Father: Jesse Wentworth Crosby.
Mother: Hannah Elida Baldwin.

Spouse: Sarah Hannah Brown. #35219308
Married: 05 Apr 1869 at Salt Lake, Salt Lake, Utah.

Obituary. Useful life ended

George Henry Crosby died at his home in this city on Tuesday, October 10 of heart failure. his health had been failing for some time and he expired suddenly after eating his midday meal.

George Henry Crosby had a long active and interesting career. He was born in
Kennebec County, Maine, October 20, 1846, a son of Jesse W. and Hannah E. Crosby. He came to Utah with his parents on September 20, 1817, and to St. George in 1861.

When 17 years old he crossed the plains under Capt. Daniel D. MacArthur brought in a company of immigrants and again in 1866 performed this service under Capt. Thompson.

He served as deputy Sheriff of Washington County under Sheriff David H Cannon and at the August election of 1867 was elected Sheriff of Washington County taking the oath of office sometime later when he reached his 21st birthday

He was a member of the troop of cavalry that went out under Capt. James Andrus to recover the bodies of Dr. Whitmore and Robert McIntyre who had been killed by Indians near Pipe Springs. While out near a ledge of rocks, one of the Indians covered him with his rifle from behind these rocks and was detected by one of the cavalrymen who fired just in time to save Crosby as the Indian fired about the same time his shot, however, missing its mark.

In 1869 Bro. Crosby was appointed bishop of Hebron he being the first bishop of that place. It was while living at Hebron that he antagonized the Ben Taskell gang notorious cattle robbers who ravaged that section and adjoining portions of Nevada. In his position as sheriff, he was continually thwarting the evil ways of this gang and finally drove them out of the country. Some of the gang under Mart Moore, taking advantage of Crosby's absence in the fall of 1887, set fire to his home and store in the middle of the night evidently intending to burn his wife and children. The smoke awoke Mrs. Crosby who broke the windows and saved the children and herself though her feet were so badly cut by the broken glass that she still felt the effects. On Crosby's return home he took up the trail of Mart Moore and chased him as far as Lee's ferry on the Colorado River where he lost his track, Moore never returned to the scene of his work and years later was apprehended by U.S. deputy Marshall Charley Reed of Globe Arizona.

Bro Crosby served as bishop of Hebron for eight years and was then called by Pres. Erastus Snow in January 1878 to be bishop of Leeds the mining camp of Silver Reef now requiring that a strong man hold this position. He served in this capacity at Leeds until 1886 when he was called by Pres. Snow to go to Nutrioso Ariz. arriving there April 17, 1886. He was made bishop of Round Valley 13 miles from Nutrioso, on June 17, 1886, and founded the town of Eagar. He lived In Eagar until 1899, being a prominent figure in political and social life. He served as a representative in the legislative assembly and in a speech to prevent the division of Apache County held the floor for seven hours.

He moved to Torrey Wayne County, Utah in 1899, and was appointed bishop there, a position he held for 1 year until he moved to Big Horn County as a colonizer in 1901. Bro Crosby served 32 years as a bishop in the four places. In the Big Horn Basin, he helped to found the towns of Lovell and Cowley, he lived at the latter place until the fall of 1915 when he moved back to St George to spend the remaining days of his life.

Bro Crosby is survived by one sister Mrs. Elida Snow of St. George two wives Mrs. Sarah H Crosby of Eagar Arizona and Mrs. Mary L . Crosby of this city and the following children Benjamin B. of Eagar, Arizona; George H., St. Johns Arizona; Mrs. Sarah Wiltbank, Eagar, Arizona; Jesse T. Holbrook, Arizona; John A Ramah, New Mexico; Charles W., Eagar, Arizona; Albert W., Eagar, Arizona; Frederick, Cowley, Wyoming; and Mrs. Elizabeth Partridge, Cowley, Wyoming. There are 23 grandchildren surviving, and all the children are married except Charles W. and Albert W.

Funeral services were held in the St. George Tabernacle on Sunday, October 15. Pres. Ed H. Snow eulogized the life of the departed brother and reviewed the good work he had done. Bishop B. Y. McMullan of Leeds spoke of Bro Crosby's work as the bishop at Leeds. Pres. David H. Cannon spoke of the useful and faithful life of the deceased how steadfast to duty he was as his deputy sheriff, etc etc.

Interment was made in the city cemetery.

(article was extracted and abridged from the Washington County News 1916-10-19 & is provided courtesy of the University of Utah Digital Newspaper and Dixie State College.)