George Francis Conner was born February 16, 1892 in Wilmington, Delaware. George was the first born of seven children of William Ridgeway Conner and Carrie May Rutter. Little is known of George's boyhood years in Wilmington. His father William worked as a Conductor and later assistant Yardmaster for the Railroad in Wilmington. His mother Carrie was busy raising their growing family. After George came; Walter (stillborn in 1894), Ira (1895), Ellis (1897), Leila (1899), Oliver (1900) and Raymond (1901). In 1896 we find an entry in the Wilmington City Directory for William & Carrie Conner living at 912 Linden Street. Later the 1900 Census shows they are still at that address and it is noted they are renters, not owners of the home. In the household at that time we find William, Carrie and children; George, Ira, Ellis and Leila along with a cousin Carrie Merrick.
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| Wilmington, Delaware during the 1890's |
Sometime between mid 1900 and 1903 the Conner family left Wilmington and moved to Coatesville, PA. By this time Oliver and Raymond were born, so the family consisted of William, Carrie and their six children.
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| Coatesville, PA during the early 1900's |
On January 17, 1903, William Ridgeway Conner died at his home at 255 South 1st Ave. in Coatesville, at age 34. His death certificate states he died of Eerysipelas after being ill for three days. Today we know this as an acute streptococcus bacterial infection, which would have been treated with antibiotics. He left his wife Carrie with 6 children, ages ranging from 12 to 1 year old.
After William died the family was very poor. Carrie had to find work and was not able to keep all the children with her. Ira was sent to live with a farmer in Honey Brook and Ellis went to live with other family members. Leila and Oliver were put into orphanages. George and Raymond stayed with her. George attended the public schools of Coatesville. At age 12, George went to work at nearby Lukens Steel Company in Coatesville, while still attending school.
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| Lukens Steel Company, Coatesville, PA |
George lost the little finger on his left hand while working at the Steel Mill. In the photo below, taken when George was 12 years old, you can see he is wearing a glove on his hand to protect the wound.
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According to family records, Reverend Henry Hess of Olivet United Methodist Church in Coatesville was influential in young George's decision to become a Methodist at age 16, and at this time he began studying in night school. His mother Carrie Rutter Conner remarried in October 1907, to a man named Alvah Clare Davie who had a farm in Howard, NY. Carrie brought all the children together to live on the farm. Carrie would have two children by Alvah; the first, Pennel was stillborn in 1909 and the second, Willard was born in 1910. George was listed in this census as working in a Boiler Works, which was right before he began studies for the Ministry. George entered Dickinson Seminary, Williamsport PA, in 1911 where he studied for three years.
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| Dickinson Seminary, Williamsport, PA |
In September 1912, as a student Minister, George was sent to Sullivan County to assist the Circuit-Rider Methodist Minister in the Laporte area churches which included Eagles Mere, Nordmont and Laporte. He gave the Baccalaureate sermon at Eagles Mere High School in June, 1913.
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| George Conner in front of Cherry Grove Chapel, Nordmont, PA. |
George boarded at the home of T. J. Keeler in Laporte. It was here he met his future wife Olive, who was the daughter of T. J. and Mary Ellen Keeler. On December 4, 1913 at Howard, New York, George F. Conner and Olive E. Keeler were married. Olive recounted a memory to her daughter Winifred from this time ~ She told Winifred that "Daddy" rode his Sullivan County circuit on an Indian Motorcycle and that one day while riding down the mountain after leaving Cherry Grove Chapel in Nordmont, the brakes failed and he went careening down the steep road. He managed to ride the cycle up a slope on the hillside and jump off. Olive told Winifred; "None of you children would be here if Daddy hadn't jumped!"
In 1914 George Conner served the Buena Vista circuit in New York and the Allegheny Circuit in Pennsylvania. In 1915 he was assigned to Picture Rocks United Methodist Church in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, where he was given a salary of $600.00 a year. Below is a photo that was taken in 1915 when George and Olive Conner went to Laporte to visit Olive's parents, Mary Ellen and Thomas Jackson Keeler. Thomas J. Keeler is holding Herman Conner. Olive was "expecting" Winifred, who would be born later that year.
