George Valentine Lacey

Submitted by: Leila Evett

George Valentine Lacey was born 31 October 1854 in Missouri. He was the son of Nathaniel Haggard Lacey and Margaret Ann Carr who were married 2 January 1844 in Union County, Kentucky. Margaret's parents were Samuel Walker Carr and Polly Hensley. Samuel Walker Carr operated a ferry across Tradewater Creek.

On 5 March 1852, Nathan and Margaret along with Nathan's brother Terry and wife Pollinea Lacey sold lands in Union County, Kentucky and moved to Missouri.

Margaret died a few days following George's birth. In 1855, his father married Mrs. Mary Jane Williams, widow of Thomas Williams and daughter of Evan A. Stewart and Nancy B. Jenkins.

In 1873, Nathan took his two sons by former marriage, George and Sam, and moved to Dallas, Texas. In September 1875, George returned on horeseback to Bolivar, Missouri to marry his childhood sweetheart, Nancy Catherine Stewart, the daughter of Joshua Stewart and Mary Stutzman.

The first year of George and Nancy's married life was lived in Dallas, Texas where their oldest son Nathaniel Joshua (named for his grandfathers) was born. When their second child, Samuel Mack was born in 1878, they were living on their own farm-ranch near Brownwood, Texas. Their other children Margaret, Edward, Lizzie Lou, George and May were also born there.

In April 1891, George and Nancy sold their land to his brother Sam and moved to Greer County, Texas (now Oklahoma) taking their children Josh, Sam, Maggie, Ed, George and May. Little Lou who had died at 35 months lay at rest in Indian Creek Cemetery alongside George's father Nathan Lacey.

George got a thorn in his cheek while clearning briars from their land in Greer County. The thorn was so near the eye, the doctors he saw advised to let it go. The Laceys lived in Greer County more than three years before they looked north for a better place to farm. On 30 November 1894, George made application for homestead on SE 1/4 of Section 21, Township 13 North, Range 21 West of the Indian Meridian in Roger Mills County. George and Nancy decided to leave Green County on 1 January 1895 and move to their new home.

Again the work of clearing land, digging wells, building fence, planting and plowing left little time for George to worry about the thorn in his cheek, but by 1898 the pain had become excruciating. An Indian Medicine Man came and lived with the family for several weeks treating his cheek with various poultices. To no avail the thorn had already done its dirty work and George died of cancer caused by the thorn 12 May 1899.

At the time of his death, George was survived by his widow, Nancy, six children; Josh, Sam, Maggie, Ed, George and May; one grandson Frank (son of Sam); a brother Sam of Brown county, Texas; a sister Rachel Stewart of Coke County, Texas; half brothers John E., Jack B. and Emmett; half-sister, Alice Yost; step-mother, Mary Jane Lacey; a niece Lee Stewart, daughter of his deceased sister Bell; step brother Silas Williams and step sister Betty Kepley and many nieces and nephews.

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