GEESAMAN FAMILY NEWSLETTER #1

Cropped Version
See Original Picture at our Picture Gallery #1
COURTESY of HAROLD MOUER of Waynesboro, PA
22 April 2000

FATHERLAND OF OUR GIEßEMANN ANCESTORS

Definition:

ß

a vestige of German Gothic,
pronounced like the "s" of "yes",
is now properly translated as "ss" rather than the "sz" of earlier times.
Bernadine N. Geesaman, April 2000
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GEESAMAN FAMILY NEWSLETTER



Transcription:
Courtesy of Amy McCARTY
Amy is a GUESMAN descendant who is hoping to find her roots.

HTML Coding and Layout:
by Audrey Shields Hancock
Descendant of:
Elizabeth R. GEESEMAN/GIESEMAN (ca 1825-1861)

married 1839 Shelby Co., OH
Dennis C. MILLS (1815-1881)
They lived in Shelby Co., OH.
Seeking parents and ancestors of Elizabeth.

This is a slightly abridged version of a published and copyrighted document. This Newsletter appears in abridged form for purposes of brevity and ease of reading on the internet. Please see the Geesaman Newsletter Homepage concerning changes.   Audrey Shields Hancock



REVIEW:  DISCLAIMER


Geesaman Cousins

Including All the Variants of the Name--Geiseman, Gieseman, Gesseman, Gessman, etc.
A Medium for Exchange of Information by All Geeseman Family Researchers

Volume I

January, 1975
No. 1

Richard F. Kirkpatrick, Editor, Box 37, Covington, Oklahoma 73730

[The editor of the newsletter, GEESAMAN COUSINS was Richard F. Kirkpatrick (RFK), now deceased.]
[His lineage is in the first newsletter.]
[He was born in 1896.]

PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLICATION

"Geesaman Cousins" is being published for the purpose of giving all persons interested in the genealogy of the Geesaman Family an opportunity to exchange information on the family origins. Hopefully, it will serve as an authorized publication of a GEESAMAN FAMILY ORGANIZATION.

The first two or three issues will be printed and distributed at the expense of a few interested family members. It is hoped that when a nationwide family organization is established the expense of publishing this family newsletter may be taken care of by membership dues. Your temporary editor also hopes that a younger, more energetic editor may be secured.

One feature of GEESAMAN COUSINS will be the Query Column in which readers may ask those perplexing questions such as: " Who was Great Aunt Jane's first husband? "When did Great Grandfather Jones leave Pennsylvania?". These queries will be published without charge, and perhaps some of our readers will be able to supply answers.

Pedigrees, cemetery inscriptions, announcements of family reunions, abstracts or wills, deeds and other legal documents will be printed. In fact, Geesaman Cousins is being published for the sole purpose of helping any and all descendants of the early immigrant Geesaman families learn more about their ancestry.

The editor will personally answer any reader's letter asking for genealogical help. A stamped, self addressed envelope will be appreciated. The editor cannot guarantee that he will be able to answer all questions, but he will do his best to either give an answer or to point out how an answer may be found.

You are all invited to fill out "Pedigree" and "Family Group" forms showing your ancestry and send them to the editor of "GEESAMAN COUSINS", who is compiling a Geesaman genealogical file. The information on this file will be available to all interested in our family history.



JOHN E. GEESAMAN TRACES LINEAGE BACK
TO
JOHAN GEORGE WILHELM GIESEMAN

by John E. and Bernadine Newcomer Geesaman


We have been interested in our genealogy for quite a few years and have been adding bits of information from time to time. However, this year, 1974, our interest has been greatly renewed because of our correspondence with Richard F. Kirkpatrick. In July, he and his wife, Bonnie, daughter, Iris and granddaughter, Cynthia, visited us and we exchanged information with them on our mutual search.

