This
week's theme is “I'd like to meet.” I looked at the birthday
calendar and chose “Uncle George.” His birthday probably was not
during this week, but I am unsure which day in January it was, so
decided he would be my subject.
George
Washington Bond was my 2nd gt-grandfather, Solomon Bond's
older brother. They were less than 2 years apart in age, so I expect
they spent time together.
George
was born on the frontier, in northern Kentucky, just 201 years ago in
1818, the son of John and Sarah (Chastain) Bond. While he was still quite young, in about 1822, the family moved
to Indiana and then in less than 10 years, about 1829, they moved
again to Illinois. It was there on 1 March 1838 that he married his
1st cousin, Elizabeth Stillwell. I wonder if they were
warned that there might be a problem with marriage to such a close
relative.
By
1840 George and Elizabeth and many of their relatives were living in
Iowa Territory. As there were 2 males aged between 20 and 29 in the
household, I expect that George's older brother William was living
with them there in Jefferson County. After the Baptist Church of
Knoxville in Marion County was organized in 1845, Elder G. W. Bond
was one of the first ministers there. Uncle George and his family
were living in Iowa when it became a state in 1846. In 1847 his
younger brother, James, traveled with his wife and family as a
missionary to the Oregon country where he was accidentally killed in
1849.
When
they took the census in 1850 in Marion County Iowa, Uncle George
listed his occupation as Missionary Baptist preacher. I would have
liked to hear one of his sermons. George and Elizabeth had 5 living
children at that census. Two of these children, Ben Frank and Sarah,
were marked as deaf & dumb. It was probably in the next year
that George's grandfather, Solomon Bond, died as his will was
recorded in 1851 in neighboring Mahaska County.
But
one of my favorite things about Uncle George happened in 1853. He and
Elizabeth and their 5 children, as well as George's parents and many,
many other relatives, including my 2nd gt-grandparents,
traveled over the Oregon Trail to the Willamette Valley of the Oregon
Territory. I am especially thankful that Uncle George kept a journal
of that trip, writing one line per day, He used many geographical
references, so I was able to follow their journey on a map.
Along
with his parents, 2 brothers and 4 sisters, the family took advantage
of the Oregon Donation Land Claim act and received land in Oregon.
George settled in Lane County in the Eugene-Springfield area, about
20 miles from my present location. The Baptist Annals of Oregon
(pg 19) tells about George:
“In 1856, one of the missionaries, Rev. G. W. Bond,
was aided to buy a horse, as he had previously been compelled to
travel on foot, often, in the winter, wading long distances in water
from three or four inches to a foot in depth on the sloppy prairies
to his appointments. He would pull off his shoes and socks, wade
through, redress his feet, and march on, singing his favorite songs;
and this on a salary of from $50 to $100 a year!”
He
continued preaching for the Baptist church and was the pastor in
Eugene from 1858 to 1868. It was a little over 10 years later, that
he died from heart trouble 9 January 1880 and was buried at the
Pioneer Cemetery in Eugene. His obituary from the Eugene City Guard
17 January 1880 included this: “Elder Bond was a man of spotless
character, and unquestioned integrity. By his virtues he commanded
the respect of all.” There was
another obituary published in the State Journal in Eugene on the same
date and it gave tribute to him also: “As a christian he
was honored and beloved by his brethren and respected by the entire
community. His religion was something more than a profession of his
life; it was a fact in his whole life.”
Uncle George Bond truly was someone that I would have
liked to meet.
There
is a page about Uncle George on my personal genealogy website:
It also
includes a link to my transcription of the journal entries of the
trip to Oregon.
We should all hope to be remembered so well.
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