Kentucky native Rev. George W. Gaines had a brief tenure in Iowa but a long career as a Methodist minister. Rev. Gaines was reported as a pastor for Bethel AME Church in the Chicago Inter Ocean on November 30, 1890. The Chicago Defender reported he was a nominee for bishop. He visited Des Moines in 1904 as a bishop for the AME church as reported in the Des Moines Register. The Iowa State Bystander called him “Elder Gaines” in a December 4, 1904 reference.

He continued to serve as a Presiding Elder in the Midwest. Rev. Gaines appeared in 1905 with stops including Clinton in June, Albia in October, and Dubuque in November. The territory may have included South Dakota as the June 1, 1906 Iowa State Bystander noted that Elder Gaines would be there on the following Tuesday. A November 1, 1907 report referred to him as the presiding elder for Minneapolis and that he had recently visited churches in Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri.

By 1909 Rev. Gaines returned to Illinois, and served as a pastor in Aurora. He later moved to the Soldier’s Home in Danville, Ilinois. His 1918 death certificate lists his place of death as Chicago. He is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.