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
This issue and the two previous issues have been edited and published by John and Bernadine Geesaman of Quincy, Pa. I have made some contribution to each issue, but due to health problems I was unable to take responsibility for getting our newsletter printed and mailed. My health, and that of Mrs. Kirkpatrick, will make it impossible for me to take responsibility for future issues.
This has been an imposition on John and Bernadine, which I regret. They are both very busy with their work and it is a hardship for them to publish our newsletter. I hope that they will be able to continue. However, they will need the help of all our members.
You may wonder how you may help. The best way is to WRITE LETTER TO THEM. Tell them of the BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, DEATHS, GRADUATIONS, FAMILY REUNIONS, etc. of the Geesaman and Geesaman-related members of your own family. Every family has interesting family legends, which would be of interest to other members of our association. Write Bernadine about these legends.
Members of your Geesaman line must have served in some war. Let Geesaman Cousins tell of their experiences.
Of course the primary purpose of our organization is to trace our long family history. Give the editors of Geesaman Cousins your pedigree: Parents, Grandparent, Great Grandparents, Great-Great Grandparents, as far back as you can. All of this will help make Geesaman Cousins not only interesting but informational.
Wouldn�t it be a good plan to have a �Contributing Editor� in each state or area where there are very many Geesaman-related families? There are many Geesaman descendants in each of the following states: Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Washington, and of course Pennsylvania where the first Geesaman immigrants settled. Oklahoma and Kansas have a smaller number. I believe I could act as a �contributing editor� (or reporter) for these two states. Won�t someone in each of the other states named take responsibility for getting news of or for Geesaman Cousins in their respective areas? Above all, let�s prevent our newsletter from having to suspend publication for lack of cooperation of our members.
We are planning to edit and publish the newsletter for the remainder of this year, 1977. We will be happy to help in any way we can after this year. But we think it is now time for someone else to have the opportunity to participate in this project. Anyone who is interested should write either to Mr. Kirkpatrick or to us. (BG)
The above picture is of Charles C. and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth �Lib� GEESAMAN Franks. They were the great, great grandparents of one of our members, Charley Shultz, Rt. 4, Box 81, Union City, Ind. 17390. Charley traces his connection with the Geesaman family through his maternal line. His parents are Everett Paul Shultz and Sarah Ardella Huston Shultz. Parents of Sarah Ardella Huston were Jacob Huston and Agnes Louella Jordan. Parents of Agnes Louella Jordan were James Jordan and Carrie Franks. Parents of Carrie Franks were Charles C. Franks, b. 1832, d. 1921 and Sara Elizabeth GEESAMAN Franks, b. 19 Feb. 1844, d. 10 May 1917 pictured above. They are both buried in Reed Cemetery, Jay Co., Indiana.
Though Charley Shultz, pictured above, is a fifth generation descendant from the Geesaman line, he seems to be proud of his Geesaman blood.
Parents of Sarah Elizabeth Geesaman were Samuel Geeseman, b. 29 April 1814 in Pennsylvania, d.17 Feb. 1864 in Wayne Twp., Jay Co., Ind., and Mary Ann Johnson, b. 13 Sept. 1811 in Ohio, d. 4 Sept. 1875 in Wayne Twp., Jay Co., Indiana.
Parents of Samuel Geesaman, were George Washington Geesaman b. 3 Dec. 1781 and wife Mary M. ________ Geesaman.
Parents of George Geesaman were John George Geesaman b. 1736, married to Maria Barbara Klein b. 1740.
See July 1976 issue and January 1977, page 14 and see April issue (1975) page 16 where the John George Guseman Born 9 Dec., 1749, baptized 21 Jan. 1750, parents were Geo. Wm. and wife, sponsor, John George Guseman (born 1736) Reading the one who married Maria Barbara Klein. (J.E.G.)