Shortly before this visit, we decided to make a chart on a large piece of paper to help clarify the place each one belonged on our "Family Tree". We have tried to make it as accurate as possible, but discrepancies have been discovered. In checking some new information, dates may not jibe but we think this is due to inaccuracies in copying from old records or indistinct markings on tombstones.

I'm sure you have all discovered many various ways of spelling the name Geesaman. We have found these spellings: Gusseman, Giiseman, Giesman, Geesiman, Geaseman, Geeseman and today's most common way, Geesaman. We think this is partly due to the misunderstanding of ship clerks and others because of translating from German to English. We found two different spellings on adjoining stones of husband and wife, John and Sabina.

Another difficult problem is in trying to properly place those with the same first names, such as William, Amos, Heinrich or Henry, Joseph, Josiah, John and George.

The name that we found that dates earliest is John George Wilhelm. In the book entitled "Pennsylvania German Pioneers" by Strassburger and Hinke, the ship Snow Molly (qualified October 26, 1741) has three listings: on page 313, Yerig Willm Geeseman; on page 314 Johan Wilhelm Gusseman; and on page 315, Johan Georg Wilhelm Gusseman. His age is given as 23. The third list is supposed to have been composed of signatures. If they didn't know how to write they signed with an X. There is NO X for Johan so we assume that he knew how to write and thus would have spelled it properly in German.

A complete listing as we have on our records is impossible to list here. But here are the ones we think are correct in leading up to our generation: Johan George Wilhelm1, John George, William b. 1769, Joseph b. 1802, William b. 1827, Andrew b. 1852, Harry E. b. 1886 and John E. b. 1916.

1 ["In 1989 church records discovered in Germany indicate that John George William was the OLDER BROTHER (and not the father) of the John George from whom John E. Geesaman is descended."]
(Source: Internet, 7 Jun 2000, E-mail to ASH from Bonnie J. EVERHART)

We will be glad to exhange information with anyone who desires it.

         John and Bernadine Geesaman



DESCENDANTS OF HENRY WILLIAM GIESEMANN


(This genealogy is furnished us by Larry Kimble, Oak Hill, Kansas who is one of the descendants of Henry William Giesemann)

First Generation

HENRY WILLIAM GIESEMANN, b. 1 Jan., 1824 ( June 1822); d. 13 Dec., 1903; mar, Sophia M. L. Kins?, b. 25 Jan., 1827, d. 8 Aug. 1886.

Second Generation
Children of Henry and Sophia Giesseman;

Third Generation (A partial list)
Children of Frederick Gottlieb and Caroline Giesemann were:

( Note:- Frederick Giesemann died at his residence in Blaine Township, Clay Co., Kansas in the fall of 1891 of pneumonia. Caroline (Karrolinna), his wife, died the following year when a team of horses broke loose while she was going down Wilson Hill with a load of oats on a Monday afternoon. The wagon rolled over her and she died an hour later. The children were then spread out among the various relatives and friends.

Frederick and Caroline Giesemann are buried at the Lutheran Church Cemetery near Idana, Kansas. Nearby are Frederick's parents, Henry and Sophia Giesemann and Elmer Giesemann).


Children of Henry William and Kate Giesemann were:
(The asterisk in front of a name in this genealogy indicates that person was an ancestor of our informant, Larry Kimble.)





Picture of:
Henry Geesaman
and
his second wife,
  Caroline L. (Chadwick) Wiggins-Geesaman  


Henry Geesaman, son of George and Elizabeth Ressley Geesaman, was born in Lebanon, Pa. 27 Aug, 1815. He lived in Pa. until he was about 20 years old when he moved to Dayton, Ohio where he remained about eight months. Then he settled in Fairfield Co., Ohio where he married Mary Work, a native of Ohio 2 Feb., 1838.


Henry and Mary had thirteen children but only the names of eleven are known.