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George F. Conner's first official charge was at Coventryville Methodist Church in 1916.
He was ordained to the ministry by the Philadelphia General Conference the following year in 1917 and at that time entered Franklin and Marshall College to continue his studies. Here is a photo of George at that time of his life, taken at Richland, PA. in 1917.
During this time he gave a sermon on "Americanism" at the Patriotic Sons of America meeting in St. Peters, Chester County. Upon completion of his higher education, George was a graduate of Dickinson College, Franklin and Marshall Theological Seminary. After his graduation the Methodist Conference selected George for a rural assignment known as the Safe Harbor Circuit in Lancaster County. It was composed of the following Churches; Safe Harbor, Conestoga, Colemanville and Marticville. Here is a photo of a young George and Olive during that time. Note that on the photo, Olive affectionately referred to her husband as "Georgie".
During this time the Conners lived in Conestoga, Lancaster County. The family would stay here until 1921 and by this time were blessed with five children; Herman (Cy) born 1914 in Laporte - Sullivan Co., Winifred born 1915 in Laporte - Sullivan Co., Grace born 1917 in Nantmeal Village - Chester Co., Richard born 1918 in Conestoga - Lancaster Co. and Yvonne born 1920 in Conestoga - Lancaster Co. (Yvonne lived only two weeks). Here is a photo of the parsonage the Conner family lived in from 1918-1921. This house stood across the street from the Safe Harbor Methodist Church on River Road in Conestoga, Lancaster County.
In addition to his duties as a circuit rider minister, serving the four rural churches, George Conner gave a few special addresses in Lancaster County. In 1919 he preached a sermon titled "Christ Inside" for the Methodist Brotherhood at First M.E. church in Lancaster. In 1920 he preached a sermon "In Memorial" at a dedication of a Civil War monument in Conestoga, and gave a sermon "Real Men" to a group known as the IORM (Real Order of Real Men). Below is a photo of the Conner children (Herman, Winifred, Grace and Richard) at Conestoga, Lancaster County in 1919.
In 1921 the Methodist Conference sent Rev. George Conner to be Pastor of West Grove United Methodist Church in West Grove, Chester County.
It was here that George and Olive's last child would be born in 1921- a daughter Caroline (Tootie). In addition to his Pastoral duties, Rev. Conner gave three special addresses in 1921. He gave the Baccalaureate sermon at West Grove High School, a sermon on disarmament at the Roselyn Theater and a sermon on the third anniversary of Armistice Day at the High School. Below is a photo of a page from George Conner's Pastor Record Book, noting these sermons ~
His daughter Winifred recalled the night the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in the field across from the parsonage. This was to let Rev. Conner know they disapproved of his views on religion and the fact that he would seek out occasions to interact with Priests and Rabbis. George Conner was also a deputy sheriff while living in West Grove and kept a gun locked up in his study. Here is a photo of the five Conner children sitting on the steps of the West Grove parsonage in 1923.
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| Cy, Richard, Caroline, Grace, Winifred |
In 1925 Rev. George F. Conner became Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pottstown, Montgomery County, PA. The Church and parsonage were on the main street in the center of town.
It was during Rev. Conner's six years at First Methodist that a new Sunday School building was erected behind the church. The $40,000 building with Sunday school rooms on the first floor had a large recreation room and Social Hall in the basement. The building had a seating capacity of 600 and was dedicated by Bishop Joseph F. Berry.
Later pastors and officials of the church said it was due to his leadership and inspiration that the building was completed. Winifred Conner Zwicker recounted a vivid memory from the Pottstown years; "The janitor of the church lived in a house behind the church. I used to play with his daughter and one day she showed me something in their closet. It was her father's Klansman costume, a white pointed hat and robe. One evening the Ku Klux Klan was having a march down High St. in Pottstown. As the group marched past the parsonage in their white robes, a man with a limp marched along. George Conner was standing on the porch of the parsonage and yelled out for all to hear: "Hi ya Jake!" Jake was the church janitor and of course Daddy knew him by his limp". Another memory Winifred had from Pottstown was of her mother Olive waiting for George to come home to perform a funeral at the Pottstown Church. George Conner had been taking flying lessons at Limerick and was flying to Philadelphia and back that day. Grandmother was beside herself thinking he was not going to get back in time. But he returned at the last minute, threw on his robes, combed his hair and performed the funeral. When George left for his next charge in 1930, he was 38, Olive was 35 and the children were ages 15, 14, 12, 11 and 8. His yearly salary when he left Pottstown was $3,250.00.
