By Muriel Bristol | December 3, 2023
George Edward Jordan was born in Milton, July 30, 1876, son of George I. and Elizabeth A. “Lizzie” (Downs) Jordan.
George Jordan, a picker stick maker, aged sixty-four years (b. ME), headed a Milton household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of thirty-eight years), Lizzie [(Downs)] Jordan, aged sixty years (b. NH), and his son, G. Edward Jordan, a picker stick maker, aged twenty-four years (b. NH). George Jordan owned their house, free-and-clear. Lizzie Jordan was the mother of five children, of whom three were still living. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of William Ramsdell, a shoe edge setter, aged thirty-nine years (b. ME), and Fred M. Chamberlain, a hotel keeper, aged forty-two years (b. NH).
[Picker stick: a wooden lever that transmits the crank action of a loom motion into the thrust which drives the shuttle across the loom (Merriam-Webster, 2023)].
MILTON. George I. Jordan is quite sick (Farmington News, June 7, 1901).
Mother Elizabeth A. (Downs) Jordan died of chronic gastritis in Milton, October 13, 1904, aged sixty-three years, nine months, and sixteen days. She had resided in Milton for forty years, i.e., circa 1864, with her previous residence having been in Wolfeboro, NH. M.A.H. Hart, M.D., signed the death certificate. (Undertaker A.A. Fox of Milton Mills made the funeral arrangements).
LOCAL. Mrs. George I. Jordan of Milton has passed away, after a long and trying sickness, aged 63 years, 9 months, 16 day[s]. Mrs. Jordan was Elizabeth Downs and is the fifth of the family to die within a few years. She leaves a husband, two sons and one daughter, Dr. Frank Jordan of Fryeburg, Me., G. Ed. Jordan and Mrs. Elmer E. Ramsdell of this place. The funeral was held Saturday, Rev. C.B. Osborne officiating (Farmington News, October 28, 1904).
The Fraternal Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of Farmington, NH, conferred the Master Mason degree upon George E. Jordan and Fred S. Hartford, both of Milton, in 1905.
CHIP’S CONTRIBUTION. A special meeting of Fraternal Lodge, A.F. and A.M., was held Saturday evening for the purpose of conferring the Master Mason’s degree on candidates George E. Jordan and Fred S. Hartford. Arthur B. Jefferson, D.D.G.M., Nashua, and Charles L Wentworth, D.D.L.G., of Rochester were present to witness the work and complimented the officers in pleasing terms for the way in which the degrees were conferred and the manner in which the affairs of the lodge were conducted. Visitors from out of town were Dr. C.G. Rogers, C.H. Brigham, Union; Hazen Plummer, Fred B. Roberts, James H. Willey, Hazen W. Downs, George I. Jordan, S. Lyman Hayes, Charles A. Horn, Joseph D. Willey, Milton; George L. Young, George W. Pendexter, Eugene C. Howard, Rochester. At the close off work all repaired to the banquet hall in Odd Fellows hall where an oyster supper was in readiness, and an hour was happily spent, when all returned home well pleased with the entertainment of the evening (Farmington News, March 3, 1905).
George E. Jordan was assistant marshal of a parade held in Milton by the “Red Men” fraternal organization, in May 1908.
MILTON. The Madokowando Tribe, I.O.R.M., with neighboring tribes of Farmington, Ossipee and Conway, held their district meeting here Friday night, in a very elaborate manner. The program consisted of a street parade which surpassed in brilliancy anything of the kind ever seen before in Milton. Most of those in the parade either carried red torches or Roman candle, the light of which shone upon the gilt of the uniforms with gorgeous effect. Many of the houses and business block occupied by Red Men displayed decorations of-bunting, Japanese lanterns, red torches, etc. And several rockets whizzed up over the parade as it passed on its way. The marshal of the parade was William T. Wallace, with the Farmington drum corps escorting. G.E. Jordan was assistant marshal. At the hall a short reception was held, after which the adoption degree was conferred on two pale faces by the degree staffs of Chocorua tribe and the local tribe. The committee of arrangements were W.T. Wallace, Fred B. Roberts and Charles A. Gilmore; committee on decorations and parade, Fred B. Roberts, W.T. Wallace and George E. Jordan; supper committee, A.O. Leighton, H.D. Corson, A.J. Cate, H.W. Dore, J.A. Downs and W.T. Wallace (Sanford Journal-Tribune (Biddeford, ME), May 29, 1908).
