George was the oldest of 15 children born to Samuel Porch Craver and Elizabeth Nelson. The Craver Family moved from New Jersey to Indiana around 1852 remaining there until 1855 when they moved to Poweshiek County, Iowa. It was there that he enlisted in the Civil War, on December 30, 1863, joining Company E, 4th Iowa Cavalry. He was mustered out on August 8, 1865 at Atlanta, Georgia.

Obituary:

The Springdale News
Springdale, AR
July 15, 1904

CRAVER, Geo. W. – "I'm so tired of life." With these words freshly written and with this thought doubtless uppermost in his mind, Geo. W. Craver deliberately lay down and pressed the trigger which sent a bullet into his brain and his soul to the judgment bar of God. This last act in the drama of life occurred Saturday afternoon about five o'clock at the home of Mr. Craver about two miles southeast of Springdale. The news spread quickly and soon a large number of friends gathered, hoping that report might not be true and ready to render any assistance that might be needed. Mr. Craver had been in ill health for some time and recently had been growing worse. His wife had endeavored a number of times to induce him to have a physician but he refused. Saturday afternoon he appeared worse than usual, there was a flush on his face indicating fever and finally Mrs. Craver induced him to let her go and have a neighbor summon a physician. She was gone only a short time; as she was entering the gate on her return heard the report of a pistol inside the house. Rushing in she found Mr. Craver's lifeless form stretched upon the floor with a 38-calibre revolver in his nerveless hand. When Mrs. Craver left him he was lying on a bed in a small room in the rear part of the house but after she left he had risen from this and gone through the kitchen to the rear porch, which is enclosed with screen wire. Here he had lain a chair on the floor with the back upwards and on this placed a cushion. It was here, in a half-sitting position where the deed was done and where Mrs. Craver found him. The bullet entered the head on the right side slightly in front of and below the ear, ranging upwards and coming out at the left side and going on struck the wire screen. The left hand was powder burnt, indicating that Mr. Craver steadied the revolver with this hand while he held it in his right hand. When Mrs. Craver found him the revolver was held loosely in the right hand. On the table in the kitchen was found the following note written by Mr. Craver. It was in a tablet, the sheet not having been torn out, and near the tablet was the pencil with which it was written: "I must get out of this. Good-by everybody. I'm so tired of life now I'm old. George. Don't worry, wife." Mr. and Mrs. Craver came here nine years ago from New Sharon, Iowa and located about two miles southeast of Springdale where Mr. Craver has been engaged in the poultry business, his place being known as the "George Washington Poultry Farm." There were only the two in the family. He took great pride in his poultry and it was always a pleasure to show visiting friends over his place. On account of so much rain this had been an unusually hard season on him and his financial troubles, coupled with his increasing ill health, were no doubt responsible for his death. He said to friends time and aging that he would be better off dead and one of the witnesses before the coroner's jury testified that Mr. Craver had stated that he had a revolver that would not fail him when the time came. But little attention was paid to these remarks by his friends who did not take them at all seriously. The probabilities are that he consented for his wife to go for some one to secure a physician simply to get her out of the way for a few moments. Mr. Craver was 67 years of age and was born in New Jersey. From New Jersey he went to Indiana when a boy and from there to Iowa where he resided until coming to Arkansas in March 1895. His first wife died some twenty years ago and about fourteen years ago at Moulton, Iowa he was married to Miss Mattie Simmons, who survives him. He leaves one child, Mrs. Georgetta Stilwell of Stilwell, Iowa, the result of his first union. There was also a son who died suddenly of heart disease some months ago in Montana. There were no children to Mr. Craver's second union. Mr. Craver was a member of no church or secret society except the Grand Army. The remains were interred Monday morning in Bluff Cemetery under the auspices of the G.A.R., devotional services being conducted by Rev. J.A. Smith, pastor of the First Baptist church. Many of his neighbors and friends attended the services.