Manning, George Grant

The following data is extracted from History of Madison County, Indiana.

GEORGE GRANT MANNING. In the death of George Grant Manning, which occurred at his home Id the city of Anderson, August 8, 1908, there came to a close in its sixty-sixth year a life which contained a great aggregate of usefulness, of kindly relationship with family and community, and one that was successful from the usual material estimate. Mr. Manning gave many years of his life to educational work, and came to Anderson in 1895 as one of the proprietors of the Crystal Ice Company, with which his name continued to be identified until his death.

George Grant Manning was born in Shelby County, New York, December 28, 1842. He was the fourth son in a family of seven children, whose parents were William and Elizabeth Manning. His boyhood was spent on a farm, and he pursued the usual routine of farmer boys of half a century ago, attending the district school during the winter season, and working at home the other months of the year, and also doing much both morning and night in the way of chores and other assistance to the home. At the age of seventeen he entered Medina Academy. The following year in 1860, he accompanied his parents on their removal to DeKalb County, Illinois, and continued his education by attendance in the schools at Sycamore for one term, and was engaged to teach his first term in 1861. In 1862 he moved to Lyndon, in Whiteside County, where he was elected principal of the village schools at the age of twenty years. In 1866 Mr. Manning advanced his educational equipment by attendance at the Illinois State Normal School in Bloomington, from which institution he was graduated in 1869. He taught for some time in Fulton and in Jacksonville, Illinois.

In 1871 Mr. Manning married Miss Lucia Kingsley, who was a graduate of the Illinois State Normal School, and previous to her marriage had been a teacher in the model department of the State Normal Schools. After her marriage they moved to Peru, Indiana, Mr. Manning having been chosen superintendent of the city schools. For twenty-one years he had charge of the city schools of Peru, and his work as an educator and organizer was of the quality which lasts both in the minds and characters of the many generations of children who attended during that time, and also left a permanent impress on the school organization of that city. On leaving the work of education at Peru, Mr. Manning moved to Anderson, where he became president and manager of the Crystal Ice Company. In 1903 he erected the Manning Block on Meridian Street. He was als0 one of the stockholders in the Union building, and in the course of a lifetime of effort accumulated a good estate for the benefit of his family. Mr. Manning served as one of the trustees of the First Baptist church in Anderson. He was always much interested in the welfare of his home city, and whenever possible generously supported the movement for the community good. His genial, friendly disposition brought him many friends wherever he lived, but though he was fond of social life, he found his greatest pleasure in his home.

Mr. Manning is survived by Mrs. Manning and their four children, namely: Miss Lucia May Manning; Mrs. Grace E. M. Downing; Mrs. Edith M. Stein, and George K. Manning. There are also five grandchildren to be mentioned in the family record, their names being George Elliott Downing, Mary Elizabeth Downing, Lucia Grace Downing, Margaret Manning Stein and George King Manning.

Source: History of Madison County, Indiana

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