BIOGRAPHY: George F. McDONALD, M.D., Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 334-5
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GEORGE F. McDONALD, M. D., of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian descent, and a well- 
established physician of Gallitzin, is a son of John R. and Rebecca W. (Reed) 
McDonald, and was born in the celebrated Logstown bottom, Beaver county, 
Pennsylvania, August 14, 1855.
     The McDonalds trace their seventeenth century home to the celebrated 
highlands of Scotland, whose early history contains frequent mention of the 
family, numerous members of which were distinguished for strength, agility and 
bravery. They were of Covenanter faith and Covenanter courage.
     About the close of the last century, Rev. Andrew McDonald, a member of this 
family, came to Beaver county, where he was one of the pioneer Presbyterian 
ministers of his day, and the first pastor of Mt. Carmel church, which he served 
up to his death at the age of seventy years. He was a man of ability, piety and 
will-power, and his son, John R. McDonald, was born in the Logstown bottom, 
March 3, 1813, and died November 17, 1876.
     Mr. McDonald was a farmer and a man of reserved manner, but who was highly 
respected for his integrity and exemplary life. He served as an elder of Mt. 
Carmel church for over forty years, and during the late Civil War enlisted many 
soldiers for the Union army. Patriotic and philanthropic, his services were 
constantly in demand by his neighbors and fellow-citizens. He was a man of 
excellent personal habits, and never drank when liquor was common in the harvest 
field and at the sideboard.
     He married Rebecca W. Reed, who is a daughter of Henry Reed, who came with 
his parents from Ireland, and was among the early settlers of Beaver county, in 
which he died in 1863, aged sixty-nine years. Mrs. McDonald was born in 1815, 
resides at Beaver Falls, this State, and is quite active for her advanced age.
     Dr. George F. McDonald grew to years of maturity on his father's Beaver 
county farm, and after attending the common schools and Beaver Seminary, entered 
Wood Lawn academy, from which he was graduated in 1874. Leaving the academy he 
taught school for four years, and then took up the study of medicine. He read 
with Dr. James McCann, of Pittsburg, and entered the medical department of the 
Western Reserve university, at Cleveland, Ohio, from which he was graduated 
March 4, 1886. In the year of his graduation he opened an office at Monaco, 
Beaver county, where he practiced for two years in connection with conducting a 
drug store. At the end of that time, in 1888, he disposed of his practice and 
drug business, and came to Gallitzin where he has been engaged ever since in the 
successful practice of his chosen profession.
     In addition to his general practice, Dr. McDonald has been acting physician 
and surgeon for the Mitchell Coal & Coke company, for the last eight years. He 
has also a fine drug store. He has been for some time a member of the Cambria 
County Medical society, and is well up in his profession both theoretically and 
practically. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is also a prominent 
mason, being a member of Portage Lodge, No. 220, F. and A. M.
     On April 4, 1888, Dr. McDonald married Lydia J. McConnell, a daughter of J. 
F. McConnell, of Wilkinsburg, Allegheny county. Dr. and Mrs. McDonald have four 
children, two sons and two daughters: Earle W., George F., Katie R., and R. 
Eleanor.