The first five of these children were born in Ohio and the others in Allen Co., Indiana where the family appeared in the 1850 census. Some time during the 1860's they moved to Cedar Co., Iowa where Mary died sometime before 15 March, 1877 when Henry married Caroline L. (nee Chadwick) Wiggins, widow of J. E. Wiggins.

To this marriage two children were born:

Henry died 18 Jan., 1883 in Cedar Co., Iowa. According to his will he owned 320 acres of farm land and appears to have been well-to-do.

Henry's son, George Washington Geesaman, was the grandfather of your editor. His daughter, Lousetta, married my father, Reuben Loftis Kirkpatrick 10 Feb., 1893 in Independence, Kansas. I was born 27 Dec., 1896 near the present town of Ramona, Oklahoma.

(Facts in the above sketch are substantiated by: death certificate, will, probate records and a county history of Cedar Co., Iowa published five years before Henry's death.)





Picture of:
George Ressley Geesaman
and
  Louisa May (Rockhill) Geesaman  


George Ressley Geesaman, son of George and Elizabeth Ressley Geesaman, was born in Lebanon, Pa., 28 Sept., 1828. He was the younger brother of Henry Geesaman. On Nov. 10 , 1852 he married Louisa May Rockhill in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was a daughter of Edward and Rebecca (Richardson) Rockhill. To this union two sons were born:

  1. William Henry Geesaman, b. 26 Oct. , 1857 at Tipton, Iowa, d. 23 May, 1927; m. Katie Baer 10 Feb., 1880 at Dillon, Iowa.
    Six children were born to them:
    1. George O. Geesaman, b. Dec. 13, 1880, d. 30 Aug., 1963, Chautauqua Co., Kan. m. Nettie Moore Mar. 1901
    2. Lulu Geesaman, b. 22 Feb., 1884, d. 16 June, 1969, Independence, Kan. m. Henry O. Helvie 7 June, 1905.
    3. Florence Geesaman, b. 1 June, 1891, Chautauqua Co., Kan; m. Bruce E. Colean 25 Feb. 1911, Independence, Kan.
    4. Roy N. Geesaman, b. 23 May, 1893, Chautauqua Co., Kan., mar. Elizabeth Bray 4 June, 1916. They live in Sedan, Kansas.
    5. Bernice Geesaman, b. 20 May, 1898, Chautauqua Co., Kan., mar. E. Lee Huggins 26 Feb., 1943, Coffeyville, Kansas.
    6. Cleona Geesaman, b. 26 June, 1902, Chautauqua Co., Kan., mar. Claude D. Appleby 20 Dec., 1923, Bartleysville, Okla. She now lives in Peru, Kan.
      ( We are indebted to her for her family's genealogy.)
  2. Charles Edward Geesaman, son of George Ressley and Louisa May Geesaman, married Emm Dunn.
    Nine children were born to them:
    1. Maude,
    2. Cleve,
    3. Walter,
    4. Ellen,
    5. Guy,
    6. Hazel,
    7. Olean,
    8. Rex and
    9. Vergil.





This is a picture of the cemetery at the Friedens Lutheran Church, Beinville, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.
One grave is that of Johan George Gieseman. He was the son of Yerigh William Gieseman, the immigrant who came to America in the Snow Molly in October, 1741. The inscription on his tombstone was in German and is translated:
" Johan George Gieseman, born Feb., 1754, died March 9, 1810, father of three sons and five daughters."
We are indebted to Ira. A Barr for this picture and information.





Ira Ray Barr's FAMILY TREE SKETCHED

(Asterisks indicate his direct ancestors.)

First Generation
*Yerigh William Gieseman, b. 1718, d. 1760; mar. Anna Catherine Heck.

Second Generation
*Johan George Gieseman b. Feb., 1754 d. 9 Mar., 1810; m. Catherine----- b. 1758 died., October 1818.

Third Generation

Fourth Generation
( Issue of John William and Margaret Replogle Gieseman)


Fifth Generation
Jacob and Catherine Wright had 8 children:

Sixth Generation
(Mary Ann and Robert Johns had 6 children.)

