George L. Brack was born on March 21, 1867, the son of George Brack and Malinda Youngkin in Wolf Creek, Grassy Township. When he was 3 years old, his father died and his mother remarried to Willis Hoover, a farmer, who also resided in Grassy Township. Raised on a farm by his step-father, his education was limited by the possibilities of common rural schooling until he reached 6th grade at the age of 13. At that age, George began earning his first money plowing fields using an ox in which he received 25 cents per day.
In the 1880 federal census, when George was 13 and living in Grassy Precinct, he and his sister Samantha Brack, 15, lived as step-children to the Hoover family who already had four other children.
In 1894, George married an 18 year old Wolf Creek girl named Gertie Richardson. Gertie was the daughter of Joseph M. Richardson and Isabell Tyner. This is where things get strange. After being married almost 6 years, there not only were no children, but in the 1900 federal census, they weren’t even living in the same house. Gertie was found living in her parent’s home and working as a dressmaker. She is recorded as being married but having no children. On the other hand, George was found to still be living with his mother and step-father and working as a coal miner. Oddly enough he was recorded as being single.
A biographical article written in 1905 stated that 3 years after the marriage, the couple moved to Marion and resided in the Second Ward (likely 305 S. Vicksburg St.) where he still resided at the time of the article. Clearly, something occurred to change things by the time of the 1900 census when they were separated.
Whatever the case, it’s clear that the couple had reconciled the problem and were back living in Marion shortly after the 1900 census because George served as a Marion City Alderman under Charles H. Denison in the years 1903 through 1905. The article written about him in 1905 stated that “once in Marion he began to work in mine No. 2 and has never had occasion to change either his occupation or his mine. After two years work he was given an electric mining machine, which he has run without change for five years. None of his predecessors ran it over two years, which shows the esteem in which he is held by his employers. He is a Democrat in politics and was elected to the City Council in the Spring of 1903.”
Mortages taken out in 1901 and 1902 relate to property located on S. Vicksburg Street in Marion.
A 1907 city directory confirms that George and Gertie were living at 305 S. Vicksburg St. and he was working as a miner.
In September of 1906, George and Gertie purchased 30 acres of land in Section 30 of East Marion Township for $900 @ 7% interest which undoubtedly included a house and likely outbuildings for that amount. The property would be located just south of Golf Course road about half way between S. Market Road and the Old Creal Springs road SSE of Marion.
Well, it appears that George did have occasion to change his occupation, because by the time of the 1910 census the family was living on their farm in East Marion Township south of town and 54 year old George was listed as a farmer. His farm was owned free of mortgage and the couple had one son Freeman, aged 7. According to the census the couple had only had one child so far and Freeman was it.
By the 1920 census, the couple had moved from East Marion Township to a farm near Creal Springs. George was then 54 and Gertie was listed as 47. Their 16 year old son, Freeman, was living with them as well as George’s mother, 78 year old Malinda Hoover. The farm was owned and free of mortgage.
At the time of the 1930 census, the couple was back living in on their farm property in East Marion Township. Living with them was their son Freeman, 27, who was working as a laborer at a saw mill. Along with him was his wife Zona, 21, and their children June, 5, and Lee aged 3. The farm was valued at $1,500 and they owned a radio in the home.
The 1940 census found the couple living in the same home as the 1930 census. George was then 73 years old and unable to work. They report no work in 1939 and zero income for the current year. There were no children living with them.
On May 3, 1947 George died in Herrin, Illinois and was buried in Herrin City Cemetery. His wife Gertie was born September 22, 1876 and lived until January 21, 1962 when she passed away in California. Burial was in Masonic Lawn Cemetery at Sacramento, California.
(Sources: 1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County, FindaGrave.com, Herrin City Cemetery, Williamson County Mortgage records, Federal Census records, Williamson County Marriage records. Compiled by Sam Lattuca 9/22/2023)