Part 1 1805 - 1831 Youth

Part 2 1831 - 1847 Army

Part 3 1847 Courtship & Marriage

Part 4 1847 - 1852 Marriage, Baptism and the End of a Career

Part 5 1853 - 1855 Isle of Malta mission

Part 6 1855 - Going to Zion

Part 7 1855 - 1857 Hard times

Part 8 1857 - 1860 (?) Johnson's army and back to Rush Valley

Part 9 1866 - 1867 Patriarchal blessings, Mission call and departure

Part 10 1867 Journey to the British mission

Part 11 1867 - Mission

Part 12 1868 - Mission

Part 13 1868 - Return Home

Part 14 1868 - 1888 Bishop, Storekeeper, and Iindians - oh my

Part 15 As seen by others

Part 16 1880 -1888 The culmination of a lifetime

Part 17 1888 -1891 Patriarch and Death

Part 18 Miscellaneous

January 8, 1880 saw him give his second daughter Pauline Burridge to Isaac James Neddo in marriage. The ceremony was performed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

While one year later, lacking two days, January 6, 1881, George's son Thomas Lorenzo married Alice Mcintosh in the same place. Thomas and Alice lived with George and Hannah for awhile.

They divided the south upstairs room so he could have room to hold a prayer circle in accordance with the counsel of Apostle Francis M. Lyman. Always in everything he did he praised the Lord. One of his favorite sayings was "If God be for us, who can be against us. "

When they started to build the new meeting house, George was the one who first gave his name to give barley to pay for the foundation and no one else responded with any offering.

One time on his way to Salt Lake City he called upon President Heber J. Grant and stayed to have dinner with he and his mother.

George loved good music and whenever possible took advantage of all concerts that were being held when he was in Salt Lake.

George raised bees and really studied and built his hives, making the frames and experimenting for better ways. In June of 1881 he wrote a history of his success in Bee Culture for a years time, that is since July, 1880.

One Sunday as meeting let out some young men were riding races through town. George, as father of the ward, felt they were desecrating the Sabbath and should be admonished. So he stepped out into the middle of the road and stopped them and rebuked them for their rowdy conduct and admonished them to attend to their religious duty. This did not set well with the young men but George held his ground and said, "May the Lord rebuke you in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. This tamed and quieted the crowd, which dispersed at once.

He bought land and some city lots for which he paid $114.00 to John Farreday. George also agreed to pay $26 in tithing for John.

In 1881 General Conference started on the 6th of Oct which was a Thursday. For the first time in thirteen years George missed the Conference He had been unable to get his grain threshed and felt he must stay and "get these labors through. "

The threshing machine arrived and 332 bushels of grain were threshed but toward noon a strong wind roared out of the north causing damage in its path and making it impossible to finish the threshing. George prayed to the Lord asking for the wind to moderate that the threshing might be able to continue. His prayers were answered. The wind stopped, the work was finished and George with gratitude in his heart thanked the Lord that he had heard and answered his prayer.

One day George took his team and drove the two or three miles over to the St. John's depot at the end of the line to get a load of goods for the store. When the wagon was loaded and George still in the back of the wagon the horses were startled by the train whistle and dashed forward. George was thrown from the wagon. He was battered up and unable to do any thing or attend meetings for over two weeks. His shoulder continued to hurt him very badly so he finally got Isaac James Caldwell who was a man skilled in attending to broken bones, and other accidents, and Nephi Draper to examine his shoulder. It was discovered that when he was thrown from the wagon his shoulder was put out of the joint.

He concluded the best thing for him to do was to go to Salt Lake City to a doctor. John Caldwell drove him to the station and he took the train to the city. When he reached there he went to see Dr. Anderson and made an appointment for ten o'clock the next morning. He arrived at the doctors' office at the appointed time. The examination proved it was indeed out of place. They were going to operate at 2 P.M. to try to put the arm back into its place. Brother James Sabine went with him. The Doctors and James Sabine worked for nearly two hours of pure torture to George to get the arm back into place, at the shoulder joint. They failed in all their attempts.