Father George I. Jordan was a promoter of the Milton soldier and sailor’s monument, which was unveiled in September 1908. He was himself a veteran of the American Civil War.
MILTON’S MONUMENT. Last Saturday was a gala day in the history of the town of Milton and the people of that place made the afternoon and evening a holiday by closing the mills, shops and places of business at noon on account of the unveiling and dedication of the beautiful granite soldiers’ monument, which has just been erected on the small park on South Main street, in honor of the dead soldiers and sailors who went to the battle grounds from the good old town of Milton. The monument, which stands 22 feet high from the base, is made of fine granite and was bought and given to the town by subscriptions raised in the last three years by the hustling townsman and member of the Grand Army, George I. Jordan, and to him is due a good deal of credit for his hard labors and the fine memorial that has been erected. It is one that will be a pride to the generations to come. The monument was designed by Mr. Jordan and everything about it is up to date. The cost was about 2000. The exercises of dedication and unveiling were attended by about 2000 people, a large number of them coming from out of town, among them being some of the noted Grand Army men of the state. The pleasant weather also brought out a large crowd of Milton people. The service was in charge of Eli Wentworth post, No. 89, G.A.R. Tho guests of post and town arrived on the noon train and were met at the depot by a committee from the Grand Army and escorted to A.O.U.W. hall, which was the headquarters of the day and where the guests were entertained. At noon a fine banquet was served by the Woman’s Relief corps. The ball and banquet room were decorated with the national colors and American flags. The exercises were held in the park and in the church, as it was too cold to hold them out of doors. Long before the hour of the parade, the people began to gather on the sidewalks the whole length of Main street to watch as the procession marched through the streets on the way to the monument to attend the exercises. The route of the procession was up Main street to the Boston and Maine depot, where a countermarch was made and then the march was down Main street to the monument. The exercises at the monument were short, on account of the weather, and all exercises p0ssible were held in the church. The president of the day was Prof. Clarence E. Kelley, principal of Nute high school. His opening remarks at the monument were very appropriate to the occasion. The monument was unveiled by little Miss Doris Ransdall, 4 years old, the great granddaughter of Mr. Jordan. It was then turned over to the members of Eli Wentworth post, G.A.R., by the president of the day, after which it was presented to the selectmen of the town of Milton by commander C.S. Wentworth. After the services at the church, which ended about 4 o’clock, the procession was re-formed in the same order as it marched down, and returned to A.O.U.W. hall, where the guests were entertained until the time of the departing trains. Those present from Farmington were Freeman Jones, Dennis Ring, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bennett, Ned L. Parker, Flora Hanson, Mrs. W.M. Sanders (Farmington News, November 13, 1908).
G.E. Jordan of Milton registered his 20-horsepower REO automobile in 1910. (See Milton Automobiles in 1909-10).
George I. Jordan, own income, aged seventy-three years (b. ME), headed a Milton (“Milton 3-Ponds”) household at the time of the Thirteenth (1910) Federal Census. His household included his son, George E. Jordan, a shoe cutter, aged thirty-four years (b. NH). George I. Jordan owned their house, free-and-clear. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Eunice Hayes, a widow, aged seventy-one years (b. ME), and Daniel Tucker, an odd jobs laborer, aged forty years (b. MA).