Seventh Generation
(Clara Alice and Henry Barr had 5 children.)



COMPILING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
by Merle GANIER
Editor of KNIGHT LETTER & DAWES FAMILY NEWSLETTER

is not transcribed here, as we do not have permission of the author to reprint (transcribe) this article. Today there are many sites on the internet that are valuable resources for this same type of information.


WHO WAS THE FIRST GEESAMAN IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA?

Johan Georg Wilhelm Gusseman arrived in Pennsylvania on the Snow Molly in 1741. As John E. and Bernadine Geesaman have pointed out in another article in this issue, three different lists are in existence and each document spells the name differently: Yerigh Willm Geeseman, Johan George Wilhelm Gusseman and Johan Georg Wilhelm Gusseman. All three spellings appear to refer to the same man. Has anyone found a record of an earlier Geesaman immigrant? And does anyone have records of later Geesaman immigrants? By the name of Geesaman, we include all spellings of the word. Let us hear from you.



FAMILY TREE SEARCHERS SHOULD BE CRITICAL OF ALL GENEALOGICAL STATEMENTS

Just because a genealogical statement appears in print does not prove that it is true. There should be documentary proof to substantiate the accuracy of the dates of births, deaths, marriages, etc. We sometimes fall into the habit of taking the word of someone else instead of checking proof.

Which brings us to the admission that there are probably some misstatements in this issue of GEESAMAN COUSINS. We expect to receive letters from those who have discovered errors.

Your editor is NOT a trained genealogist--just a descendant of the Pennsylvania Dutch who is trying to learn more about his heritage. And he hopes that through these pages others will be helped to do the same.




WHERE DO MOST PRESENT DAY GEESAMAN FAMILIES LIVE?

The first Geesaman immigrants settled in Southeastern Pennsylvania in the area frequently referred to as "Pennsylvania Dutch Country". While many of them followed the westward course through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, a large number of them have remained in Pennsylvania until now. There are more Geesaman listings in the Waynesboro, Pennsylvania telephone book than you will find in Denver, Houston or San Francisco combined.

But there probably are Geesaman descendants in all states of the nation. In Oklahoma, for instance, there may be just a few bearing the name, but there are many descendants on the distaff side who bear some other name.

It seem that the Pennsylvania Geesaman families who left that state went west by way of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Many of them settled in those three states and their descendants may still be there. And a large number will be found in Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma.





BIRTH AND BAPTISM RECORDS
OF
SALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH,
Lebanon, PA


These records were researched by Miss Anna Geesaman, Hershey, Pa, and were found in the Lebanon Co. Historical Society, Lebanon, Pa.





MARRIAGES IN ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH,
Jonestown, Pennsylvania

Page 354 Giesseman, Jonathan and Brand, Catherine, 23 Mar. 1856
(Editor's Note: You will observe that the name "Geesaman" is spelled several different ways. We have tried to use the spelling just as it appeared in the Lebanon Historical Society records. We may have made errors in both names and dates. We are not sure whether the dates are of births or baptisms. --RFK)




WILL "ALLIED" FAMILY INFORMATION BE USED IN GEESAMAN COUSINS?

The answer is yes. However, any item concerning an allied family should show its connection with some Geesaman line. Many of the people to whom this issue is being mailed do not bear the name "Geesaman" yet are descendants of a Geesaman. Some of them must go back several generations to show the connection.

And we repeat that we are interested in all Geesaman lines--Geiseman, Guseman, Geesman , Gussman, etc.

Also they need not to have descended from the "Pennsylvania Dutch" line.





PARTIAL LISTING OF GEESAMAN
and
GEESAMAN RELATED CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS
in Franklin Co., Pa.,
in Waynesboro and Quincy area.

The list was compiled by Mr. and Mrs. John E. Geesaman, Mr and Mrs R. F. Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Iris Donnell and daughter, Cynthia.

