A man who, while never a permanent resident of Rock Island, yet lived in the city long enough to leave a permanent impress there and to be remembered with gratitude by many, was Reverend George W. Gue, for several years pastor of the First. Methodist Church, and builder of the present house of worship of that congregation. Honored in various ways by his church he bore his preferment well and earned the love and respect everywhere of those with whom he came in contact.
Mr. Gue was born in Neville, Clermont County, Ohio, February 27, 1840, and died at Portland, Oregon, July 24, 1901. When ten years of age, his parents removed to Princeville, Peoria County, Illinois. At the age of nine years he had completed an academic education and was admitted to the Central Illinois Conference, being at the time the youngest member of that organization. As the years passed he was assigned to the most important posts in the conference and served also as presiding elder. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in the Union army, being soon promoted to Chaplain of the One Hundred and Eighth Illinois Regiment. In later years he often proudly mentioned the fact that he was the youngest Chaplain in the Army. Serving throughout the war, Mr. Gue returned with his Regiment to Peoria in 1865, and was there mustered out. Afterward he became prominent in Grand Army circles in the State, serving one term as department Chaplain. He also published a book entitled “Our Country’s Flag.”
Mr. Gue was for a number of years presiding elder of the Kankakee district. He was transferred to the Oregon conference in 1891, and took charge of Grace Church at Portland. After three years service he was chosen presiding elder and served the full term, afterward resuming his duties as pastor with the Cantenary Church at Portland. It was while waiting at the depot to meet returning Epworth League delegates, who had been at a meeting at San Francisco, that heart failure overcame him and he died. Mr. Gue was a delegate to three general conferences of the American Methodist Church, those of 1880, 1888 and 1898, and was elected a delegate to the Ecumenical Council of the church which met in London, England, in the September following his death.
Mr. Gue was married to Anna B. Roberts, of Peoria, Illinois, in 1864, and his wife, three sons and one daughter survive.