George H. Blanchard ^{1 2 3}

   Cause of his death was Sunstroke.²

  General Notes:

George lost an eye as a young boy. The family legend states the he and a couple of other young boys were playing with a cannon which blew up in young George's face. After George was treated medically, all the neighborhood women gathered together and pushed the cannon down the street to an old well. Many years later though, the city was digging up the area for a new viaduct, all the Blanchard relatives scrambled to see this cannon be dug up. However, it was never found. The old-timer Blanchard relatives swore up and down that the story was true!

George grew up to be a teacher at the Seminary in Albion, Iowa where he met and fell in love with Jessie. After their marriage they lived briefly in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa where he was a bookkeeper. They then farmed a few years in Ida Grove, Iowa. Soon, they decided to try to homestead in Nebraska so they traded in their good bedroom furniture to Jessie 's father (Thomas Swearingen) in exchange for a team of horses. They settled a few miles south of Raleigh in Antelope, Nebraska where they obtained the usual 160 acres plus another 80 acres they called "the timber 80". They stayed on for the five years necessary to obtain the title for the land. But, because they lost three crops out of five, they sold the land and returned to Albion, Iowa. In Albion, George edited a small newspaper called, "The Plow and Pen". This Blanchard home was on the street running along the north side of the main park in Albion. This very home was reputed to be the home of Jesse James the outlaw for a brief period!

George and Jessie separated form one another about 1892 and eventually divorced. Divorce was practically unheard of in those days. Little was known about George after that period in time other than that he left his family to "find fame and fortune" in Texas and Nebraska. Apparently he did return to Marshalltown shortly before his death to try to make contact with his oldest son, Frank Blanchard. It was the first time he had seen his son in over 18 years! We will likely never learn the "full story" of what led our George astray. He died of sunstroke at the age of 58.

Source: Ancestry.com/RootsWeb.com Database: My Ancestors (Jill Bennett )
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Bookkeeper. ²

• He worked as a Delivery man. ²

• He worked as an Editor. ²

• He worked as a Teacher. ²

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Blaine Township, Ida, IA on 4 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 73A, District 136, Dwelling 1, Family 2, Roll 0345
Blaine Township, Ida County, Iowa
George Blanchard..Self..28..NY..Farmer
(Living with wife and daughter at his parents' house.)
.

George married Jessie Benton Swearingen, daughter of Thomas John Swearingen and Amanda Elizabeth Dunlap, on 3 July 1879 in , Marshall County, IA.^{1 2 3} The marriage ended in divorce. (Jessie Benton Swearingen was born on 17 July 1856 in Albion, IA ^{1 2 3} and died in April 1950 in Marshalltown, IA ².)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Blaine Township, Ida, IA on 4 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 73A, District 136, Dwelling 1, Family 2, Roll 0345
Blaine Township, Ida County, Iowa
George Blanchard..Self..28..NY..Farmer
Jessie Blanchard..Wife..23..IA..Keeping House
Gertie Blanchard..Dau..1m..IA..Apr
.

• Divorced: Abt 1892.