QUINCY CEMETERY


Andrew W. Geesaman (Father)
July 8, 1852 - May 8, 1932

Emma M. Beckner Geesaman (Mother)
June 18, 1857 - May 12, 1935

Charles W. Geesaman
Feb. 22, 1866 - 1938

Clinton B. Geesaman
April 1, 1892 - 1956

Charles Eugene Geesaman
1915- 1916

Rev. George K. Little
1860 - 1938

Annie C. Little, wife (nee Geesaman)
1863 - 1948

Harry Cook
1876 - 1956

Carrie Cook (nee Geesaman)
Aug. 1, 1888 - 1931

Lambert G. Geesaman
Sept. 11, 1874 - Jan. 10, 1958

Minnie Monn ( his wife )
Sept. 14, 1877 - October 11, 1931

Elsie Emma Geesaman
April 29, 1897 - April 29, 1897

Isabel M. Geesaman
1905 -

Milton B. Douie
1901 - 1953

Adeline G. Douie
1900 - 1973



MT. ZION CEMETERY


1 mile north of Quincy, PA


Finley Geesaman
May 5, 1830 - December 15, 1917

Josiah Ellsworth Geesaman
Son of Josiah & Anna E. Geesaman
April 6, 1864 - Aug. 13, 1864

Augustus William Geesaman
Dec. 3, 1861 - March 6, 1876
Aged 14 years., 3 mo. and 3 days

Joseph Geesaman (Our Father)
Jan. 1, 1802 - Nov. 10, 1880
Aged 78 years., 10 mo., 9 days

Leah (Our Mother)
Wife of Joseph Geesaman
March 19, 1806 - April 1, 1896
Aged 90 years., 12 days

William D. Geesaman
Aug. 21, 1882 - March 12, 1945


Annie J. Geesaman
Aug. 15, 1887 - 19--

Chester G. Newcomer
1904 ----

Meriam M. Newcomer (nee Geesaman)
1908 - 1973



PRICE's CEMETERY


2 miles south west of Quincy, Pa. by Church of the Brethren


Josiah Geesaman
Co. D., 21 Pa. Cav.
Feb. 2, 1838 - Aug. 1, 1885

Anna E. Pentz (his wife)
March 11, 1842 - Dec., 13, 1926

Charles S. Geesaman
Oct. 22, 1878 - Dec., 16, 1880

Amanda Florence Geeseman
July 2, 1865 - Nov. 23, 1941



GREENHILL CEMETERY
1 mile south of Waynesboro, PA


Harry E. Geesaman
Jan., 31, 1886 - July 12, 1965

Ruth Shubert (his wife)
July 13, 1892 - Dec. 27, 1973

Josiah S. Geesaman
Pennsylvania Tec. 4, HQ CO, 110 Infantry
Regt., World War II
Jan. 25, 1924 - July 13, 1965



NUNNERY CEMETERY



William Geesaman
Oct., 25, 1827 - October, 30, 1898
Aged 71 years., 6 days

Elizabeth Monn
wife of W. Geesaman
Mar. 20, 1830 - Jan., 21, 1875
Aged 44 years., 10 mo., 1 day



SHIPPENSBURG CEMETERY



Mary E. Geesaman 1805 - 1900
(these dates may be in error)
[NOTE: Vol. II, Apr. 1976, No. 2: CORRECTION: 1865-1950...ASH]

Hiram W. Geesaman 1864 - 1950


WHITE CHURCH CEMETERY



John Geesaman
Nov., 19, 1767 - Sept. 11, 1826
Aged 58 years., 9 mo., 23 days
(This was the brother of the William Geesaman b. Feb. 16, 1769; d. March 12, 1813)

Sabina Geesaman (wife of John)
d. June 9, 1844
Aged 72 years, 5 mo., 20 days

Their son
Joseph Geesaman
October 9, 1799 - Aug. 18, 1841
Aged 41 years., 10 months, 11 days
( Note: this was a cousin of the Joseph, b. Jan. 1, 1802; d. Nov. 10, 1880 )

