According to census reports, George Kleopfer was born in Indiana in 1850.
Soon after he was born, he and his parents settled in California for 8 or
9 years. At the age of 8 or 9, George and his family returned to Republican
Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, where they purchased a 160 acre farm.
He was the only one of ten children to remain unmarried. George was slightly
crippled (according to a story in the Madison Courier he "once grabbed a
gun that went off wrecking his hand".) He was remembered by his niece, Mary
Margaret Kleopfer Tevis, as a "little fellow who had a hand injury from a
gun - he took a girl to a neighbor party and on the way she caught her long
dress on top of the fence. This ended his dating days." George died in 1921
about one year before his mother died.
His obituary reads: " One of our worthy citizens of this vicinity, George
Kleopfer, almost 70 years of age, passed away at the home of his brother
William, on Saturday. Mr. Kleopfer was only sick a few weeks. He leaves to
mourn his loss an aged mother, Mrs. Mary Kleopfer, who is 94 years old, and
sisters, mesdames Sophia Eppley, Mary Trinkle, Lizzie Cleaver, Margaret Furnish,
and brothers, Messrs. Jacob Kleopfer, William Kleopfer, and Charles Kleopfer.
The funeral services were conducted at Zion M. E. Church on Monday at two
p.m. The family have the sympathy of the community in their bereavement."
At Zoar cemetery where George
is buried his tombstone reads as follows:
George Kleopfer
(born) December 16, 1850
(died) February 5,
1921