Biography of George Shaffer, pages 728/729.  History of 
DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 
Indianapolis, 1914.



DeKalb county figures as one of the most attractive, 
progressive and prosperous division of the state of 
Indiana, justly claiming a high order of citizenship an a 
spirit of enterprise which is certain to conserve 
development and marked advancement in the material 
upbuilding of the section. The county has been and is 
signally favored in the class of men who have controlled 
its affairs in official capacity, and in this connection 
the subject of the review demands representation as one who 
is serving his community will in a position of distinct 
trust and responsibility. For many years recognized as one 
of the successful agriculturists of this locality, Mr. 
Shaffer has for a number to years been retired from active 
labor and is now spending his years in his comfortable and 
attractive home in Corunna. George Shaffer was born on 
August 31, 1860, in Stark county, Ohio, and is the son of 
Lewis and Elizabeth (Luttman) Shaffer, both of whom were 
natives of Pennsylvania. These parents were reared and 
educated in the old Keystone state and were there married, 
after which event they came to Ohio, whence, after a 
residence of about ten years, they came to DeKalb county, 
settling in Richland township on April 1, 1864. Here they 
spent the balance of their lives, the father engaging in 
blacksmithing, in which he was very successful. They were 
the parents of the following children:  Martin, Mary, 
David, Katherine, George, Barbara, Lewis, Elizabeth and 
Ella.  The subject of this sketch received his education in 
the common schools of Richland township, this county, and 
upon attaining manhood’s years he took up the vocation of 
farming, having wisely decided that in that vocation he 
would secure an independence and a success that was offered 
in no other line of effort. He carried on a general line of 
farming, in connection with which he also raised some live 
stock and became the owner of eighty acres of splendid land 
in Richland township which demanded his undivided attention 
until 1905, when, having amassed a sufficient competency to 
insure his future years from embarrassment, he retired from 
active life and now resides in Corunna, to which place he 
moved in April, 1904.  On October 18, 1883, Mr. Shaffer 
married Samantha Harding, the daughter of Dimmick and Sarah 
(Bike) Harding, who were early settlers in DeKalb county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer had no children of their own, but 
adopted a daughter, Lulu, who is at home and to whom they 
gave the same cheerful and loving attention that she would 
have received had she been their own daughter. Mrs. Shaffer 
died on September 13, 1905. Democratic in politics, Mr. 
Shaffer has for many years been actively interested in the 
success of his party and in 1908 was elected trustee of 
Richland township, which important local office he is 
filling to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens, 
His term will expire in 1915. In the discharge of his 
official duties, Mr. Shaffer exercises the same vigilance 
and sound business methods that he followed in his private 
affairs and is giving careful attention to the welfare of  
the township in which he lives. In every phase of life’s 
activities in which he has engaged he has been guided by 
the highest motives and because of his integrity and high 
personal worth he has earned the commendation of all who 
know him.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com