George Botsford, a farmer of Nineveh Township, was born April 27, 1853, son of George and Louisa (Parmerlee) Botsford. The father was a native of Connecticut, and was born September 8, 1804. He departed this life November 9, 1858. The mother, also a native of Connecticut, was born December 25, 1810, and died February 8, 1885. Our subject was reared on a farm in Johnson County. He received a good common school education, and at the age of twenty-one years he began the struggle of life for himself. He first accepted a clerkship with Dunlap Brothers at Franklin, where he remained a short time, and then began the carriage-making trade in 1874, serving an apprenticeship with A. N. Carnine, where be remained three years, with the exception of one winter, when he returned home to attend school. He then accepted a position as deputy sheriff, under James H. Pudney, where he remained four years. He then went to Bloomington, this state, where he conducted a photograph gallery for about six months, after which he traveled in the south and west about six months. He then returned to his home in Johnson County, where he was united in marriage with Gertrude Redman, on December 29, 1880. She is a daughter of George L. and Lina (Richardson) Redman, both natives of Kentucky, of Dutch descent. This union was blessed with the following children: Leonard J. (deceased), born October 12, 1881; Eliza, August 10, 1883; Elsa, February 22, 1888. The mother of these children was born June 25, 1859. She is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. In politics, Mr. Botsford is a democrat, casting his first presidential vote for Tilden and Hendricks. He now owns a nice home of eighty-eight acres, being the old homestead farm of his father. He and family are among the first families of Nineveh Township.