In October, 1930 the Conner family moved to 311 Chester Pike in Norwood, Delaware County, PA. George Francis Conner took his first assignment in Delaware County as Pastor of the Norwood Methodist Church. The parsonage was located just to the right of the Church. Here is a photo of the Conner family in 1931.
Three of the Conner children would graduate from Glen-Nor High School during the Norwood years; Cy and Winifred in 1933, Grace in 1934. George Conner gave the Baccalaureate Sermon at Glen-Nor in 1933 which he titled; Vincit Qui Se Vincit ~ He conquers who overcomes himself.
It was during the five years he lived in the borough of Norwood that George Francis Conner served as Chaplain the the House of Representatives at Harrisburg, PA. His duties included performing ceremonial, symbolic and pastoral duties, opening sessions with a prayer and serving as spiritual counselor to Members, their families and staff. Duties also included coordination of religious studies, discussion sessions and prayer meetings for Members and officiating at weddings and funerals of Members of the House of Representatives. Below is the header of a piece of stationery that Olive Conner saved from that time ~
The next ministerial assignment would take the Conner family to live in a major city for the first time. In 1935 Rev. George F. Conner was assigned as pastor of the Berry-Long Memorial Church at 58th & Springfield Ave. in southwest Philadelphia. By this time Winifred was studying for her RN at Women's Medical College and was a resident in the dormitory there, so she did not move into the Berry-Long Parsonage with the family. Below we see a photo of Olive and George standing outside Berry-Long during those years.
1937 would bring more changes for the Conner family, as the three oldest children of George and Olive would marry; Winifred and Edward C. Zwicker in April, Cy and Ruth Weidman in June, Grace and Franklin Boudwin in October. Reverend Conner's salary upon leaving this assignment was $3800.00 a year.
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| Rev. George F. Conner in Berry Long Memorial Methodist Church In 1939 Rev. Conner accepted the assignment as Pastor of Sellers Memorial Methodist Church in Upper Darby, Delaware County. This Church was also referred to as Bywood, which was the name for that neighborhood. The parsonage was on Sellers Ave. behind the Church, while the Church faced State Road. George and Olive moved in here with their son Richard and daughter Tootie. Here is a photo from 1939 of George Conner, daughter Winifred, grandson Edward and mother Carrie. 
Dick would enter the Navy and marry Andrea Flock in 1940, so he would only live here a short time. While serving the Bywood community, George became a charter member of the "Upper Darby Optimist Club". Below is a photo of the Conner family in October 1940 on the grounds of Sellers Memorial Church.
 George and Olive took an extended trip to Nova Scotia during the summer of 1941. They travelled by automobile from Upper Darby to their destination. In a letter sent home to the five children, Olive described their adventure as the experience of a lifetime. She described the Halifax Harbor, Lunnenburg, the "Ovens" which were caves washed out of the cliffs by the sea, New Brunswick, fishing for tuna and watching the fishing schooners come in from the Grand Banks. Below are two photos, one of Olive & George on a boat outing and the second of George and his catch of a giant tuna! 
A lover of the water and of ships, George was an ardent yachtsman and owned a number of cabin cruisers, including a 35 foot boat, The Caroline, named for his youngest daughter. Other boats he owned included The Anthea, The Polly and The GeoCyDick. A remembrance of George Conner from a grandson; "Grandfather kept his boat at the Essington Yacht Yard on the Delaware River. One day when his grandson Ed Zwicker was about nine or ten, he took Eddie with him to do some repairs. While Grandfather was busy, Eddie cut himself on one of the tools. Apparently there was no antiseptic on board because Ed vividly remembers, to this day, Grandfather holding his hand over the boat rail and pouring turpentine into the wound."
