Son of Henry and Elizabeth (Ward) Hanaway Shanafelt. Left Ohio for Indiana as an infant, then soon thereafter family left Indiana for Keokuk County, Iowa. George married Sarah Ann Wright on 22 Aug 1858 in Keokuk County and together they had two sons, Henry O. Shanafelt, born 6 Jun 1859, and Edward Arthur Shanafelt, born 25 Mar 1861.

Twenty-three year old George W. Shanafelt of Sigourney, Iowa enlisted as a Private, Union Soldier on 8 Oct 1862 with Company H, Iowa 33rd Infantry. George W. Shanafelt took a bullet through his heart on 30 April 1864 at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry, Saline River, Arkansas and died three days later on the 3rd day of May, 1864.35