My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE ANDREWS, living at the village of Busti, is a quiet, unassuming gentleman but nevertheless a leading and respected farmer in his community. He is a son of Asahel and Lucy (Merry) Andrews and was born where he now resides, on the second day of November, 1823.

His family trace their ancestry to England, both the Andrews and Merrys coming from that country. Asahel Andrews was a native of Herkimer county, this State, and came from there to Chautauqua county in 1813 and located at what is now Busti village, but was then an unbroken forest. He secured two hundred acres of land from the Holland Land Company and, clearing him a farm, conducted it until within a few years of his death, which occurred there in 1861, after he had passed his eighty-fifth year. He was a hard-working man, who gave little attention to politics but at elections voted the Whig ticket. His wife, Lucy Merry, was a native of Herkimer county, New York and came with her husband from thence, sharing with him all the trials and privations of pioneer life, and died one year before him.

George Andrews spent his early life on his father’s farm and acquired such education as the common schools of that locality could give. When he attained manhood he began farming for himself and now owns a well improved farm.

He has been twice married; first, in 1846, to Charlotte E. Stoddard, a daughter of Rev. Ira Stoddard, a prominent local divine living in Busti. She died June 16, 1860, leaving two children, both sons: Clarence E. resides at Olean, Cattaraugus county, New York; and Adrian G., who went west and is now living at Colorado Springs, Colorado. George Andrews married his second wife in 1861; she was Mrs. Esther M. (Clough) Woodworth, and bore him three children, two sons and one daughter: Earl D. is a farmer in the town of Busti; Wells G. is a merchant in Olean; and Stella L. is teaching school.

Mr. Andrews is a member of the Busti Baptist church, toward the support of which he is a liberal contributor; politically he is an outspoken prohibitionist and belongs to the Royal Templars of Temperance, which has for its object the inculcation of purely temperance principles and the attainment of prohibition by moral suasion. Mr. Andrews is a modest, industrious citizen, who is in comfortable circumstances through his own efforts.