| Notes |
Data from book, "Our Roxborough Connection - Descendants of John and Susannah Montgomery" by Dr. David L. Montgomery, CMS 647, was transcribed to PAF format through the efforts of George E. Montgomery and was submitted for the CMSI database in October, 1996. Oldest Montgomery Ancestor: John Montgomery, born 4 Aug.1784.
!BIOGRAPHY: George E. Montgomery was born at 1932 Cortland, Detroit, Michigan, Wayne County in 1932. The Montgomery family moved to 15357 Lasalle in Detroit in 1933, then moved to 132 Kenilworth in 1935, and in 1938 settled at 19410 Hershey, Detroit, Michigan. Some of George's earliest memories involve visiting Port Glasgow, Scotland at the age of four. George traveled to Scotland, along with his mother Helen and younger sister Ilene, to visit his Grandfather, Kennedy Watson. George recalls staying on Bay Street in Port Glasgow Scotland from mid October of 1937 until early January of 1938. He also has vivid memories of his disappointment at *not* receiving a birthday cake on the voyage--Helen didn't feel comfortable asking the crew to make a fuss over his fifth birthday, which occurred shipboard. George also fondly remembers his experiences in kindergarden the winter after he returned from Scotland. The Alger elementary school was located on Alger St., East of Woodward and South of Clairmont. George's teachers were named Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Murphy, and unlike the skills-oriented programs which predominate now, kindergarden in the late 30's consisted of all sorts of fun activities, such as making objects out of clay, drawing pictures in oils, using crayons, marching around the room, and playing with large blocks.
After the family moved to 19410 Hershey, George E. Montgomery enrolled in the first grade at the Grayling school, located on State Fair just east of Woodward. He attended Grayling until the second half of the seventh grade, and then continued seventh grade at the Nolan Intermediate School. He remained in the Nolan school through the 9th grade. From the age of 10 until 16, George worked diligently as first a paper boy, then station captain, earning enough
money to visit his Aunt Mary (Watson) Raith in Long Island, New York. It was on one of these trips that George first decided he wanted to be a judge. His aunt introduced him to Hon. Harold M. Kennedy, whose court was located in Brookly, N.Y. Judge Kennedy invited young George to watch a case that he was trying, and George was so impressed with
the exciting cases that the Federal District Judge ruled on that he vowed to someday become a judge himself. After graduating from Nolan Intermediate School, George attended Pershing High School, graduating magna cum laude in 1950. George enjoyed science, and won a Bausch and Lomb science award in high school. He also received a Regents-Alumni scholarship to the University of Michigan, an award which carried with it a full four years of tuition (Tuition if he would have had to pay would have been $75.00 a semester or $150.00 for the entire year). The original 3 man room at 541 Williams House, West Quadrangle rented for $523.00 for the entire year. They later raised the rent $50 to $573.00 which was quite a hike for the young political science student. George roomed that year with John Surbis and David Roberts. John whom we called Jack died at the age of 29 and David Roberts transferred after the first year to Michigan State University where he took a degree in veterinary medicine. Dave went on to open a successful practice of Veterinary medicine. With the help of this scholarship and a variety of summer jobs, many of which capitalized on his amazing 100+ wpm typing speed, George paid his own way through college. When George mentioned this admirable fact to his children, he also acknowledged that the $523/year room and board fees were much more manageable in his day than the several thousands per year he helped his children pay in the 80's. George lived in several different dorms while at Michigan, including West Quadrangle (541 Williams House) and the newly-built South Quadrangle (7610 & 7616 Huber House). Many years later his daughter Quadrangle (7610 and 7616 Huber House). Many years later his daughter Elizabeth would also live in a no-longer-new South Quad. George graduated from Michigan's College of Literature, Science and the Arts in 1954, earning a BA in Political Science. In September of that year he commenced studies at the University of Michigan's prestigious law school, living in the beautiful Law Quad in room D-22 in 1954-1955, and in room D-35 overlooking the Main Arch and looking out at the Law Library across the Court in 1955-1956 and 1956-1957, modeled after a college in Cambridge, until he finished his studies and earned his L.L.B. in 1957. George spent the summer after his graduation studying for the Michigan State Bar, which he sat for in September of that year. Upon receiving his results, George was sworn in as an attorney in January of 1958. George's first job was as a law clerk at Bernstein and Bernstein on the 16th floor of the National Bank of Detroit Building on Woodward Avenue in Detroit.
After a few months, George decided to pursue employment in the insurance industry. He subsequently worked as a claims adjuster for Michigan Mutual Insurance Company and for Allstate Insurance Company. While working as a claims adjuster, George married Joann Marie Gugel, who he had first met while in college, she was in high school and he talked her parents Carl and Marie Gugel into letting her attend college at the University of Michigan instead of at Wayne where she was planning to attend. George and Joann were married August 16, 1958 at the Whittier Hotel in Detroit, Michigan.
Their first home together was an upper flat at 20256 Yacama in Detroit. After living briefly with Joann's parents on 20235 Russell, George & Joann bought a home at 19953 Yacama, where they lived for about five years with their two small daughters, Kathy and Carol. In 1962 George left Allstate and worked at Eggenberger and Eggenberger, a law firm for STATE FARM insurance company located in the Dime building. He remained there until Christmas of 1963.
In 1963 George decided to make a shift in his career.
He returned to school, attending the University of Michigan at Dearborn, in order to earn a teaching certificate. George's wife Joann was already an elementary school teacher, and George decided to join her in order to spend more time with her and his children.
George student taught at Fitzgerald High School in February of 1962 and subsequently joined the teaching staff at Fitzgerald, teaching government, biology, economics,and American History. In 1965 George established an income tax practice at 4118 E Eight Mile Road, Detroit, Michigan, 48234 with a telephone number of 366-6635. He remained there for two years until he moved in with Don Binkowski at 26216 Van Dyke in Center Line. He conducted a tax practice there during 1967 and remained there until 1976 when he was elected District Court Judge in Warren and Center Line, Michigan. He practiced law with Don Binkowski during 1967 and 1968 when Don Binkowski was elected a District Court Judge. George also practiced law there from 1970 until 1977. George resigned from Fitzgerald in 1970 in order to return to legal practice, with the eventual goal of fulfilling his childhood ambition of becoming a judge. By this time George and Joann had two more children, for a total of four. In November of 1971, with the help of many of his former students and their parents and friends, George was elected to the City of Warren Council. George was re-elected for several subsequent terms until being elected a 37th District Court Judge in the City of Warren in November of 1976. George was sworn in as a district judge by the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Thomas Giles Kavanagh. Shortly after George donned his judicial robes, he and Joann divorced in 1977. Kathryn, Carol and George II remained in George's custody in Warren, while Elizabeth was in Joann's custody, visiting George on weekends. Joann later remarried Edward W. Karpinski, at which time George resumed custody of youngest daughter Elizabeth. In 1980 George was elected Chief Judge,
a position he held throughout that term and again after being re-elected in 1986. While serving as Chief Judge, George introduced a modern computer system to the court, greatly streamlining its administration. Researching computer systems for the court prompted in George an interest in computers. George's subsequent interest in new technologies facilitated his current genealogical endeavors, including this transcription of family history into PAF. George remained Chief Judge of the 37th District Court for the remainder of his tenure there, stepping down only to commence his position as Judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit at noon, January 1, 1991.
During his time on the District Court bench George also served as a president of the Macomb County District Judges Association. George's elevation to the Circuit Court bench represented the fulfillment of his childhood ambition, as he began hearing cases of greater signficance than the traffic-oriented District Court.
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1932 - 2017 (84 years)
