Dr. George Augustus Eddy Carey was an older brother of my great-grandfather. He was born 2 Aug 1833 in Miami county, Ohio. His parents were Benjamin Carey and Mary Hannah Winans. The Careys, who were faithful Methodists, named George after the Rev. Augustus Eddy (1798-1870), an itinerant preacher on the frontier of western Ohio and a pastor in 1827-1828 of Greene Street Methodist Church in Piqua.
In his early years, George followed his father's brick mason trade and is so listed in the 1850 census. On 1 Aug 1859, he married Elizabeth (or Eliza) James in Cincinnati, Ohio. Elizabeth was born in Ohio about 1833. Both of her parents were natives of Ireland. In the 1860 census, George and Elizabeth and their newborn son Edward were enumerated along with Ben and Hannah's family in Piqua. George is listed as a stone mason. During the Civil War, he enrolled in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and graduated with the Class of 1864. In the 19th century, only one year of study was required to become a doctor. It is possible this college was eventually incorporated into the University of Cincinnati.
After graduation, Dr. Carey enlisted in the 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery Regiment and served in the Civil War as Assistant Surgeon until the close of the War. During 1864-1865, this unit saw service in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and Virginia, participating in a number of minor engagements. It mustered out 25 July 1865.
George and Elizabeth had the following children:
After his release from the Union army, George practiced medicine somewhere in the Cincinnati area, apparently in a small town. In a letter which his mother wrote to his brother Samuel in 1877, the following news from George is reported:
I got a letter from George last week. Lizzie's health is very poor and I think Georgie is a little discouraged. He says there was two more doctors came near the place which takes a good deal of the practice that he can only make a living. This winter he sent me a dollar. I would not be surprised if we hear of his leaving there before long but he did not say anything about it. The church there does not suit him. He speaks well of their preacher. He says they have a good one. The Methodist society I guess is very small there...
By the time of the 1880 census, the Carey family had moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where they lived the rest of their lives. May and Flora never married, but lived with their parents. Elizabeth died in Indianapolis in 1909. George and the daughters were enumerated in the 1910 census at 1619 College Avenue.
Dr. George A. E. Carey died 11 Oct 1910 in Indianapolis and is buried at Forest Hill cemetery in Piqua. His tombstone, which I have seen, lists him as "Lt., 1st Ohio H.A." Elizabeth and the children are buried in Forest Hill in the same plot, along with George and his parents.
Marvin Carey remembers "Cousin May" working at a Knights of Pythias home in Ohio and as being a very frugal old spinster. She was obviously able to save quite a lot of money during her long life, since she bequeathed enough funds to build an impressive monument at Forest Hill for her parents and grandparents. Unfortunately, the dates which were carved for Ben and Hannah Carey appear to be in error. Either their original stones were too weathered to be legible or the stonecutter didn't bother to obtain correct information for them.