The Greenstone Apostolic Church, Greenstone, PA provided the setting for the Nov. 6th nuptials uniting Miss Cindy Lou Geesaman and Daniel Robert Carbaugh. Cindy is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Geesaman, RD 1, Waynesboro, PA. She is a 1976 graduate of the Waynesboro Area Senior High School.
Daniel is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carbaugh, RD 1, Fairfield, PA. He graduated from Fairfield Area Senior High School and is employed by Landis Tool Co. in Waynesboro. They are residing at RD 1, Fairfield.
Miss Kimberly Sue Bonner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. Eugene Bonner, Quincy, PA became the bride of Mark Charles Wisner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Wisner, RD 3, Waynesboro, PA on November 6th in the home of the bride�s brother and sister-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Kerry Bonner, Long Meadow Estates, near Waynesboro.
A 1975 graduate of the Waynesboro Area Senior High School, the bride is employed by the Photo Corral at Wayne Heights Mall. The bridegroom, a 1976 graduate of the same school, is employed as an apprentice by Landis Tool Co.. The couple resides at Waynesboro, RD.
Kimberly is a descendant of Ann Elizabeth Geesaman, born March 1, 1809, who married Conrad Smith. (See: July 1976 issue, page 32. Since that chart was printed, we have received information on that line.)
The First Christian Church of Lawton, Oklahoma was the site where Miss Amelia Ann Holland and 2nd Lt. Clayton Emil Werner exchanged candlelighted wedding promises at 7:30 PM Saturday, March 19, 1977. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Holland, Jr. of Lawton, and Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Waldenmeyer, Laurium, Michigan, are parents of the couple.
The newlyweds will establish a home in Lawton. Lt. Werner is assigned to Battery B. 6th Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery, III Corps, Fort Sill. His bride is a second grade teacher at Douglass School for working Parents, (See October 1976 issue, the Let�s Get Acquainted article on page 47.)
Richard S. and Sharon Lee (Kirkpatrick) Harris announce the birth of a daughter, Robyn Alyson Harris. She was born December 7, 1976. Sharon Harris is the daughter of Kenneth Kirkpatrick and the granddaughter of Bonnie Davis and Richard F. Kirkpatrick.
Arriving in time to spend Christmas Day with her family was little Amanda Erin Shelton who was born on December 23, 1976 in Germany. Her parents are Sgt. and Mrs. Paul A. Shelton; her mother is Deborah J. Geesaman Shelton. Her grandmother, Mrs. Helen S. Geesaman of Waynesboro, PA was visiting the family at the time.
Edgar D. Geesaman, 77, of Hummelstown, PA died on Saturday, January 15 at Harrisburg Hospital. He was a retired carpenter.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ruth Phillips Geesaman, six daughters, Mrs. Carl Shutt of Harrisburg, RD 3, Mrs. Arbel Eckert of Hummelstown RD 2, Mrs. Richard Wagner of Jonestown, Mrs. Warren Weirbach of Lebanon, Mrs. Carl Berger of Enid, OK and Barbara at home; seven sons, Paul of Middletown, William and Calvin of Palmyra, Glenn with the Air Force on Okinawa, Carl of Harrisburg, George of Schaefferstown, and Edwin at home; a sister, Mrs. Bertha Hess of Hummelstown RD 2; a brother William H. of Palmyra RD 1, 66 Grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.
Burial was in Hanoverdale Cemetery.
Paul Morton, longtime resident of Lance Creek, WY died January 27, 1977 in the Twighlight Manor Nursing Home in Howard, KS where he had been a resident since August 13, 1976.
He was born August 13, 1900 at Eureka, KS to John and Almira (Fraseur) Morton. His paternal grandparents were Abraham and Lucetta (Geesaman) Morton. Lucetta was a sister of Henry, George Ressly and Roseanna Geesaman and was born to George and Elizabeth (Ressly) Geesaman of Lebanon, PA.
