in routing a machine gun nest and died at Base Hospital No. 19, Vichy, France, November 25, 1918. He was attached to Co. M., 311th Inf. Burial was in France with a memorial service held here and a monument placed in Rose Hill Cemetery.
By 1919, Colonel Pillow had practically retired from active practice, but still maintained offices on the third floor of the Marion State and Savings Bank building, now the old Hotel State. George occupied Room 36 with one of his old partners George Stone while their other ex-partner J.C.B. Smith occupied Rooms 37-39.
Though no census record was found for George Pillow for the year 1920, it is known that his wife Mary passed away June 11, 1920 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. It is likely that with the death of his son in 1918 and then his wife in 1920 that he gave up his big home on W. Main Street. A 1922 directory found him to be living at 307 W. College Street.
In 1921, Judge Pillow went to Springfield as an assistant state commerce commissioner serving in that capacity until January 14, 1929.
By 1930, during the depression, George then went to live in East St. Louis in St. Clair County. He remarried for the third time to Nora Della Thornton and they occupied a home at 1712 N. 23rd Street. He worked in the law firm of Pillow, Karns and Flanders located at 604 Spivey Building in E. St. Louis.
In the census of 1930, George was 81. His third wife was aged 49, 32 years his junior. They paid $45 dollars a month in rent and had three family members living with them. George’s son, Clarence, aged 50, was a self-employed clothes cleaner and presser. Also in the home were, his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Thornton, aged 70 and a widow and his brother-in-law, Jesse Thornton. Jesse was 39, single and an electrician at a soap factory.
Shortly after 1930, George returned to Marion and opened up a law office once more but by 1935 had forced his retirement.
George Pillow passed away in Marion on May 14, 1936, shortly after 9 o’clock at his home at 303 N. Van Buren Street and was buried in New Rose Hill Cemetery on May the 17th. He was only one day away from reaching his 86th birthday. The infirmities of age together with a recent illness caused his death.
He was noted to be the oldest practicing lawyer in Southern Illinois at the time of his death.
The book Williamson County in the World War, states, “The Bench and Bar of Williamson County is honored by having for one of its members, George W. Pillow. That Mr. Pillow is one of the strongest lawyers in southern Illinois is the common verdict. He has been called upon to prosecute and defend more murder cases than any other southern Illinois lawyer.
His obituary notes, “An aggressive lawyer, fluent speaker and an ardent Republican, Judge Pillow was for 50 years and outstanding campaign orator among Republicans in Southern Illinois. In addition to county and district campaigns he was often called upon by the Illinois Republican Committee for speaking tours in behalf of his party’s candidates.”
Colonel Pillow was a member of the M.E. church, Knights of Pythias and B. P. O. E. lodges of Marion. In politics he has always been a Republican, and every campaign has witnessed him in the thick of the fight for his party. As a platform orator he has few equals. “
Surviving him at his death were daughters, Mrs. Charles A. Swinney and Mrs. Clyde Weatherford of Marion, Illinois and sons Eugene R. Pillow of St. Louis, C.J. Pillow of Marion, and attorney Gordon Pillow of Johnston City, Illinois. One brother, Charles Pillow, of St. Louis and one sister, Mrs. Amanda Strickland, Evansville, Ind. also survived him.
Funeral services were held Sunday at 2:30 P.M. at the Cash Funeral Home. The funeral was in charge of Rev. N.C. Henderson, pastor of the First M.E. church of which Judge Pillow was a member.
Sam’s Notes:
Eugene Rockwell Pillow, born November 27, 1872 and died June 1959 in Eldorado, Illinois.
Gordon Pillow, born December 3, 1875. Married Lulu Ann Swinney in 1900. Lived in Johnston City and worked as an attorney most of his life. Died on February 14, 1941. They had four children, Mary Eileen (1901-xxxx), Gordon B. (1904-xxxx), Marid W. (1904-xxxx) and Glen (1905-xxxx)
Eva Pillow, born 1876, died 1969 in Marion, Illinois
Clarence Pillow (a.k.a. C.J.), born 1877, died 1939, Rose Hill Cemetery
Winona Pillow, born 1886.
Earl Herschel Pillow, born June 1, 1889, graduated Marion High 1906, Attended Brown’s Business College, graduated with Business degree in 1912. Died in France during WWI on November 25, 1918. Buried in France with a monument in Rose Hill Cemetery.
(Extracted from Williamson County in the World War, 1919; 1905 Souvenir History; Marion City Directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; Federal Census Records; Illinois Death Records; Marion Daily Republican Obituary; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 08/20/2013)