Susan Geesaman
Aug. 11, 1796 - Oct. 19, 1855
Aged 59 years., 2 mo., 8 days

QUERY COLUMN


LARRY KIMBLE, Oak Hill, KS 67472 wants information on his Gieseman family and in locating their descendants. It would be most helpful to locate where the family came from in German, Holland or Luxemburg. They lived in St. Louis, MO; Edwardsville, IL, and other places in Madison and Randolph Counties before moving to Kansas. A genealogy of Mr. Kimble's family appears elsewhere in this issue.

JOHN E. GEESAMAN, Box 175, Quincy, PA 17247, desires information on Jacob Geesaman m. Barbara Reichard; b. Franklin Co., PA, moved to a farm in Stark Co., OH. Believe their children moved farther westward. Had family of 4 boys and 9 girls. Ten grew to adulthood. They probably moved to Indiana and Missouri.

R. F. KIRKPATRICK, Box 37, Covington, OK 73730, desires information on the George Geesaman who married Elizabeth Reesley, daughter of Rudolph Reesley. George and Elizabeth Geesaman had 4 children: Elizabeth b 18 Jul 1813, d 8 Nov 1815; Henry b 27 Aug 1815, d 18 Jan 1883; Rosanna b 2 Aug 1818; and George Reesley b 28 Sep 1828, d 2 Aug 1898, all born in Lebanon, PA.

MRS. W. A. LOONEY, 1027 North 11th St., Salina, Kansas 67401, desires information on Jacob Eikelberger, who was the father of David Isaac Eikelberger, b. 29 July 1836 PA or MD, d. 22 Jan 1919 Ottawa Co., KS. David Isaac EIKELBERGER married Hannah Maria GEESEMAN b. 29 April 1841 Franklin Co., PA, d. 29 July 1927 Ottawa Co., KS. She was a daughter of William and Susan (HILL) GEESEMAN of Franklin Co., PA. When and where was Jacob EIKELBERGER born and when and where did he die? Who were his parents?




OUR PLANS FOR THE APRIL ISSUE CALL FOR YOUR COOPERATION

"Geesaman Cousins" is only possible through cooperation efforts of those of you who are interested in searching your family tree. We are asking you to freely contribute for publication information on Geesaman genealogy, such as:
Family Bible Records, Cemetery Inscriptions, Church Records, Birth and Baptism Records, Marriage Records, Ancestor Charts, Family Group Sheets, Biographical Sketches of Ancestors, Abstracts of Wills and Probate Records, Family Traditions, etc.

Please send such material as soon as possible.

[NOTE: These same items can be sent to Audrey Shields Hancock for inclusion on our website.]




COMING IN THE APRIL ISSUE

We had planned to run the genealogy of Mrs. Elsie Lucile (Geesaman) Ashcraft in this issue, but Mrs. Ashcraft has additional information on her line and wishes to run it in our next issue. She has done considerable research and we are looking forward to using her information in the April issue.




THE EDITOR THANKS

The following who have helped make this issue possible: John E. and Bernadine Geesaman, Quincy, PA; Mrs. Elsie Ashcraft, Muncie, IN; Larry Kimble, Oak Hill, KS; Mrs. Cleona Appleby, Peru, KS; Ira R. Barr, Yellow Springs, OH; Merle Ganier, Ft. Worth, TX; Miss Anna Geesaman, Hershey, PA; Mrs. W. A. Looney, Salina, KS; and others who have contributed information and/or printing expense money.




  An "ANCESTOR's CHART" was included in this newsletter.  
Also, included was
"SUGGESTIONS FOR FILLING OUT
THE "ANCESTOR CHART"


CHART nor SUGGESTIONS included here.


Webpage Created: 7 June 2000


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