So once again he went back to St. John still in a great deal of pain. His wagon was pretty much damaged.

On January 18, 1881 he resigned as President and Superintendent of St. Johns' Z.C.M.I. Institution.

In February there was a big thaw - which caused the water to rise until there was a quite large stream running through George's stack yard and under his hay stacks. It was likely to do considerable damage unless the swiftly flowing stream could be stopped and there was no one to stop it but George with his displaced shoulder and arm. As usual George faced the situation, it was up to him o save the feed for his stock. Putting on his boots and taking the shovel he went to the stack yard where he shoveled and dug. Just as it seemed he could not succeed David Charles came by.

Seeing George's situation he immediately went to where George was working. Together they turned the stream out of the yard. The hay was saved, and David Charles had George's deep gratitude and thanks. George was active in local politics being elected as representative for the city at the county convention. On Election Day, May 22, 1882, he voted for the Constitution of the State of Utah.

On July 4, 1882, they had a big celebration at St. John which included Flag ceremony at sunrise, reading the Declaration of Independence at a ten o'clock meeting, a children's dance, games, horse races, and foot races. George had a horse name Byron of whom he was particularly fond. During the contest Byron won. The prize was a hat.

On Sunday, August 6, 1882 George was called out of meeting to go home at once. His daughter. Charlotte, had seriously hurt herself getting out of the wagon. He immediately blessed and consecrated a bottle of oil and anointed and blessed Charlotte in the name of the Lord. She was restored and became calmed and comforted for which George blessed God's Holy Name.

On August 20 of the same year a committee was appointed to plan a jubilee to be held on the eighth of September to give thanks for a bountiful harvest, to be called the Harvest Home Jubilee.

One day Apostle Francis M. Lyman, Heber J. Grant, his wife and children came to visit. They arrived about five P. M. They brought a goodly amount of ice with them. George and Hannah went in and made some ice cream with H. S. Gowans and Thomas Lee helping them. Such a rare treat was seldom their pleasure but such a good time they all had that evening.

When he was seventy years old he was thankful for the health and strength he enjoyed. The members of the ward honored him with a dinner. It was served at three o'clock in the afternoon in the schoolhouse. After the delicious meal they presented him with a very good, comfortable armchair which was beautifully carved and cushioned.

The ward was organized and incorporated on February seventeenth of 1883. George was sustained as the President of the Corporation.

George sent his wagon and team over to Camp Floyd to get the mason and family to come and start building the new rock meeting house.

When he was attending the last session of General Conference in the Tabernacle in April 1883, he was filled with a very unusual feeling. The building was densely crowded with people and several thousand of people were unable to gain entrance into the building because of the multitude already inside. "The Spirit of the God of Jacob rested upon the speakers with great power." The brethren spoke giving clear and pointed instructions. They also spoke words of comfort which on Sunday so stirred and affected the audience that the faces of hundreds glistened with tears of joy. "Great faith filled these humble people and prevailed in bringing down a rich blessing from the Lord upon this congregation of his Church." When President Taylor called for an audible acknowledgement of the hand of God in delivering His people from the power of their enemies, that immense congregation was so moved that in an united voice, on one impulse they shouted an "Amen, " that flooded every heart with such a thrill of rejoicing and gratitude that every body quivered in exaltation. George said later, "The spectacle of a people with such implicit faith in the strong arm of Jehovah, was well calculated to express its witnesses with its grandeur. "

The saints had indeed, great reason for being thankful and rejoicing, for the period of calm after being driven and harassed, a period of time to enjoy a degree of Spiritual and temporal prosperity was a great blessing and a wonderful privilege. Quoting again from George come these words "Let the revilers revile, they are but straws in the wind so far as impeding the progress of such a people to the goal of their advanced destiny."