Father George I. Jordan died of pulmonary edema in Milton, September 2, 1915, aged seventy-nine years, three months, and seventeen days. He had resided in Milton for fifty years, i.e., since circa 1865, with his previous residence having been in Wolfeboro, NH. M.A.H. Hart, M.D., signed the death certificate. (Undertaker Charles D. Fox of Milton Mills made the funeral arrangements).
The Milton Selectmen of 1916 were Forrest L. Marsh, Fred B. Roberts, and George E. Jordan.
SOUTH PORTLAND. Dr. and Mrs. Frank H. Jordan are entertaining Dr. Jordan’s brother, George E. Jordan, and Mrs. Waycott of Milton, N.H. (Portland Evening Express, June 27, 1917).
(George E. Jordan would marry his fellow houseguest, Mrs. [Sarah (Brown)] Waycott, late in the following year).
Future father-in-law Charles W. Brown died in Tewksbury, MA, in September 1917.
DEATHS. BROWN. In Tewksbury, Sept. 24, Charles W. Brown, formerly of Lynn, 67 yrs. 8 mos. (Daily Item (Lynn, MA), September 24, 1917).
George Edward Jordan registered for the WW I military draft in Milton, September 12, 1918. He was the self-employed owner of an auto livery, aged forty-two years (b. Milton, July 30, 1876). He was of a medium height, medium build, with gray eyes and black hair. His nearest relative was Frank H. Jordan of Allentown, PA.
George E. Jordan married in Rochester, NH, December 5, 1918, Sarah Emeline (Brown) Waycott, both of Milton. He was a shoe cutter, aged forty-two years, and she was a housekeeper, aged forty-two years. Rev. Frank S. Hartley performed the ceremony. She was born in Lynn, MA, September 22, 1876, daughter of Charles W. and Mary A. (Logue) Brown. (She was divorced from her first husband, Walter H. Waycott).
Milton sent George E. Jordan to Concord, NH, as its NH State Representative, for the 1919-20 biennium.
George E. Jordan, public auto owner, aged forty-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Sarah E. [((Brown) Waycott)] Jordan, aged forty-three years (b. MA). George E. Jordan owned their house on Upper Main Street in Milton Village, free-and-clear. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Charles L. Burke, a barber (owner), aged thirty-seven years (b. NH), and George F. Downs, a meat market owner, aged sixty-three years (b. NH).
Mother-in-law Mary A. (Logue) Brown died in Lynn, MA, in March 1927.
George E. Jordan, a retail merchant (filling station), aged fifty-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Fifteenth (1930) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of eleven years), Sarah E. [((Brown) Waycott)] Jordan, aged fifty-three years (b. MA). George E. Jordan owned their house on North Main Street, which was valued at $3,000. They had a radio set. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Clarence Drew, an odd jobs laborer, aged forty-five years (b. NH), and James A. Piper, an odd jobs carpenter, aged seventy-two years (b. ME).
Piscataqua Council, No. 42, Degree of Pocahantas, held its regular meeting at the former Mason hall in Portsmouth, NH, in April 1931. On this occasion there was a large gathering of past officers. Mrs. Sarah Jordan of Milton was mentioned as a Past Grand Pocahontas.
Many past grand chiefs were in attendance, among them Past Great Pocahontas Sarah Jordan of Milton, the “mother” of Piscataqua Council. (Portsmouth Herald, April 21, 1931).
George E. Jordan of Milton discovered a fatal car crash in July 1938. (See Milton in the News – 1938).
George E. Jordan, a storekeeper (general store), aged sixty-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Sixteenth (1940) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Sarah [((Brown) Waycott)] Jordan, aged sixty-three years (b. MA)., and his boarder, Lloyd B. Hudson, aged eighteen years (b. NH). George E. Jordan owned their house in the Milton Community, which was valued at $1,500. They had resided in the same house in 1935. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Arthur H. Greene, retired, aged seventy-seven years (b. Canada), and Sarah A. Piper, a boarding house hostess, aged seventy years (b. NH).
