George Kilpatrick Getty was born on September 21, 1840 in Craigs, County Antrim, Northern Ireland which is located in what is now Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom. He was the fourth of the nine children of  James, Sr. and Matilda (McCaughey) Getty.

In the 1851 census of Ireland, he was listed as being 11 years old and living in the Ahoghill area. He was able to read and was working filling bobbins at a cloth factory.

George emigrated to the U.S. in 1852 with his parents and eventually settled in Ridgeway, Lenawee County, Michigan in 1854. This was just at the end of the period known as the potato famine in Ireland.

On December 23, 1863, George K. was married to Naomi Russell (right) who was born on April 18, 1846.

George and Naomi had four children:

1. Bettie Elizabeth Getty (1864-1885)
2. Matilda Adeline Getty (1867-1883)
3. George Francis Getty (1869-1934)
4. Ervin Leonidas Getty (1871-1929)

Naomi died of consumption i.e. tuberculosis on February 15, 1883 at the age of 36. She is buried in Ridgeway Cemetery in Ridgeway Township, Lenawee County, Michigan.

George then traveled back to Ireland and married Ellen Agnew on September 29, 1884. Ellen was born on May 26, 1850 and died March 27, 1906 at the age of 56. She is buried in Ridgeway Cemetery. They had no children.

George K. Getty passed away on March 1, 1907. He was 66 years old and is also buried in Ridgeway Cemetery.

"In 1868 George bought forty acres in Section 31, Milan Township, from N. Willis. He sold it to A. VanDeventer in 1875. In 1870 he bought eighty acres in Section 6, Dundee Township from his father. He sold it to his brother, William, in 1872.

On June 30, 1875, George bought 125 acres in Section 36 in Macon and Ridgeway Townships for $62.50 from Conrad and Emma Lowe. In 1877 he bought forty acres in Section 33 in Macon Township for $1700 from John Stewart. A year later he sold the forty acres to George Daykin for $1800. In a twenty year period he bought and sold land in Dundee and Milan Townships, as well as in Macon and Ridgeway Townships, but his homestead was situated on both sides of what is now Downing Highway in Ridgeway Township. Later in life he moved to Britton, and lived just east of the tracks. He owned a grocery store for awhile.

George and Naomi had four children:

• Bettie Elizabeth was born October 27, 1864

• Matilda Adeline was born February 17, 1867

• George Francis was born January 15, 1869

• Ervin Leonidas was born May 10, 1871

Tragedy struck George's family threefold. His wife and two daughters all contracted consumption. Naomi died at the age of 36 years on February 15, 1883. Sixteen year old Matilda died just four days later on February 19, 1883. And Bettie died at the age of 22 on February 8, 1885.

A year and a half after Naomi's death, George had just finished shingling the barn when he made the announcement that he was going to Ireland to marry his childhood sweetheart, and go he did. He brought back Ellen Agnew, daughter of Robert and Sarah Ann Hillis Agnew of Limnahary (a Townland in Ahoghill Parish). They had been married by Rev. William Colquhane in the Presbyterian Church in Ballymena on September 29, 1884. Witnesses were John and Margaret Belle Getty. John was a cousin of George, and Margaret was Ellen's sister. Their story appears on another page.

Ellen died of diabetes mellitus at the age of 55 years, on March 27, 1906.

After Ellen's death, George moved back to the farm and spent his remaining days with his son, Ervin, and family. He died of general debility at the age of 66 years on March 1, 1907, and is buried with both wives and his two daughters at the Ridgeway Cemetery."