George R. Mason Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 443-444

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HON. GEORGE R. MASON, one of the pioneer settlers of Burdett township, 
and ex-senator of Hand county, is a native of Wayne county, Michigan, 
and was born May 4, 1846. His present home is located on section 2, in 
Burdett township, near the town of Redfield, where he is engaged in 
general farming, and has been successful to a marked degree. 

The parents of our subject, Samuel and Mary (fate) Mason, were natives 
of Scotland and Pennsylvania respectively. The father emigrated to the 
United States when a child, and was a carpenter by trade. He died in 
Huron county, Michigan, in 1877, and the mother died in the same county 
and the same year. 

Our subject was one of six sons and received his education in his 
native state, afterward learning the trade of carriage maker, which he 
followed in Michigan for some years. He removed to Dakota and located 
on the southeast quarter of section 2, in Burdett township, in 1883, 
since which time he has engaged in farming and is also interested in 
stock raising. He has a well improved farm, comprising three quarter-
sections of land, and his home is one of comfort, surrounded by 
buildings of modern architecture and convenience. 

Our subject was married in 1878 to Miss Nellie E. Perry, a native of 
Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Mason are the parents of one daughter, Ida M., 
now Mrs. R. T. Bull, of Hand county. Mrs. Mason is a daughter of 
Seymore and Mary A. (Johnson) Perry, both natives of New York. Her 
grandfather, Edmund Perry, was a relative of Commodore Perry and 
operated a cotton mill in Rhode Island, and afterward moved to Michigan 
when there were but few settlers in that state, working his way from 
Detroit to Grand Blanc, Genesee county, where he cleared up a farm. He 
resided here until his death and the farm was then operated by Seymore 
Perry, Mrs. Mason's father, until his death occurred in that county. 
The mother resides there at present and the family of three sons and 
five daughters reside in Michigan, with the exception of one daughter 
in New York, and Mrs. Mason, the wife of our subject. 

The family of our subject are attendants of the Congregational church, 
and Mrs. Mason is a member of that denomination. Mr. Mason belongs to 
the Masonic fraternity, and is a charter member of Redfield Chapter. He 
was elected senator from Hand county, in 1890, and filled his office 
with credit, establishing the fact of his thorough knowledge of the 
needs of his community. He is a stanch Republican and assisted in 
organizing the party in Hand county, and has served on several county 
committees and has also filled various township offices of trust. The 
people of Hand county are proud of his record and hold him in the 
highest esteem.