Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Colleps, George 1848 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com February 21, 2006, 12:51 am Author: History of Grundy Co IL 1882 George Colleps, bookkeeper, Minooka, was born March 16, 1848, in Buffalo, N. Y., son of John W. and Margaret (Schroder) Colleps, both natives of Hess- Daumstadt, and who came to the United States the same year that our subject was born. When young, he removed with his parents to Michigan, where they remained until 1853, when he came with them to this place. At the age of sixteen, he volunteered in the service of his country, enlisting in the spring of 1864, in Company G, Sixty-fourth Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and, after participating in several of the engagements of the Atlanta campaign, was taken prisoner, July 22, at Atlanta, and taken to Andersonville Prison, where he was incarcerated for nearly ten months, and for nearly one month he stood, and laid on the ground in the rain, with no clothing or covering for his body but a shirt and pair of drawers. At the time of his capture, he weighed 130 pounds; at the time of his release, had dwindled down to fifty-six. His sufferings were indescribable, and the horrors of that den and the remembrances of the cruelties enacted there will ever remain vividly impressed upon his mind as long as reason holds her sway. Upon his release at the termination of the war, he returned to Minooka and engaged as clerk in the dry goods and grocery store of R. Gardiner, where he continued until 1870. Then, for three years, he was associated in the hardware business with W. A. Worthing, after which the partnership dissolved by mutual consent; he then clerked again for R. Gardiner, continuing in his employ for two years, after which he was for two years and a half in copartnership with L. Smith in the grocery business; he then disposed of his interest to S. W. Smith, and remained with him as clerk until 1880, when he took charge of the books in the grain and elevator office of A. K. Knapp, and has since served in that capacity. September 14, 1869, he married Jennie Van Horn, who was born in Essex County, N. J., daughter of John and Maretha (Terhune) Van Horn; they have no children living. He is a member of Minooka Lodge, A., F. & A. M., Orient Chapter and Blaney Commandery. Additional Comments: Source: History of Grundy County, Illinois. (1882) Chicago: O.L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, p46-7 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/colleps284nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 2.9 Kb