Principal, George C. Dietrich, Building Contractor, Philadelphia, PA, c. 1900; Principal, George C. Dietrich, Building Contractor, Seattle, WA, c. 1910; Principal, George C. Dietrich, Building Contractor, Riverside, NJ, c. 1930.

Dietrich was born c. 08/1867 probably in the area of Riverside, NJ. The US Census of 1870 indicated that George and Mary Dietrich lived with their family in Cinnaminson, NJ, close to Riverside in Burlington County. In 1880, he lived in Riverside, NJ, with his parents and siblings, the youngest of five. Dietrich lived a peripatetic existence, inhabiting different places according to the US Censuses of 1900, 1910, and 1930. His daughter was born in PA in 1892, suggesting that he lived there at the time. According to the 1900 US Census, Dietrich resided in Philadelphia, PA, with Emma, daughter Marguerite, a servant, Lizzie Ernig (born c. 05/1882 in NJ), and a "boarder" Alexander Rhodes (born c. 03/1878 in NJ), an engineer. Rhodes was most likely a relative as Emma's last name was Rhodes. They made their residence at 939 North 7th Street in Philadelphia. They had moved cross-country to Seattle by 1910, where the family lived in a residence at 1520 31st Avenue South. Seattle was having a building boom between 1907-1910, so it would be easy to imagine why he relocated here. In 1930, Dietrich, his wife and mother-in-law lived at 148 Webster Street, Riverside, NJ. He and his family lived comfortably in a residence he owned worth $10,000. At age 70, he and Emma continued to live in Riverside, NJ, although now they lived at 201 North Pavilion Avenue. The 1940 Census indicated that he worked as a construction foreman at a local WPA project.

His parents were German immigrants. His father was probably Georg Dietrich (born c. 06/1821 in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, in what became Germany), a tailor. His mother, Marie (born c. 05/1823 in Hesse-Darmstadt), worked in the home. They married c. 1847. The Dietrichs had a large family with perhaps 7 children: Catherine (born c. 1848 in Hesse-Darmstadt), John (born c. 1850 in PA), Joseph (born c. 1855 in PA), Margaret (born c. 1857 in PA), Frank (born c. 1860 in PA, Elizabeth (born c. 11/1864 in NJ), and George, Jr. (There may have been another child, named as "Marie" on the manifest, who accompanied Georg and Marie aboard the S.S. Noemie from Le Havre, France. They arrived in New York, NY, on 07/15/1848. This child was possibly Catherine. The 1900 US Census indicated that Georg and Marie had 9 children, 4 of whom were alive.) Aside from periods living in PA, Georg and Marie spent most of their adult lives in and around Riverside, NJ.

He married Emma Rhodes Dietrich (born c. 03/1870 in NJ) c. 1892. Her mother was Rose L. Rhodes (born c. 1846 in Germany), her father was French.

George and Emma had one daughter, Marguerite or Margaret (born 06/1892 in PA).