George was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1888, a son of Gustav August Leon Sanftleben and his wife, Maria "Mary" Dorthea Doescher.  George, his wife Clara Cora Andreas, and their two children lived in St. Louis.  Both of Clara's grandfathers, Johann Charbonnier and Anton Andreas, served in volunteer Missouri regiments during the Civil War.

After graduating from high school, George initially worked for the Adolphus Busch family as an upholsterer and wallpaperer at the Busch mansion, now Grant's Farm, on Gravois Road in St. Louis County.  He then became a salesman for the San-Del Printing Company in St. Louis, eventually rising to become its vice-president.

George enlisted in the 35th National Guard Division as a Mess Sergeant for the duration of World War I, and served overseas with the Battery C, 128th Field Artillery from 30 May 1918 to 22 Apr 1919. The division fought at San Mihel, Meuse, and Argonne.  Following the war he was active in the founding of the American Legion participating in its first stateside caucus in St. Louis in May of 1919.

George died of tuberculosis in 1943, less than one year before the discovery and production of streptomycin and para-aminosalicylic acid, the first drugs that could effectively combat the disease.

George's son, George Peter Jr., who is my father, still lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, my mother, Betty Jane Zimmer Sanftleben.  Betty's father, Edgar Herbert Zimmer, was a life-long resident of St. Louis and a long-time auto dealer in East St. Louis, Illinois.  Her grandfather, Gustave Peter Wuest, was an architect who helped design St. Louis's Union Station and City Hall.