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Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES:  BENTLEY, COREY,  HERRMAN, BENNETT, MILLS

Among the prominent and highly respected residents of San Jose is numbered Mrs. Amelia D. George, who is a native daughter of California and has spent her entire life in this state. She was born near San Rafael, November 29, 1859. Her father, H. M. Bentley, was born in the state of New York in 1811 and came to California by the Isthmus route, arriving in San Francisco in 1849, when the gold excitement was at its height. He married Miss Pauline Corey, who bore him five children, and in order to provide a livelihood for his family he engaged in farming and merchandising.

The daughter, Amelia D. Bentley, was reared and educated in Dixon, Solano County, Cal., and in 1880 was united in marriage to Edwin A. George, who was born in Michigan, October 25, 1852. In 1855, when he was but three years of age, his parents. William H. and Frances Harriet (Harden) George, crossed the plains to California. locating near Hamilton, where the father became interested in the stock business. Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. George took up their residence in San Benito County, Cal., where he followed the occupation of farming and also engaged in the stock business. Through the capable management of his interests he won a substantial measure of success and the esteem and good-will of all who knew him. He passed away on October 8, 1919, and in his demise the community lost a valued citizen, his associates a faithful friend and his family a devoted husband and father.

Mr. and Mrs. George became the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters: Frances H. is the wife of F. H. Herrman and they have four children; Herbert H. resides at Hollister, in San Benito County, he is married and has two sons; Walter H. is now married and is operating a ranch near Hollister; Hiram C. enlisted in the U. S. Army during the World War; Reuben L. is a veteran of the World War, in which he made a brilliant record serving overseas. He was a corporal in Company A, Fifty-ninth Infantry, Fourth Division, and received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action on September 20, 1918. After his platoon had became badly disorganized under heavy fire and all the sergeants had been killed or wounded, Corporal George took charge of the platoon, reorganized it with great courage and initiative and led it on in the attack against hostile machine guns. He was wounded shortly afterwards but remained throughout the night where he had fallen, refusing to be moved till all the other wounded had been cared for. This was the fourth engagement he participated in. Returning home after over two years' service, he now owns 640 acres of good grazing land in San Benito County, upon which he has proved up since his discharge from the service in 1919; Ernest, a well known rancher of Newman, Cal., is married and has two children; Ethel is the wife of George Bennett, of Oakland, Cal., and they have a daughter; Elinor married Charles Mills, who is also an ex-service man, having served in an ammunition train for fourteen months overseas.

Mrs. George has reared her family so that all have become useful members of society, early impressing upon their minds the value of truth and honor, and she may well feel pride in the result of her teaching. She is still the owner of the ranch in San Benito County, but since 1916 has made her residence at 435 South Second Street, in San Jose. Her life has been an unselfish one, devoted to the welfare and happiness of her family, and her many admirable traits of character have won for her the admiration and esteem of all with whom she has come in contact.

 from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1061
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