Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 364-365; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
George C. Shumaker is an enterprising and intelligent
farmer, and is successfully managing two hundred and seventy acres of
land, which he rents, lying partly in Farmington, where he makes his
residence, and partly in Canton Township. He was born in Washington
County, Md., near Rohrersville. His parents, Jonathan and Mahala
(Branderberg) Shumaker, were also natives of Maryland. The paternal
grandfather of our subject, and also his maternal grandfather, came
from Germany to this country.
The father of our subject was a farmer, and in 1837 came
westward and tried life in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, but not liking
this part of the country he returned to his native Maryland, and died
there in 1874, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother of our
subject also died in that State. She and her husband had seven
children, four of whom grew to maturity and are still living as
follows: George C., Otho James, Cyster Rupley and Frederick T. O. J.
lives in Middletown, Md., and all the others, with the exception of our
subject, reside in that State.
George C. Shumaker, of this biographical sketch, was born
November 20, 1860. His boyhood and youth were passed in Maryland, where
he was reared on a farm and gained a sound practical knowledge of
agricultural pursuits. In 1883, ambitious to better his financial
condition, he determined to see what he could accomplish on the fertile
soil of the Prairie State, and he made his way from his old home to
this county. He worked about five years by the month, and carefully
saved his earnings, and was enabled to marry and establish a home for
himself. He is now actively engaged in his calling, renting one hundred
and twenty acres of land in Farmington, and one hundred and fifty acres
in Canton Township. The land is under good cultivation and he manages
to get from it a full return in fine harvests for his outlay of labor
and expense.
Mr. Shumaker and Miss Jennie E. Slifer, united their lives and
fortunes on the 27th of December, 1887, and have established a home
where coziness and comfort abound, and that is, in fact, one of the
pleasantest abodes in the neighborhood. Mrs. Shumaker is a daughter of
William and Ellen (Potter) Slifer, and she was born, reared and married
in Maryland. She was the only child of her father, who died when she
was young. Her mother married a second time, becoming the wife of Mr.
Andrew Reader. By that marriage she had five children, namely;
Cornelius James, Fannie L., David G., Jersey J., Charles C. Fannie is
the wife of Charles L. Castle, a farmer, and they have two children.
Mrs. Shumaker is a devoted Christian and is a member of the United
Brethren Church in Maryland. Her marriage with our subject has been
blessed by the birth of one child - Roy C. Mr. Shumaker is a stalwart
defender of the Democrats in politics.
