My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE W. SMALTZ, a highly respected and substantial farmer of Johnson County, resides in township 45, range 25, where he has a valuable homestead, comprising eighty-seven acres. Upon the place may be noticed a substantial residence and other farm buildings, all of which our subject caused to be erected. He is a native of Virginia, and was born in Rockingham County, October 31, 1823.

The parents of our subject, by name George and Catherine (Rader) Smaltz, were also born in the Old Dominion, and there spent their entire lives, engaged in agricultural pursuits. The grandfather, Conrad Smaltz, came to the United States from Germany, and after locating in Rockingham County engaged in business there until his decease. He reared to manhood two sons, George and John, both of whom are now deceased.

The brothers and sisters of our subject were five in number. Henry died in Virginia. John married Susanna Dinkle, but the latter is now deceased, and he lives in Maryland. Ann married Colonel Long, who was taken prisoner during the late war and starved to death in Cape May. She is now living in West Virginia. William married Clarissa Hanna, and they make their home on a fine farm in Ohio. Mary Catherine married John Linsey, and is a resident of Carrollton, Mo.

The original of this sketch was given a good education, and the year he attained his majority commenced teaching in Hampshire County, Va. This vocation he found to be very congenial, and for fifteen years he taught in the districts in that county. During this time. May 27, 1848, he was married to Matilda Orndorff, whose birth occurred in Virginia, February 16, 1829. Her parents, William and Margaret (Sweeny) Orndorf, are now deceased, the father passing away while a resident of Lewis County, Mo., and the mother dying in Carroll County, this state.

Mr. Smaltz continued to teach for several years after his marriage, after which he purchased a farm in Hampshire County, Va., and for the seven years following was engaged in its cultivation. In 1860 he took up the line of march West, and for the same length of time taught school and superintended the operation of a tract of land in Clinton County, Ohio. Thinking that better opportunities lay before him in the farther West, he came to Missouri, choosing a home first in Jackson County, where he farmed for four years. His next move was to Cass County, but his stay there was only of seven months’ duration, when he next located in Carroll County, purchasing a small tract of land there, which he operated in connection with running a saw and grist mill. For four years he was very profitably employed, but at the end of that time he sold these enterprises and his land and moved to Johnson County. This was the year in which the grasshoppers infested the country, and as he found them very troublesome he journeyed to Carroll County, and there made his home until 1873, the year of his final advent into Johnson County. That year he purchased his present farm, and has made his home here ever since.

To Mr. and Mrs. Smaltz there have been born eight children. The eldest. Napoleon, married Mattie Stevenson, and is now farming in this county. Robert M. married Lou Cecil, and they also make their home in this section. William G. is at home. Maria is now Mrs. Columbus Cecil, and lives at Shanghai, this county. Nettie became the wife of Irwin Hill, and makes her home in Quincy, Ill. James is at home; and Margaret and Virginia are deceased.

Mr. Smaltz has never sought office, finding that he has all he can do to manage his farm. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, and is especially interested in the cause of education in his neighborhood. With his wife, he is a member in good standing of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.