George bought a doorframe for the new meeting house but he built the window frames himself. He built an elevator to hoist rock on to the scaffold for the building of the new church.

In August 1882, he organized the first irrigation company of St. John. He had tried to get Clover to unite with them but did not succeed.

George accompanied by his son Thomas and David Crosby went eight miles to North Mount and got out rock for the front of the meeting house. They succeeded in getting a very good flat rock big enough for him to later engrave the "Erected 1884. " He did the engraving September 12, 1883. The Stake President H. S. Gowans and his Councilors were very pleased with the progress on the building and with the Spirit and energy of the Bishop.

[Editor's note - The stone actually says "Erected 1883" and is a part of the monument near the new Church.]

George felt the need for the young people, especially the young men, to study the gospel and tried to arouse interest in getting a group together to organize such a study group but found no response to the appeal.

May 16, 1884 found George in Logan, Utah. The Logan Temple was open for inspection by certain people. He was shown through by President Taylor and George Q. Cannon. Stayed at the Taylor home where he was "kindly entertained" and he enjoyed it. On May 17 he went to the Dedication of the Temple.

Hannah and Son Thomas were very ill. George David H. Caldwell, and I. J. Caldwell administered to them both. They were healed by the power and blessing of the Lord.

George hauled finished lumber from Tooele, two wagon loads, for the interior of the meeting house.

He belonged to the Cooperative Tannery.

In January of 1885 George with his Son Thomas and David Caldwell set out for Grantsville for Conference. They had, had to borrow James Jordons buggy because I. J. Caldwell and James Jordon had taken George's buggy to Salt Lake. At south Willow Creek just above the saw mill the buggy wheels went crashing through the splintering ice, they went down deep enough for a double tree to be under the ice as well. Time fleeted by while the men sweated and worked to Tree the team and buggy. In all they were delayed until they missed the morning session. As if the devil were after them or at least that the fates were determined that this was not to be an easy trip for them, it happened as they were on their way home the next day they had another mishap. The roads were slippery and rutted causing the nigh horse to slip. When this happened the carriage tongue came undone and crashed to the ground, breaking as it hit the hard frozen earth.

Isreal Bennion and two other men came along and helped George and his friends fix the tongue so that Thomas and David Henry rode home in the buggy with George riding the rest of the way in Brother Bannion's carriage in safety and peace.

George replaced the tongue of the buggy and returned it. Three years later in Oct. 1888 James F. Jordon brought George to a Teacher's trial for breaking that buggy tongue. George had to pay him five dollars which he felt was very unfair and unjust as he had already replaced the tongue and as Mr. Jordon was driving George's buggy to Salt Lake at the time. He had requested the loan of George buggy because he considered his own unsafe to make the Salt Lake City trip because some of the spokes in one wheel were broken.

His grand-daughter Lottie Steele, was over helping her grandfather, George was now in his seventies. An old Roan cow that belonged to George was on a wild streak and when Lottie attempted to head her, she plunged on toward Lottie booking her in the abdomen. Lottie was seriously hurt. It was indeed only through the care of the guardian angels that she was not killed. George attempted to curb the cow and in coming to Lottie's rescue and trying to tie up Roan he was knocked down by that wild, bellowing animal. The excited critter wheeled around and jumped onto George. Which hurt him baldly, making him both lame and sore.

George attended April General Conference 1885 in Logan. There a committee was chosen to write resolutions and an appeal to the President Grover Cleveland of the United States asking for "redress" from the wrongs, persecutions, and oppressions which had been heaped upon the Saints by the enemies of their God.

On June 23, 1885 George went with five others from St. John over to Tooele where they joined a procession of Old Folks at the Tabernacle and went with them to the station. There amid smiles, laughter and talk they boarded the train bound for Garfield. At Garfield was being held a large combined Old Folks Party. What a happy, delightful day that was, for them, to meet old friends and acquaintances. To make new friendship, to talk over old times, trials and hardships, to ponder on the present day problems and the worries about the youth. After delightful entertainment and a delicious meal they once again climbed upon the train for the return trip to Tooele where they got into their buggy and returned home; weary but happy. Another golden memory added to their chain.

