For 14 years, George "Anner" Shively played baseball in the Negro Baseball League, but when he passed away in 1962, he was buried in an unmarked grave in Rose Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, Indiana.
That changed around 2014, when author and Negro League expert Paul Dixon gave a talk at the Monroe County History Center about George Shively. It was an appropriate location to have the talk as the History Center was once the Colored School, a place George Shively spent much time as he attended the school while he was a youth living in Monroe County. This talk was not only to bring to light the little known Negro League players, but also to raise money for a headstone for George. It worked. In fact, it worked well enough that they managed to raise enough money to erect headstones for the remainder of George's family that were buried near him, also in unmarked graves. On April 4, 2015, a community ceremony was held to erect a headstone for him and his family.
But, let's backtrack to the beginning. George "Anner" Shively was born on January 2, 1893 in Lebanon, Kentucky to Joseph Shively (b. 1849 - d. June 1, 1910), who is buried near his son in Rose
Hill Cemetery.
He had at least two siblings that I have found:
Mary Jane Shively Chandler (b. 1888 - d. February 20, 1823, Bloomington, Indiana). She died at the age of 36 from Tuberculosis and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in an unmarked grave, though due to the work of the above group, she now has a headstone. Interestingly enough, her obituary, dated February 21, 1923, states that she was the "wife of the well-known colored man of the Showers Factory force".
Irene Shively (b. unknown - d. unknown). I don't know if she is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery with others of her family. Her name is not listed in the Rose Hill burial records, so she may be buried elsewhere.
He was married twice, first to Martha Irene Bowman Shively Green and second to Lula Shively. I believe that Martha Irene and George were married in 1915, but I am not sure when they divorced and he remarried Lula.
It is stated that he didn't have any children, but I found reference to one child. Her name was Ruth Shively (b. 1915 - d. 1917). She was only two years old when she passed away and was buried near George in Rose Hill Cemetery.
The others buried near him that received headstones are as follows: Molly Norris Brown (b. unknown - d. unknown; she is not listed in the burial records for Rose Hill and I do not have a photo of her grave), Vertie H. Poston (b. 1873 - d. September 2, 1928), William Floyd Brown (b. February 15, 1887 - d. February 17, 1928; he has a memorial stone nearby for his service in World War I), Beverly Brown (b. 1856 - d. June 9, 1929; an article in the Bloomington Daily Telephone states that he filed for divorce from his wife, Mary, charging her with cruel and inhuman treatment), Theodore Chandler (b. 1906 - d. April 4, 1944), Louis Chandler (b. June 15, 1883, Paoli, Indiana - d. March 17, 1972), George Thomas "Patch" Chandler (b. December 12, 1910, Bloomington, Indiana - d. July 1, 1979, Bloomington, Indiana; he also has a bronze plaque for his service in World War II). I am not entirely sure of the relation of any of the above mentioned to George and I have not been able to find a link so far. It is possible that there isn't a relation and they were found to have been buried in unmarked graves, like George, therefore were part of the project to receive headstones. The information is a little unclear.
George had a career that spanned 14 years, from 1910- to 1924, playing for various teams in the Negro National League. He was the left handed leadoff man for such teams as the West Baden Sprudels, the Indianapolis ABC's, the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, the Brooklyn Royal Giants and the Washington Potomacs. He could pitch at an incredible speed, earning him the nickname "Rabbit". He even played as far away as Cuba and Japan during his career.
He began his career in 1910 with the West Baden Sprudels. In 1911, he played with the Leland Giants, then went back to playing with the West Baden Sprudels from 1911-1913. His longest spanning team was the Indianapolis ABC's, which he played for in increments from 1914-1918, 1920-1921, and 1923. In 1919, he jumped over to play with the Kokomo, Indiana Black Devils, before heading back to West Baden. During 1919, he moved to play for the Atlantic City, Bacharach Giants, which he did until 1922 and then again from 1924-1925. Then during 1924, he also played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants and the Washington Potomacs.
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