My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE T. COST. The sons of the early pioneers of Greene County, have to a large extent maintained their residences at or near the old homesteads built up by their parents from the wilderness. Among the early settlers of this county were Philip F. and his wife, Jane (Wolf) Cost. They were natives of Maryland and Virginia, and coming to this State settled in Greene County, where they lived until 1836, when they removed to Shelby County where they lived until 1845, when they came back to Greene County where the father still lives at the advanced age of eighty years. Their son, George T., was born October 15, 1837. They came to this county in 1817, and settled two miles south of Fairfield, which still remains the family home where the father is prosecuting his lifelong occupation of farming. Philip Cost is of German descent, while his estimable wife was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. They were married in this county. The mother was born in Virginia in 1805, and came with her parents to Ohio when but a child. There was born to them a family of eight children, five of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, these being Rachel, the wife of Samuel Wyre; Mary J., Mrs. William G. Confer, of Yellow Springs, this county; Margaret A., Mrs. Abram Snypp, also living near Yellow Springs; Susan E., at home with her father; John P., was killed at the battle of Liberty Gap, Tenn., June 24, 1863; George T.; and two who died in infancy.

The mother of our subject departed this life at the homestead in the fall of 1866. The paternal grandfather, John Cost, was born in Frederick County, Md., and married Miss Regina Souder, daughter of a prominent family in Loudoun County, Va., where she was born. They reared a family of nine children, viz.: George, John, Philip F., Anthony, Josephine, Jonathan, Peter, Mary and Elizabeth. Grandfather Cost left Maryland on account of slavery, to which he was totally opposed. On the maternal side of the house, Grandfather Wolf served in the Black Hawk War, and spent his last years in Illinois.

The subject of this notice was reared on the pioneer farm, and received a very good education, completing his studies at Heidelburg College, in June, 1861. Subsequently he occupied himself as a teacher for several terms. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he, in 1861, entered the army as a member of Company C, Forty-ninth Ohio Infantry, and was wounded in the shoulder at the battle of Stone River. Prior to this he fought at the battles of Shiloh and Corinth, and on the 31st of December, 1862, received a gunshot wound in the right arm on account of which it was amputated near the shoulder. Subsequently he was captured by Forrest’s Cavalry and taken to Nashville, Tenn., where he was discharged April 4, 1862. He now receives a pension of $45 per month.

Upon leaving the army Mr. Cost supplemented his education by attendance at Miami College, in Dayton, and then returned to his native haunts. He has officiated as Township Clerk three years, and in 1880 was assistant Sergeant-at-Arms during the session of the Sixty-fourth General Assembly. He has served as Deputy Sheriff of this county for four years, and was appointed to his present position as Deputy Marshal in 1889. He makes an efficient officer of sound sense and good judgment and is giving general satisfaction. In politics, he affiliates with the Republican party.

Nearly twenty-one years ago occurred the marriage of George T. Cost with Miss Simretta Minton, the wedding taking place April 8, 1869, at Dayton, Ohio. Mrs. Cost was born in Miami Township, this county, January 22, 1857. and is the daughter of Ira K. and Magdaline Minton, who were natives of Ohio, and who settled in this county at an early period in its history. They are still living, and after years of faithful labor, are spending their later years amid the comforts of a pleasant home in Miami Township. Of this union there have been born six children, two of whom, Frank M. and John, died at the ages of six months and fourteen years. The survivors are: Clifford G., Charles C., George L. and Edward H. Mr. Cost belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, and is rated among his neighbors as one of the best men in the community.