George F. Unland

Last week was reported the death of Mr. George F. Unland at the home of his son Edward in California. He passed away Saturday, March 13th at the age of 88 years, four months and 17 days.

Born at Hanover, Germany, he came to this country with his parents when a boy seven years of age. Beardstown, Illinois was his home place until grown to manhood. He married Phillipine Ludwig on March 15th, 1868. In 1872 they came to Arlington, where he has lived ever since, on the farm north west of town up till 1893, and since that time in Arlington.

Eleven sons were born to them, one of whom died in infancy. Seven of the surviving sons reside in California, one in Texas, and two, William F., and Herber L. at Arlington. Mrs. Unland died April 6th 1899. There are also two surviving brothers of Mr. Unland, Dr. W. G. Unland, of Berwyn, Illinois, and Henry Unland, of Delavan, Ill.

Mr. Unland enlisted in Company A, of the 114th Volunteer Regiment of Illinois, in 1862, at the age of 24. He was shot in action at the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, July 16th 1863, spent two weeks at Vicksburg, and was then sent to Hospital at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where he remained for six months. During his stay at Jefferson Barracks he had charge of two companies of Confederate prisoners. It is worthy of mention that when he was wounded the bullet went through his left arm and embedded itself in a New Testament he carried in an inner pocket, just over his heart, this probably saving his life, as the flesh of his body under the testament was bruised and discolored by the impact. This testament is still in possession of one of his sons, the leaves of the book showing even yet the indentation where the bullet entered sideways.

Mr. Unland was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for very many years, belonging to the present Church when he first came to live here, and afterwards, when the German speaking church was organized, he attended its first services which were held at the farm home of Mr. E. Elsner Sr., was one of its charter members, and his name was one of those to whom the property was transferred to when the property was transferred when they built their church building in town. In 1904 he transferred back to the mother church, his sons mostly having united with the English speaking body.

Two sons, Albert and Samuel, accompanied the body of their father from California here, arriving Thursday evening, and funeral services were held from the Methodist Church on Friday, March 19th. Those were conducted by his pastor, Rev. Frank Williams, who preached from the text, Psa. 73.24, “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory.” Rev. J. E. Aeschbacher, pastor of the Congregational Church, also took part in the services. The old hymns were sung by a quartette from the church choir. A very large crowd of old friends and neighbors, together with the few surviving comrades of the G.A.R., gathered for the services.

Interment followed in the Arlington Cemetery.