He kept a ship's log during the years 1942 through 1948 which was an account of trips taken while on board The Mokoma, named for Lake Mokoma in Laporte, PA. The log recounts locations visited along the Delmarva coast and Upper Chesapeake Bay area. It tells of swimming adventures, meals prepared on board, weather conditions, fishing & crabbing excursions, sermons given on ship and the enjoyment of being with family and friends. One entry from August, 1944 tells of an evening with George and Olive along with their close friends from Berry-Long Memorial Methodist Church, Charles and Trudy Blose. Charles was the church organist and Minister of Music. His wife Trudy was choir director. The Ship's log entry reads; "Arrive Georgetown, Maryland. Met Olive and Trudy who drove down by auto, arriving at 16:15. Selected mooring near swimming hole about 1/4 mile from pier. A beautiful site in Georgetown Harbor among yachts, sailboats etc. Settled ourselves on board and had dinner on boat. After a quiet evening, admiring the spot and the beautiful heavens when the stars came out, we were led in our devotions by the 'Skipper'. About 24:00 retired for night - Skipper and mate in the cabin and the girls on the rear deck." Below are photos of George F. Conner at the helm.
 
During these years George Conner served during World War II with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Reserve as a Chief Boatswain's Mate and was discharged at the end of the war as an Ensign. By 1948 he was Commander of the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla No. 22 which met each month at the U.S. Naval Reserve Base at Eddystone in Delaware County, PA. Below Commander George F. Conner appears in his uniform.
A member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary who served with Commander Conner eulogized him thus: "If there ever was a skipper who had the unusual ability to send his craft hurtling through a crowded anchorage and still not leave a disturbing wash, that man was our beloved chaplain, the late Reverend George F. Conner. I am sure that I speak for every man-jack in the outfit with these simple words, "So long Doc . . . we'll see you later, when The Admiral calls the Big Rendezvous."
The year 1942 brought Rev. George Conner back to Philadelphia. Berry-Long Memorial Methodist Church requested he return to them as pastor. Below is a piece of stationery that Olive Conner saved from that time ~
 
Over the course of his life George Conner would spend many happy days with his family in Laporte, PA., birthplace of his wife, Olive Keeler Conner. The family would always go down to Lake Mokoma, right outside of town, for swimming and fishing. Here are two photos of George Conner, the first with his grandson Edward in 1938 and the second with grandsons George and Robert in 1946.
 
When the family gathered in Laporte they would stay at Hy-Top, a house which had been built by Olive's father. Here is a photo of George Conner tarring the roof of Hy-Top in 1946.
Reverend George F. Conner would preside over Berry-Long Methodist Church until May, 1948. At this point in his life George F. Conner was a member of the Mt. Moriah Lodge and the Blue Lodge, Fraternal Order of Masons.
 A rather unusual honor he would receive during these years was to have a flower named for him. The George F. Conner Iris was "born" in Collingdale where his daughter Grace and husband Bud lived. Grace and Bud had a neighbor and dear friend named Bob Grenfell. He was known as Reds to his friends. Reds had greenhouses and loved to experiment with Irises. He grafted two species together to create a new color and in Aunt Grace's honor, named it after her father. Here are some descendants of that very Iris, blooming in Oreland, PA., over seventy years later. 
In June 1948, Reverend George F. Conner would accept his final assignment. George, Olive and their daughter Tootie moved to Chester where he became pastor of Trinity Methodist Church at Eighth & Butler St. George Conner was always an active personage in the various communities he was assigned to and quickly embraced the Chester neighborhood.
It was about this time that Rev. Conner was named to the Methodist Conference Committee that was responsible for interviewing seminary graduates before their ordination. His pastoral duties during the summer of 1948 included performing ten baptisms, six marriages and two funerals. He participated once a week in a morning religious radio program on WVCH, during which Mrs. Nathan Berry and his daughter, Caroline, sang duets. The young adults of Trinity, remembered him fondly for his outstanding contribution during their weekend retreat at Pocono Plateau during the summer of 1948. He delivered the invocation at the teacher's meeting of Chester High School on Tuesday, September 7. His last public appearance was in the pulpit of Trinity Methodist Church on Sunday, September 12, 1948. That Sunday morning he preached on the subject of "The Tragedy of Being Lost" and in the evening his sermon was "God's Well of Salvation." The next day, Monday, September 13, was to be his last. That Monday evening George was working in his study of the parsonage, next to Trinity Methodist Church. Family members recall he was listening to one of his favorite operas; Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni. His son Cy was visiting his parents that evening and he saw his father come into the living room of the parsonage, evidently in distress. Cy telephoned for a physician at 11:30 p.m. and shortly afterwards Rev. Conner was admitted to Crozer Hospital where he was pronounced dead soon afterwards. He was 56 years of age.
