George North Neff was born in Alton, Madison County, Illinois on April 21, 1834, the second son of Joel and Marilla Neff. His father, Joel Neff, had migrated to Illinois from Wheeling, West Viginia during the 1820's. George's mother, Marilla Wilder, was born in Vermont about 1809, and moved to Madison County with her parents, James and Roxanne Wilder.

George's older brother, Alvin A. Neff was born in Edwardsville, Illinois on September 4, 1831. His younger brother Robert A. Neff was born in Alton, Illinois in 1835 and died a young man, in Alton, on June 5, 1858. George's little sister, Mary Abigail Neff was born in Alton in 1841.

George stood five feet eight inches tall with gray eyes and black hair. While in his teens he apprenticed as a saddle and harness maker at Sidway's Saddle Shop in Alton, Illinois. His good friend, Jessie Ketchem, was also in apprenticeship at Sidway's.

At age twenty-two, George left home to join with John Brown's group to fight against slavery in Kansas. In the summer of 1856, George participated in the battle of Osawatomie, under the command of John Brown, Jim Lane and Captain Harvey, the latter being one of the "Chicago Boys". On the night of September 14, 1856, after an engagement at Hickory Point, the tired soldiers unsaddled their horses and laid down to sleep. Shortly thereafter, they were awakened by U.S. Dragoons and found themselves prisoners of the government. They were marched off to La Compton where they were detained in prison for three long months while awaiting trial. In December, they were represented by six counselors and after seven days of hearings, they were released on a technicality.

George returned to Illinois and settled for a time in Bloomington, McLean County. On June 8^th, 1857 he married Mary Elizabeth Hamilton. The ceremony was performed by Reverend H.I. Eddy, Baptist Minister for the Gospel. Mary Elizabeth was one of six children of John and Oleva (Butler) Hamilton, formerly of Kentucky. In the mid 1850's, the Hamilton's moved from Scott County, KY to Bloomington where John was employed as a Sexton. Their daughter, Mary Elizabeth, born on December 11^th, 1840 in Franklin County, KY, had five brothers: James Richard born 1839 in KY, Emmett Jacob born 1845 in Kentucky, John W. born 1847 in KY, Jessie B. born 1851 in Kentucky and George A. born 1858 in Illinois.

George and Mary Neff had three sons born while in Bloomington, IL. Robert Alvin was born May 21, 1858, Sidney George was born January 8, 1861 and Claude, born February 4, 1863. In 1861, when the Civil War came to Illinois, George left his wife and two small children to volunteer his services as a Saddler with the Third Illinois Cavalry. Serving with Co. I, he fought the battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas. During that battle, his commanding officer, Lieutenant S.F. Dolloff was shot and received a serious wound in the thigh. With a shortage of medics, and his knowledge of animal husbandry, George was assigned as Lieutenant Dolloff's nurse. George stayed with him during the battle until he could safely return the wounded officer to their Springfield camp. Three years later, Lieutenant Dolloff personally handed George his discharge papers.

After his tour of duty, George moved his wife and three children, to Colorado during the gold excitement in the late 1860's. After a short stay in Colorado, Robert's father brought the family to Ottawa, Kansas. It was in Ottawa that Robert's youngest sister, Lela Oleva, was born in 1869. By the time the Federal Census was taken in 1875, George and his family had settled in Wichita, Kansas, where they would remain until the Cherokee Land Run of 1889.