George W. Kennedy
Garnavillo Twp.

George W. Kennedy, proprietor of the Garnavillo Creamery and Flouring Mill, was born in Sussex County, N.Y., Jan. 19, 1839. His parents were Amos and Catherine (Stillwell) Kennedy, natives of New Jersey. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and had a family of eleven children. George W. worked on his father's farm, attended school during the winter until he was twenty-one years old, and was married at that place to Rebecca J. Hibler, Dec. 20, 1868. She was a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Youngs) Hibbler. Soon after his marriage Mr. Kennedy opened a store of general merchandise at Dover, N.J.; from here he moved to Garnavillo, Clayton County, Ia., where he purchased his present mill. It has two sets of burrs, with his creamery, costing $1,500. In November, 1879, he adopted the new process of gathering cream and now has one of the most complete creameries in the country. It is one of the leading features of Garnavillo, and the first in the county. In 1881 they made 100,000 pounds of butter. It gives direct employment to eleven men and eight teams. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have a family of three children, viz.: Katy, Adam and Bessie. The mother died July 3, 1878, and is buried in the Garnavillo Cemetery. Mr. Kennedy is one of the enterprising representative men of Garnavillo, taking an active interest in anything that promises improvement to his town. He is a Mason and a member of Harmonia Lodge, No. 32, at Newton, N.J., and of A.O.U.W. Garnavillo Lodge. In politics he is a Republican.

source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 804