Here is some info on George Cohee's last years: He married a third time December 28, 1908 to Hazel Opal Altenburg. He was 52, she was a mere 19. They would have six children, bringing George’s total to 12. He and Hazel moved around quite a bit. They spent time in Missouri and Arkansas, and George did odd jobs. He worked as a logger and a fisherman, and even dove for pearls in the White River in Arkansas. He was also known as a herbalist healer. They returned to Michigan and lived on a houseboat, but eventually made their way back to Arkansas. They didn’t go to church, but he always read the Bible to the children.
By the 1920’s George was in poor health with heart failure, and he had several strokes. His oldest son by Hazel, Noah, had to work cutting railroad ties by age 13 and his two older daughters also cut timber. When he died about 1926, they were living in Guion, Arkansas (about 15 miles from Batesville), and he was buried in a potter’s grave.
Hazel took off for Texas and was not seen again. The kids were 19, 16, 14, 11, 7 and 4. Noah went off on his own. The 16-year-old, Ida, married Earl Guyles, and tried to keep her siblings together, but failed. The middle girls, Pansy and Etta, found nearby families to foster them. The two remaining children were adopted. Nora, was adopted by the Crowell family, and Willy, the youngest, went to the Anthony family. He did not know he was adopted for 27 years, but was eventually reunited with his long-lost siblings.