GEORGE W. PRESTON
Last Saturday one of our most active and best liked citizens
passed away.
George W. Preston who was active and influential in the business,
religious and civic life in the city and county for over 50 years
died after an illness of over 12 years.
Mr. Preston was born April 5, 1859 and was the son of Monterville
and Lorenda Price Preston, one of seven children.
At an early age Mr. Preston engaged in the lumber and timber
business in the Big Sandy Valley and was connected for a number of
years with the old Yellow Poplar Lumber Company of which the late
Leon Issacson was President. Those were the days when the Big
Sandy Valley was in rich in Virginia poplar forest-in those days
when great rafts of timber by the hundreds went down to the Ohio
on every side of the Big Sandy.
Mr. Preston was also active in the mercantile business at the
mouth of Big Paint Creek long before the railroad came to
Paintsville. The mouth of Big Paint Creek was then a busy point
on the Big Sandy River, as all the merchandise to and from Morgan,
Magoffin and Johnson counties passed through that point.
Mr. Preston for a number of years was a member of the board of
Directors and a Vice President of the old Paintsville National
Bank and served in that capacity until he was forced to resign 12
years ago because of ill health. He also served on the board of
Directors of the Paintsville Bank & Trust Co., the predecessor of
the Second National Bank.
Mr. Preston was married to Kitty Lavender on February 7, 1889, who
died 10 years later and to this union were born five children, two
of whom are now living, George Herschel and Ernest Ray.
In 1903, Mr. Preston was married to Talitha Howard Childers whose
patient and loving hands nursed him through 12 years of illness.
Throughout his business career Mr. Preston was a sold, substantial
business man and his word was a good as a bond. He possessed a
keen insight and a sound business judgment.
He leaves a host of loving friends and relatives to mourn his
passing.
Paintsville Herald
Thursday
11-11-1943
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