George Jordan, William A. Dickson, S. Lyman Hayes, and Joseph E. Willey, all of Milton, were among the out-of-town members that received 25-year and 50-year honor medals presented by the Fraternal Lodge, A.F. & A.M., at the Mason’s hall in Farmington, MA, April 14, 1941 (Farmington News, April 18, 1941).
Lady Governess Sarah Jordan of Milton helped install new officers of the ladies auxiliary of the I.O.O.F. in October 1941.
Odd Ladies’ Officers Installed. Lady Governess Sarah Jordan of Milton and Governess Conductor Helen Piper, Milton, installed officers of Star lodge No. 2, United Order of Independent Odd Ladies Monday evening in GAR hall (Portsmouth Herald, October 15, 1941).
The Milton Selectmen of 1943 were George E. Jordan, Leroy J. Ford, and Arthur M. Flye.
George E. Jordan, a service station manager (retail gas & oil station), aged seventy-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Seventeenth (1950) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Sarah E. [((Brown) Waycott)] Jordan, aged seventy-three years (b. MA). They resided in the “6th house on left [south side]” of “State Highway No. 16.” Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Leroy E. Whitnall, aged forty-nine years (b. OH), and Alfred E. Braman, a hotel manager, aged fifty-eight years (b. Canada).
News of South Portland. Madockawando Tribe, IORM, will meet at 8 p.m. tomorrow. More than 100 attended the 50th anniversary party, special guests being Charles Piper, George E. Jordan, Milton, N.H. Fifty-year certificates were presented to William S. Jordan and Gilman Willard, and past sachem’s jewels to Herbert Green, Clarence Spiller, and Calvin Upton. The group will work the adoption degree on two candidates, June 3 (Portland Evening Express, May 26, 1955).
LOCAL LINES. Scheduled to receive 50-year pins at the meeting of the Fraternal Lodge, No. 71, [A.]F. and A.M. last night were Carl S. Thomas, former publisher of the News and George E. Jordan of Milton. Leslie F. Munch, grand master for the state, was on hand to make the presentation (Farmington News, November 3, 1955).
George E. Jordan died of coronary thrombosis at the Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro, NH, February 26, 1961, aged eighty-four years. He was a gas station operator. Ralph Adams, M.D., signed the death certificate.
George E. Jordan Succumbs at 84. Funeral services for George E. Jordan, 84, were held Wednesday at the Milton Community Church with Rev. Bradley Lines, pastor, officiating. Mr. Jordan was a lifelong resident of Milton and a retired gas station proprietor. He served in the NH General Court in 1919, was a former Milton fire chief, a member of the police force and held various town offices. Mr. Jordan was affiliated with following orders: a 50-year member of the Fraternal Order, No. [71], OES of Farmington; a life member of Madkandondo Order of Red Men of Milton; Bektash Temple of Concord; Scottish Rite Bodies, Valley of Portsmouth and Dover, N.H. Consistory and a 32nd Degree Mason. He was also a member of the Rochester Shrine Club and the Cocheco Valley Sportsmen’s Association. Members of the family include his wife, Mrs. Sarah Brown Jordan, a stepdaughter, Mrs. Gretchen Adams of Milton and two grandchildren. The Peaselee Funeral Home of Union was in charge of arrangements (Farmington News, March 2, 1961).
PROBATE COURT. George Jordan, Milton. Account allowed, receipt filed (Farmington News, May 17, 1962).
Sarah E. ((Brown) Waycott) Jordan died of a heart blockage in Milton, June 27, 1967, aged ninety-two years. She was a housewife. Gerard G. Bozuwa, M.D., signed the death certificate.
References:
Find a Grave. (2011, March 24). Charles W. Brown. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/67382089/charles-w-brown
Find a Grave. (2021, November 8). George E. Jordan. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/233840962/george-e-jordan
Find a Grave. (2009, November 26). George Ivory Jordan. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/44820080/george-ivory-jordan
Milton Observer 