George was often sent as a delegate to the county convention. At one time his son Thomas was elected constable and George was elected as a delegate to the Territorial Convention to be held in Salt Lake City.

George sent $160 in gold on July 13, 1885, by President Gowans into Z. C. M. 1.

The morning of July 24, 1885 when George was 72 years old he rose at 4 A. M. went through the gray, dewy dawn to the School House. Standing alone looking over the small sleeping town, while the fingers of morn reached pearly pink into the sky George loaded his rifle and pointing it skyward sent three shots echoing across the valley, rousing the sleeping inhabitants of the St. John Hamlet. Letting them know another day of celebrating and rejoicing was there. Some tousle haired boys came running to him and together they hoisted the Star Spangled Banner high to the top of the village flag pole where it waved freely over the heads of the free and the brave. Then taking the eager lads with him throughout the village, along the fence lines and ditch banks he cut the wild rose bushes, the Sweet Briar Pink Peas and any blooming plant, while the boys carried them until the little procession loaded with greenery and beautiful colors winded their way back to the school house where Hannah Burridge and Fanny Caldwell awaited them. There they all went diligently to work decorating the School House for the celebration of Pioneer Day and what a day it was, with such a wonderful beginning. A program was followed by lunches, children dance and a social party that extended from the afternoon into the evening. As George says "A good spirit prevailed".

One day in November 1885 he was busy unloading a wagon load of goods from Salt Lake. He had some large cases of oil to lift out. While working with these his foot slipped on the frosty floor of the wagon box, over he fell, out and over the side of the high wagon taking the case of oil with him. When he hit the ground the heavy case of oil fell on top of him. This caused much sharp pain as it knocked his arm out at the left shoulder joint. When he got control of himself he called for help. Some of his neighbors came and they pulled the arm back into place alright. President H. S. Gowans came to visit him a day or two later and anointed George with concentrated oil then laid their hands on George and blessed him, he immediately found much relief.

On January 22, 1886 Charlotte, Thomas and Pauline accompanied George and Hannah to Logan Temple where they were sealed to George and Hannah.

August 13, 1886 found George carrying out a decision he had finally made after a great deal of thought and long serious talks with Hannah. He was selling the stock of goods, the store fixtures, the debts and everything belonging to the St. Johns Cooperative Institution. This was a hard step for him to take. It was a big part of his life he was bidding farewell to as he had been its President, Superintendent and Secretary, for seventeen years since the twenty-ninth of May, 1869. They took an inventory of all stock and turned every thing over to the new managers John D. McIntosh and David H. Caldwell. After writing a "settling" with them. A few days later he made another trip to Salt Lake City and probably his last trip to do business with the Z. C. M. I. There he made final settlement with the Z. C. M. I.

When he reached home again there was a letter waiting for him from the assistant Superintendent of Z. C. M. I. A copy of the letter follows:

Aug 16th 1886 Bishop George W. Burridge Saint John, Tooele Co.

Dear Brother; Your favor of the 11th Inst has just reached me, and I regret very much to hear that have decided to close up the business and emerge the Same in a New firm to be known as the Rush Valley Co-op. It is always regretable parting from old time friends, and Our business relations have been so pleasant that We cannot look for more agreeable relationship with any New Form that may be established. However, we thank you Sincerely for the patronage you have given us, and we trust to be favored in the Same way by the new Firm. It will be our aim and object to treat them as fairly as we have the Saint John Co-op in the past. Again thanking you, and assureing you that we Shall always be glad to See you whenever you come into the City, We are

Yours Very Truly Thomas G. Webber, Asst. Supt.