On Wednesday evening, September 15, there was a viewing at the Ray F. Imschweiler Funeral Home at 1600 Edgmont Ave. in Chester. Below is a photo of the funeral home during that time period.
Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Trinity Methodist Church. Services were presided over by Dr. W. Galloway Tyson, District Superintendent of the Methodist Church. Reverend Charles Brodhead, pastor of East Lansdowne Methodist Church gave the Scripture reading, followed by a prayer offered by Rev. Alonzo Fite, pastor of Tacony Methodist. A soprano solo was sung by Mrs. Berry, a member of the church choir, after which Dr. Leon Moore of West Chester Methodist Church presented the sermon. The closing services and invocation were then given by Dr. Tyson. Thirty members of Flotilla 22 from Essington, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit which Rev. Conner commanded, were present. Members of the unit in full dress uniform stood guard about Rev. Conner's casket before the altar during the entire service.
Flowers were banked completely across the front of the Church, sent by Rev. Conner's family, friends and parishioners of Trinity Methodist. Flowers were also sent by his former parishioners in Philadelphia, Norwood, Bywood and Pottstown. All the pews of the church were filled. Below is a photo of the interior of Trinity Methodist Church.
Serving as pallbearers were Rev. Brodhead, Rev. Eaton of South Chester Methodist, Rev. Felton of Booth's Corner Methodist, Rev. Kern of Upland Methodist, Rev. Barnes of Marcus Hook Methodist, Rev. Keiser of Swarthmore Methodist, Ray Salmons of Trinity and John W. Lawton - president of Board of Trustees of Trinity Methodist. That evening Rev. George F. Conner's body was taken to Wilmington, Delaware, his native city, for cremation.
Rev. Conner was eulogized as a "man's minister", one who was at home in the pulpit, in civic affairs or at the helm of a boat. He was remembered as one who did not compromise with evil and was modern in his outlook for Methodism and the community. Respected by all races and creeds in the communities where he lived and served, it can truly be said of him that he lived on in the hearts of all. It was noted he died in the most active period of his life and his sudden death cut short a career that was far from finished. Two years after his death his daughter Caroline would marry Harry Fear in 1950. Four additional grandchildren would be born that never had the great pleasure of knowing their Grandfather; Greg Conner (born 1949), Craig Fear (1953), Dean Fear (1954) and Deborah Zwicker (1954).
From George Conner's own records in his Pastor Record book we know that during his life in ministry he performed about 675 baptisms, 330 marriages, 960 funerals and about 1,800 Sunday Sermons. Below is the cover of Rev. Conner's Pastor's Record book where all these events were recorded ~
This is a page from the Record book where he recorded some of the funerals performed ~
 
This last chapter in this story of a life well-lived is the last event that took place in George Francis Conner's final journey. On Monday evening, September 20, 1948, members of the Conner family and several friends boarded the late pastor's cabin cruiser, The Caroline, at Essington, Delaware Co., PA. George Conner's sons Cy and Richard guided the craft to the middle of the Delaware River and distributed his ashes on the waters he loved so well. A final entry in George Conner's Ships Log was written in his son Cy's handwriting; "This trip will be a memoriam for our Great Skipper - Dad. As I sit here in a deck chair that Dad sat in and feel the boat lifting and surging ahead, I know that Dad is here with us." The ashes of a boy from Wilmington who grew to be a man loved by many and respected by thousands were taken by the breeze and spread amongst the water. The final words read on board The Caroline that day were those of Alfred Lord Tennyson's who wrote George Conner's favorite poem,
Crossing the Bar:
"Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar." |
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