Paul Morton moved to Elk Falls, KS in 1910 with his parents, brothers and sisters. He was a retired pipeline worker.
Services were held January 28, 1977 at the Spurrier Funeral Home Chapel in Howard, KS and burial was in Elk Falls Cemetery in the family lot. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and several nieces and nephews.
The Morton family is be researched by Richard F. Kirkpatrick and Mrs. Cleona Appleby. They are particularly anxious to learn of the dates of death and places of burial of Abraham and Lucetta Geesaman Morton.
Information is needed for a future article on Finley Geesaman who was born 5 May 1830, died 15 December 1917. He was born in Quincy, PA and later went to Tucson, AZ where he operated several gold mines. He was the son of Joseph and Leah Knepper Geesaman and was never married.
We would also like to know if any of our readers have information on the Knepper Family. As shown on the chart in the July 1976 issue two sets of brothers and sisters married into the Geesaman family. Some members of their families have probably moved west.
One of our correspondents located the following article in a volume of German books in the Pennsylvania State Library. We secured two interpretations and have chosen the one that is more detailed.
Giessmann, Frederick, artist and illustrator was born December 31, 1810 in Leipzig, and died October 27, 1847 in Florence, Italy. He was the son of a man who in 1812-1814 was called Giessman but in 1815-1820 the name was found to be Giessman in Leipzig directory where he was listed as a decorator and tombstone engraver under the name of Frederick Ernst Giessman and as a student in the Leipzig Academy under the tutorship of Hans Veit Schnorr from Carolsfield. After the sale of a set of carefully drawn sketches of lions (which he had studied at Leipzig menagerie) to the Saxon Crown-prince Frederick August the second, he continued his studies from 1830 in Dresden and then in 1832 in Munich under the tutelage of Julius Schnorr of Carlsfeld. As a result he gained great fame in his native city of Leipzig with his portraits, which he generally used to make his lithographs. Among these should be mentioned the portrait of his first teacher Hans Weit Schnorr. The original drawing of this portrait has been, since 1837, in the possession of Schnorr�s Dresden descendant, namely Adolf Wagner, a Literary critic. This man�s uncle, Richard Wagner, had an old lithographic print in the museum of Leipzig which was unsigned, so he signed the artist�s name �F. Giess man� on the pencil sketches in Villa Wahnfried in Bayreuth, Approved by Chamberlain and by the Swedish chemist J. Berzelius.
In Munich, Giessman turned to oil paintings of historical interest, for example, �The Lost Son� and �Moses with the Daughters of Jethro�. Also, after special studies in wax impressions, under Julius Schnorr, he became expert in mural painting in palatial homes in Munich and Hohenschwangenau, sometimes using his own ideas and sometimes those of M. von Schwind or Christian Ruben. Beside the wood engraving patterns for L. Pustet�s publication of Coffine�s �House keeping Book� (Straubing 1845).
In the hopes of improving a painful brain condition Giessman undertook a trip to Italy; unfortunately death undertook him there.
His necrology is contained in the following records: �Art Magazine� of 1827, page 156, also of 1828, page 224 and of 1836, page 54, in Foster�s �History of German Art� published in 1860, volume 103, in the Botticher�s �Arts of the 19th Century� published in 1891, page 386. Also in Heller Anderson�s �Handbook for Collectors of Copper Engravings� published in 1870 on page 575, in Duplessis� Catalog of �Portraits of the Bible� 1896, also in the catalogue of �Art Exhibition in Leipzig Museum� 1912, page 237, illustrated in H. S. Chamberlain�s �Richard Wagner�s Works� page 32.
Get acquainted with an Oklahoma-born descendant of Pennsylvania Geesaman, Eloise (Geesaman) Gorton, and her family. She is the daughter of Otto John Geesaman and Judy Dorothy Washburn and was born 28 March 1924 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She had one brother, Harry, b. 15 Feb 1917 and d. 17 Oct. 1917.
