490
COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
GEO RGE DAN IE l. E D M O N D SO N . T he Kdmoncisoii fam ily had its origin in Den mark, but centuries ago the m aionty of them emigrated to England, where Large numbers bearing the name are now to be found. Although principally engage<l in agricultural pursuits, many o f (he name are to be found in the ranks o f artisans and artists, while an occasional member of the fam ily became prominent in the affairs o f that nation. In the records of the old fam ilies o f Britain the name o f lulmonson occurs frequently, and those interested in genealogical research will find much o f interest in tracing this and other fam ilies contemporaneous therewith. In the early i>arl of the seventeenth ccntur>* the founder of the American branch o f ihc Edmondson fam ily came to M rginia and set tled in the licautiful and historic Shenandoah valley, where now many o f his descendants hold positions o f honor. T he earliest of the line o f whom wc have record is W illiam H. Edmondson, a soldier of the Kevolutionar)* w ar, through which he served with distinction, retiring to the life o f a peaceful tiller of the .soil when the struggle of the Colonies had ended. He was a strong, energetic man, and exerted much influence in his locality. He died at the age o f seventy-one years, and svas buried Ite&ide others of the fam ily who had preceded him to the grave. H is fam ily consiste<l o f eight children: W illiam, Rod erick, Strother, (icoi^^e W ., San ford R., Rachel. Fannie and Jennie. H e was a Je ffe r sonian Democrat, ami a sup|>ortcr of the Methodist O nirch. San ford R . Kdmondson, the father of (ieorgc D ., was Imm in Middletown, *a., Sept. 17, and is still living at (he home place at the age o f eighty-live years. Ho w as a blacksmith, and followcfl the trade during his active years, which have hut re cently been complete<]. In 1851 he w as united in m arriage to Mar>* E . H uff. wIiotM? pareni> were Daniel and Sarah (W alters) H uff, and the children o f this union were eleven in numl»cr: (ieorgc D aniel; W illiam M., deceased: IftUa. also deceased; Sarah, who married Sam uel Gordon and now lives at Hagerstown, M d .; Charles E .. a merchant o f Middletown.
- a,: Edw ard (i. im I.^mucl I^.. deceased;
I L Reese, o f Danville, P a .: .Anna Maliel. w ife o f Clarence cnable. a <lniggist o f Front Royal, ’a .; and Jesse K ., ca^hicr of the Mutual L ife Insurance Com[>any at V ’ilmingN ton, Delaware. M r. Kdmondson is a Democrat an<l a mcml>er of the Methodist Church, o f which he
is a deacon. He has alw ays taken an active interest in the affairs of the section in whkh he lives and has attained de.servcd prominence and the respect o f his fellow citizens. George D. Edmondson was born in Middle town. *a., Ja n . 15. i8>3, and a fte r a brief attcn<lancc at pay schools and a private acad emy commenced (o lcam the blacksmith's trade with his father. H e mastered this occufiation at an early age and became a journey man at the age o f twenty. H e then went to W est Newton. Pa., where he remained a year, coming next to Danville, where he ojiened a shop on Hast M arket street and continued for a period o f twenty years. He soon began the manufacture o f wagons, and his thorough knowledge of the business and careful and conscientious work soon brought him a flourishing trade, so that he became known throughout a large section as an honest mianufacturer. H is products were readily sold and his business greatly increased until he had the largc.st patronage in his section. H is suc cess was not easily won, but required the ten acity o f puniose, tireless eiicigy and business acumen which have made him successful in all his various undertakings. A fte r conducting his m anufacturing busi ness fo r twenty years M r. F^mondson d is posed o f his interests and devoted hinxsclf entirely to the task o f writing life insurance, having fo r some time previous been partially engaged in that work. From that time fo r twenty years he represented Ihe M utual L ife Insurance Comjiany o f New Y o rk, being fo r eighteen years the district manager, with fo u r teen counties under his care* t ^ c t h c r with the numerous agents in the district. In 1903 he had the credit o f writing the largest amount o f insurance o f any agent in the United Stales. In iuo6 he w as selected to represent the Phibufclphia L ife Insurance Compain* in the same territory, and now m ain tains offices in lioth Philadelphia and D an ville. H is unbounded energy, his forceful icfsonality, and his complete and accurate cnowledgc of the insurance business, liavc placed him in the front rank o f managers, and lie has rc|>eatedly written more life insurance than any other agent in the country, winning many valuable prizes therefor. S o favorably is he known among the companies that his advice is frequently sought regarding new tKdicies and other matters jiertaining to the business. Notwithstanding M r, Edmondson's varicfl outside interests he has alw ays rcmaine<l loyal to Danville, where he has invested laige sums
