When one realizes that but few decades have passed since Muskogee was a tiny village, there must also come a realization of the fact that its citizens have been of a most substantial class, willing at all times to cooperate in plans and measures for the general good and that-their labors have been of a most practical character, producing far-reaching results. Through a period of seventeen years George W. Nolle has here made his home, giving his attention to the real estate and insurance business and in both lines he has met public requirement, gaining a large clientage as the years have passed. The story of his life is the story of earnest endeavor, intelligently directed. He was born in Macon county, Illinois, January 18, 1872, and is a son of William Henry and Nancy (Sandman) Nolle. The father was owner of a flour mill, conducting business along that line for an extended period.
Having acquired a public school education George W. Nolle turned his attention to merchandising and devoted seventeen years of his life to business of that character in his native state. Attracted by the opportunities of the growing southwest he came to Muskogee in 1904 and here opened a real estate office, also making insurance one of the departments of his business. The story has nothing exciting in its telling, but steady perseverance and unremitting industry have enabled him to build up a business of very gratifying proportions, so that he has become one of the men of affluence in his community.
Mr. Nolle was united in marriage to Miss Emma May Wilson, who was born in Macon county, Illnois, June 28, 1898, and they became parents of a son, Glenn William, who entered the United States army in May, 1917, as a member of the infantry. He was trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and afterward went to Camp Mills, Long Island, as a member of the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Regiment and took part in promoting the third Liberty Loan drive in New York. General Joffre, the hero of the Marne, presented .his regiment with a flag on his trip to America. On the 2d of May, 1918, Glenn W. Nolle went overseas as a private of Company L, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Regiment and lost a leg in battle on the 26th of September,’ 1918, when in charge of a machine gun. He and three other men had sixty-five German prisoners just ready to march them in when the enemy opened a machine gun fire and most of the German prisoners, as well as their American captors, were killed or wounded. Glenn Nolle was taken to the Base Hospital for treatment and was sent home on the 9th of January, 1919. He remained at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, until discharged on the 13th of May of that year. He is now a student at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. Mrs. Nolle died October 14, 1902 well known in Muskogee, where he has many warm friends.