The first child born to Jonathan Pugmire, Jr. and Elizabeth McKay just across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois. His parents, both converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), had been in America only two years. Due to persecutions, they were forced to leave that area. Three weeks after George was born, his family began the trek across Iowa to Winter Quarters near present-day Omaha. The day after their arrival, George's father was called away with the Mormon Battalion. Mother and baby were left without housing and Elizabeth had to build their own shelter. In spite of serious illnesses, both survived the winter.

George was about sixteen months old when his father returned to Winter Quarters and the family began making preparations for a move west. Traveling with the Heber C. Kimball Company, the family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 24 September 1848. At age two and a half, George was a Utah pioneer, along with his brother who had been born on the way.

The 7th Ward area of Salt Lake City was George's boyhood home. It was there that an unusual event took place. From his father's autobiography we read, "On the 28th of October 1852 Patriarch John Smith (Uncle to the Prophet Joseph) came to my house by invitation with his secretary and gave me and my wife our Patriarchal Blessings which blessing confirmed ones previously given by other Patriarchs. He also blessed my son George M. and at the same time ordained him at the age of 6, a High Priest and pronounced him a literal descendant of Aaron and entitled to all the blessings of that Priesthood." No reason is given for this unusual ordination, but it was recorded in both the 7th Ward records and the High Priest records.

In 1864, George's father responded to a call to settle in the Bear Lake Valley. The area was at that time part of Utah, but later boundary changes placed it in Idaho. At age eighteen, George became one of the first settlers of St. Charles, Bear Lake, Idaho, along with other members of his family. It was there that he met and married Maria Adelia Young, also an early settler. George and Maria were married 6 March 1866 at St. Charles by President Charles C. Rich.

St. Charles was home to George and Maria for the remainder of their lives and all nine of their children were born there. George was a farmer and a rancher. In 1888 he obtained a land patent for 400 acres in Caribou County through the Desert Land Act. That land was later owned by the Bear Lake Grazing Association, a cooperative of about 54 area ranchers. George was one of them. In 1908, he also obtained a 100 acre homestead in Bear Lake County.

His tombstone in the St. Charles Cemetery is inscribed, "Ye visited the sick and comforted them." (See History of Jonathan Pugmire, Jr. and Elizabeth McKay)