Seminole County FlArchives Biographies.....DeCottes, George A. March 7, 1883 - 
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Nancy Rayburn http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006128 July 22, 2012, 9:37 pm

Source: The Lewis Publishing Co., Vol.III   pg. 239 1923
Author: The History of Florida:  Past & Present

DeCOTTES, GEORGE AUGUSTUS, states attorney of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of 
the State of Florida, has enjoyed exceptional success as an attorney and 
citizen of Sanford, Florida, for many years.  In addition to the prestige he 
enjoys as a lawyer, he has been one of the state's most active men in military 
affairs, and was in the service during the World war.
	He was born at Jacksonville, Florida, March 7, 1883, is the son of 
GEORGE AUGUSTUS and MARY ALMIRA (MOODY) DeCOTTES.  His father was born at 
Augusta, Georgia, and his mother at Jacksonville, Florida.  There have been 
four generations of the DeCOTTES family in America since they first came from 
France.  The Moodys are of Scotch lineage.  GEORGE A. DeCOTTES, Sr., whose 
father lost his life in the cause of the Confederacy, was reared at 
Jacksonville, where his mother located soon after the Civil war.  GEORGE A. 
DeCOTTES, Sr., had a very active and varied business career, operating 
sawmills, manufacturing lumber, mining phosphate, and was for many years 
engaged in the towing and wrecking business.  He died at the age of fifty-
four.  For many years he was a member of the Board of Public Works in 
Jacksonville, Florida, and for several terms was County Commissioner of Duval 
County.  He was a democrat and a member of the Episcopal Church.  He is 
survived by his widow and all his seven children.
	GEORGE AUGUSTUS DeCOTTES was reared in Jacksonville, Florida, attended 
public school there, and in 1903 graduated with a degree of LL.B. from John B. 
Stetson University at De Land, Florida.  In the same year he was admitted to 
the bar, and was engaged in the practice of law at Jacksonville, for several 
years.  His home has been at Sanford, Florida, since 1907.  After moving to 
Sanford, he soon was drawn into public affairs and official responsibilities.  
From 1908 to 1912 he served as county solicitor of Orange County, Florida, and 
from 1908 to 1917 was city attorney for Sanford.  After the organization of 
Seminole County in 1913 he was appointed County attorney of Seminole County 
and served in that capacity until he went into the service.  In 1921 Mr. 
DeCOTTES was appointed state attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of 
Florida.  He is a member of the Seminole County and State Bar Association.
	Prior to the World war Mr.DeCOTTES had served two full terms of 
enlistment in the Florida Militia.  In the latter part of 1917 he closed out 
his law practice and enlisted as a private in the tank corps the United States 
Army at Camp Colt, Pennsylvania.  He was commissioned second lieutenant early 
in 1918, soon afterward was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed judge 
advocate for Camp Colt, and later was assigned for duty as commanding officer 
of a cadet training company in the Officers Training Corps of the tank corps 
of the army.  After the armistice he received an honorable discharge from the 
service January 28, 1919.  Mr. DeCOTTES soon after his return to Sanford was 
elected captain of Seminole County Guard, and performed the duties of that 
office until the guard was mustered out.  He then became instrumental in 
organizing a machine gun company at Sanford as a unit of the National Guard of 
Florida, and in May, 1921, accepted a commission as captain of infantry in the 
Florida National Guard and was assigned for duty as the commanding officer of 
Company D, of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Infantry, Florida National 
Guard stationed at Sanford, Florida.
	Captain DeCOTTES is a Mason, Knight Templar and Shriner, and is a 
member of the Eagles, Elks, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of 
Pythias and Woodmen of the World, and is a member of the Holy Cross Episcopal 
Church.  He also belongs to the Kiwanis and Country clubs and the Sanford 
Chamber of Commerce.
	In 1905 Captain DeCOTTES married Miss MARCIA S. PRESTON.  She died in 
1916 leaving no children.  In 1920 he married Miss MYRTIE A.  SCHUMPERT.


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