At last the big undertaking was finished. Their meeting house stood completed. A monument to true and earnest men's endeavors. The day set for its dedication was Sunday, March 14, 1886. The new building was filled to capacity with an attentive and appreciative audience. Many were the sacrifices and labor that had gone to nake this day possible. Church members from Clover and Grantsville had brought their choir and Brass Band with them. George addressed the congregation followed by the Bishop from Clover Ward, Jos. F. Jordon and Junius F. Wells, with the Dedicatory prayer being offered by Elder Junius F. Wells. George and the whole audience felt the Holy Spirit present.

On the nineteenth of March, between eight and nine P. M. George was out in the yard checking his stock. Darkness covered the land and seeing almost an utter impossibility after completing his rounds he was feeling his way through the enshrouding blackness when he hit into the tongue of the wagon, which lay stretched along the ground from the wagon. This caused him to fall, he flung out his arms to break the fall but hit on to the slanted wagon tongue striking his breast bone on it. He was hurt rather badly. The next day he was stiff and sore. He was unable to work all the next week.

One Sunday in early June as the warm sun caressed the grass and the soft breeze fluttered among the flowers, the buzzing of insect life droned sleepily through the open church house windows and George felt dull and sleepy all though the Sunday School. When "Saints Meeting" commenced at two o'clock the home missionaries had failed to arrive. So it was up to George to arouse himself and prepare himself to carry on without them. So he made an appeal to the Lord, beseeching him for help. His attention was directed to the twentieth Chapter of the Third Book of Nephi. He opened the Book of Mormon to this place and read it. Inspiration flowed through him, he spoke with knowledge, understanding and feeling. He carried his audience with him. At the end he thanked the Lord for owning him and using him as a humble instrument to preach His word and testify of the Lord's work and goodness to his people.

January of 1888 was very cold-snow and ice covered the ground. George went out to the corral to turn the cattle out. While walking gingerly along toward the gate he stepped on some slick ice, his feet flew out from under him and he fell heavily upon the ice. He fell on his left thigh and leg. The pain was intense. His hip joint was badly sprained. He could not move. He laid stretched out on the ice until David H. Caldwell and David H. Crosby came along the street from the school house. They found him when they answered his calls for help. They went to the corral to him and lifted him up and carried him into the house where they put him into a chair. There he sat the rest of the day and all night in great pain. He could not get his boots off. The next day Thomas came and got two men to help carry George into the south room and put him into an easy chair. Thomas finally got the boots off and he spent that day and night sitting there. It was intensely cold and it was hard to heat the house. The third day Hannah and Thomas finally got him into a bed made on the lounge. Hannah made a bed for herself on the floor, to be near to care for him. He rested poorly, the night was extremely cold. The thermometer dropped to 40o below zero. He was laid up twenty-five days from that fall, before he could walk, using a walking stick to the Store. His leg remained swollen and painful for weeks and weeks. But was finally able to do his own farming, when good weather broke.

George loved to walk. Whenever he was in Logan he would walk around the Temple and up toward the foothills to get a wonderful view of the valley. So it was not surprising that when he went to Manti that he went to the top of the hill east of the Temple.

He had gone to Manti to the Temple and to go to the Dedicatory Service. The evening before he met several of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The meeting the following day lasted five hours. It was a heart warming experience. Esther Steele accompanied him to Manti.

[Editor's note - Esther was George's 17 year-old granddaughter at the time of the 1888 dedication]

One day Brother Gowans came to visit the ward but his coat was badly worn and finally gave way under the arms. George took the coat and carefully repaired it and didn't get it finished in time for Sunday School.

[Editor's note - This was probably Hugh S. Gowans, who was Tooele Stake president from about 1882 - 1911, having replaced Heber J. Grant.]

George was very anxious that St. John should have a liberty pole so he got a pole 58 feet long and worked for five days trimming and smoothing. Three other men gave him some good and much appreciated help especially in getting it set. It was all ready for Independence Day in the year 1888.

On July 14 George handed in his resignation as Bishop of the Ward and was released from that office July 15, 1888.

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