Eloise gives this sketch of her life: �In 1924 when I was ten years old my father decided he would quit the rig building business in the Oklahoma and Kansas oil fields and farm Grandmother Geesaman�s homestead in Washington. A picture of the cabin and my grandparents was printed in the July issue of Geesaman Cousins.
�We traveled by car on the old 66 Highway, the four of us as Grandmother went with us. She lived with us a lot of the time before Daddy died.
�Washington was beautiful and things grow well in the rich soil. We all loved our Geesaman cousins who lived there. But Daddy missed his old job and we returned to Oklahoma in three years,
�Mother and I moved to Enid, Oklahoma in 1931 where we started a beauty shop with Aunt Helen, Daddy�s sster.
�In 1935 I married Jack Gorton. We had three children, two boys and one girl.
�J.C. was born 10 Sept. 1936 and died 12 May 1973. He married Myrtle Mae Scott 29 Aug. 1957. They had three children, Jeffrey born 12 Feb. 1959, Jana Jo born 8 Sept. 1960, and Jay born 10 Oct. 1965. J.C.�s second wife is Jeanne Barnett Collins. She has a son, Bobby Collins.
�Jerry, born 23 Oct. 1942. He married Connie White. They had two girls, Jerri Lynn born 31 May 1968 and Crystal Kay, born 28 March 1970. Jerry and Connie separated and he married Carol Acken 28 Aug. 1975. Carol has a daughter, Becky, born 30 Oct. 1964.
�Janie Lee, born 7 July 1944 in Pampa, Texas. She married Gilbert Traverse. They have two children, Alan Dale born 17 May 1964 and Staci born 4 April 1967.
�Our home is in Enid and our children attended the Enid schools. The boys went to Phillips University, Enid, and Janie went to Northwestern at Alva, Oklahoma. Now after 11 years, she has started working on her Master�s degree at Phillips.
�During the war years we lived in Pampa, Texas where Jack worked at the Air Base,. After the war we returned to Enid and started a small furniture business on West Randolph. In 1949 we moved to our present location on East Broadway.
�The boys worked in the store. In 1972 Jack semi-retired and turned the business over to the boys. J.C. was accidentally killed in 1973. Now Jerry runs the business alone, with some help from Dad.
�We travel some in our Winnebago and we also built a house on Eufaula Lake where Jack has a garden and all spring we fish. In the winter we spend most of the time on Padre Island, Texas in the Winnebago . . . more fishing!
The following article was contributed by Mrs. A. J. Geesaman, 1702 Wenig Road, NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 and was received by her in 1966 from a woman named Mrs. Mary Lou Wright, of Missouri.
The Keesaman family originated in Holland, a portion of Germany named Geesaman. The father was a gunsmith and he had four sons.
The way the Keesaman name originated was at the start of the German war. All four sons wanted to go to war but only two sons out of each family could go. Two sons changed their names to Keesaman in order to enter the service. After the war they were not able to change it back because they could be drafted again.
All four boys came to American but we are not sure whether they came at the same time. They settled in New York and Pennsylvania. We have no records when or where their children were born.
Great grandfather (William) was married in August 1844 to Sarah Ann Mowery and they had nine children; of the nine, six lived. They later moved to Illinois and they all followed the blacksmith trade. He died on February 9, 1909 at the age of eighty-nine.
Grandfather was twenty-one when he moved to Illinois. In the fall of 1868 he moved to Plattsburg, Missouri. They came to Missouri with thirteen wagons and it took them thirteen days to get here by immigrant trail. Two of the thirteen wagons were ours and four head of horses. The next spring of 1869 they moved to Keystone, which is now known as Osborn. In Missouri Grandfather married Mary Katherine Wolf on December 28, 1871 in Osborn and lived a half mile from Osborn. In 1878 they bought the Home Place about three and a half miles west of Osborn. There were nine children. They were John, Guy, Annie, Eva, Vern, Elmo, Grace, Alta, and Charles Alpha Keesaman.
Charles Alpha Keesaman was born May 27, 1888 to John Alexander and Mary Wolf Keesaman. He married Ruth Smith on Dec. 20, 1916 just before the outbreak of World War I. He spent his early years as a farmer. On Dec.17, 1921 a son was born and named William Donald Keesaman. On Nov. 5, 1927 a daughter was born and named Mary Lou Keesaman (now Wright). On Jan. 31, 1937 a daughter was born and named Norma Lee Keesaman, now Mazza.
(If anyone has any information on this family, we will be glad to print it.)
We are in possession of two letters written in 1882 by Amanda M. Glen, which are very difficult to read. They were written to Andrew W Geesaman, Quincy, PA, who was 30 years old at the time, and to his brother Charles, aged 16, who was living with his grandmother, Leah Knepper Geesaman in 1882. We are curious as to the reference about AUNT. If we knew her mother�s maiden name or her father�s name, we might be able to determine whom the Aunt was that she referred to in the letters. We think there could be a connection to the following family names: Geesaman, Pentz, Monn or Knepper. Since some of our cousins live in Iowa, perhaps someone might have this information. Can anyone help us track this family? (The letters follows. . . )
Cottage Hill Iowa, March 25, 1882
Dear Cousin
I take the pleasure this evening to write to you hoping this may find you all well. It leaves us well at present. I have not heard from Aunt for so long. I would like to know if she is alive and well. Father never told me if he wrote to Aunt and told her the sad news or not. If he did not, she will feel very bad to think we did not write sooner. I intended to write long ago and did not. Mother is dead; she died the 10th of May last. Dear Mother died very sudden, she had not been feeling well for a long time but she was doctoring. On Sunday the doctor was to see her and gave her some medicine. She said she believed it was going to cure her and on Monday she felt pretty well. She made soap and white washed the cellar beside all her house work, and in the evening she took worse and she was up most of the night taking medicine. She laid down and about 8 o�clock father heard her struggle and raised her up but she was gone. I did not hear that she was sick until I heard she was dead. She was 63 years and 6 months old. All the girls are married, but there are 3 boys single yet. I have been married 3 years, my husband is a farmer and we have a little farm of our own. The boys are all working out, Joseph the older of the three left for Webester City this morning for to work. The 2 younger ones are working close by home. The ages of the three boys are Joseph 25 years, then myself 23 years, George 21 years and Henry 19 years. Father is keeping house again for he is married again. I have not seen him since he got married, nor I don�t care very much to, for I think he was in a hurry to marry again. The roads are terrible muddy, farming has not begun yet but if the ground would dry up and the weather keep fine, people could soon begin to farm. I guess I will close for I don�t know of any thing more to write.
Please write as soon as you receive this so I will know if you got it or not.
To A. W. Geesaman
From your Cousin
Amanda M. Glen
Cottage Hill, Dubuque Co., Iowa
My love to all, if you know where Beaties Sites is please let me know.
Cottage Hill, Iowa, April 23, 1882
I take my pen in hand to write a few lines in answer to the ones I received. I was glad to hear that Aunt was well and the rest also. And hope you are all enjoying health yet. We are well and the rest as far as I know.
The weather is very disagreeable now, it rains so much that the farmers can�t do nothing. Some got their Oats in before the rain came but we did not, but we are ready but must wait till the ground gets dry,. I have made no garden yet but going to commence soon, we planted early potatoes 2 weeks ago. We had quite a snow last night but it did not stay on very long, it all melted before noon. You stated in your letter that there was a lot of people dying there. There is some dying here, the first week commenced with 4 deaths, one every day for four days, 2 old people and 2 children, one child was mine, a little boy, the only one I had. He was born in 1880. There was 15 burried [sic] in the Methodist graveyard at Cottage Hill and the country is not very thickly settled. There was [sic] eight old folks, 3 men and 5 women, the rest children, last week there was a man buried and 3 children. They died with the Mumps and dipheara [sic�possibly diptheria], all died the same week. Tell Aunt if she has one of her Pictures to please send me one and I would like to have yours too, if you will send it to me. And if I can I will have some taken and send you, but I don�t know how soon for we live 23 miles from Dubuque City and I don�t get there very often. Are you a brother to Andrew and is Andrew married yet? What are the wages down there, for hired men and girls. [sic] The girls are getting very scarce here and the wages is from $1.73 to $2.00 per week and hard to get at that. Men get from $16 to $20 per month. I guess I have told you all I can think of. Tell Aunt I would like to come and see her but I can�t. But only wish she would come here and see us.
Write soon
From
Amanda M. Glen
Cottage Hill
Dubuque Co, Iowa
To Charles W. Geesaman
My Love to all
Tell Aunt[,] father married a woman with eleven living children and has the number of his own living, 22 with both families, just think what a family!
Anyone living in the Northeast section of the United States will sympathize with the major reason for my husband�s (Gene) decision to �Go South�, along with personal family health reasons. We left on January 28th with Dave and Helen (my father-in-law and mother-in-law) for two weeks. Since they usually stay for 6 or 7 weeks, our son Kurt followed us in our car to meet us at a pre-determined location. The morning we left the temperature was 5 degrees F., so when we stopped to stay overnight in southern Georgia, we thought it was a heat wave in comparison.
The following day we made a stop to visit Lester and Genevieve (Geesaman) Felix, Dave�s sister and brother-in-law, and Curtis and Hazel Cradler, Helen�s brother and sister-in-law, at St. Petersburg and Treasure Island for a day and a half. From there, down the west coast of Florida to Ft. Myer Beach were we met Kurt on Tuesday and stayed a week, hoping Dave could do some fishing, but a very cool northwest wind kept us from that. Only had a day or two that were warm enough for shorts and a chance to get some sun. The following Tuesday Kurt, Gene and I left Helen and Dave at Ft. Myer Beach for the east coast by way of Lake Okeechobee after a pleasant week.
To this point in our travels we had seen a little bit of everything - pecan groves, citrus groves, cattle and horse ranches, and going east, sugar cane fields. Of course, there were fields and fields of blackened tomato plants which was a very sad sight (In January, I think everyone is bored with cardboard-like tomatoes in northern markets.) We visited with friends of Kurt�s in Vero Beach Tuesday afternoon and then on north to our cousins living at Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral. We had promised Lloyd and Jean Felix that when we came to Florida we would be sure to visit them and we were so glad we kept that promise. (Lloyd is Les and Genevieve Felix�s oldest son and Gene�s first cousin.) Spent a delightful day and a half with Lloyd, Jean, their daughter Marcia and Dick Felix (Lloyd�s brother). Had a grand tour of the Kennedy Space Center and since Lloyd�s work is connected with the Aero-Space Program, it was most educational because we had our own personal guide. The last evening we had a lovely meal and met Marcia�s husband Mark. The best part of all the visits was the good conversations, (mostly reminiscing) some lasting till the wee hours, but so good.
The trip north was uneventful and a little sad for all three of us for having to leave, until we stopped in Ellicott City, MD with Gene�s sister Rue Anna (Annie) and Harold (Moe) Mouer and daughter Beth, Friday evening at seven. After an impromptu and delicious meal for the three of us, we just sat and talked (our family seems to enjoy the kitchen table for good times and talk). We just don�t want to remember the date of our arrival home - cold again! Honestly though, it is always good to get home and have some pleasant memories, but we�re going back (probably next winter).
(Thanks to Virginia Krum Geesaman, Treasurer of Geesaman Family Association, for this article.)
For those who really wish to actively search for their family tree there are thousands of genealogical books to assist one in ancestor hunting. Obviously, it would be too expensive to buy even a small part of them. Here are a few books and periodicals that will be helpful to the beginning genealogist.
The HANDY BOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS by George B. Everton, Sr., published by Everton Publishers, Box 368, Logan, Utah. Hard bound. $9.25 postpaid; paper bound $8.40 postpaid.
The HOW TO BOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS, Edited by George B. Everton, Sr., available at the Everton Publishers, current price not known.
KNOW YOUR ANCESTORS, by Ethel W. Williams, PhD, published by Charles E> Tuttle Co., Rutland, price 3 years ago $8.50. Also available from Everton Publishers, Logan, Utah.
GENEALOGICAL BOOKS IN PRINT, a catalog of over 5000 genealogical books listing authors, publishers and prices. This catalog compiled by Netti Schreiner-Yantis and available from her at 6818 Lois Drive, Springfield, VA 22150. Price $5.95.
The GENEALOGICAL HELPER, published every two months by the Everton Publishers. This is probably the best known and most widely used genealogical magazines in the U.S. Subscription $13.50.
TRI-STATE TRADER, PO Box 90, Knightstown, IN. Subscription $7.50. Tis is a weekly devoted to antiques but has a good genealogical section each week.
QUARTERLY MAGAZINES are published by most genealogical societies.
We exchange with these:
THE GENEALOGY BUG, PO Box 155, North English, IA 52316
THE KNIGHT LETTER, 2108 Grace St., Fort Worth, TX 76111
NAFZGER HERITAGE NEWS, 120 Edgewood Dr., Grafton, OH 44044
OLMSTEAD�S GENEALOGY RECORDED, RD 1, Box 150, Inmterlaken, NY 14847
VAN TREESE FAMILY NEWSLETTER, 9350 Vandergriff Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46239.
Did any of your ancestors live in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania? Publications on that area are listed in a pamphlet that may be ordered from Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, PO Box 253, Laughlintown, PA 15655.
Bernville Bicentennial Book, price $6.00 plus $1.00 postage.
Our Bethel-Tulpenhocken Histories are now finished. They are290 pages and cost $12.00 plus $1.00 postage and handling. We are well pleased with them
Your kinsman, RUFUS GEESAMAN, Route 1, Bethel, PA 19507 was the Chairman of the Northwestern Berks Bicentennial Committee. His picture is in the book (with a group) on several occasions. If you want either of the above books, you can order them from Schuyler C. Brossman, Our Keystone Families, Rehresburg, PA 19550.
Rufus Geesaman will receive a copy of the Geesaman Cousins, this issue, and we are hoping that we will hear from him soon. I am sure he will be quite an asset to our Publication in the future. (This is an open letter to Rufus.)
As you have read in the Editorial Comment on the first page of this issue, Richard Kirkpatrick has had health problems in the recent past. His wife, Bonnie had a fall in Jan. and broke her hip. She is now getting around with the use of a walker.
In June the Kirkpatricks plan to move to 3120 Oak Brook Drive, Del City, OK to a house that is near their daughter Iris Donnell and her family. This decision will benefit them all and we are happy that they will be living near each other.
We apologize for the omission of the following information in the article on William Geesaman family on pages 15 and 16 of the January 1977 issue of Geesaman Cousins:
1. Roy William Monn and Anna Mary Heefner had a second son, names George O. Monn, born 6 May 19232, married Mary Jane Bricker, born 18 July 1927. They have no children.
8. Sallie Ann Monn and Elder Stine Myers� older son Elder Geary Myers� birth date is 9 August 1940 instead of 1948; his wife Brenda Kay�s birth date is 23 August 1952.
On page 14 of January 1977 issue we have made another mistake in the last two lines, they should read as follows:
Capt. Baltzer Orth�s son Joseph Orth, b. December 19, 1770, d. April 18, 1848, m. Elizabeth Giesman, b. July 6 1774, d. Oct 1943; daughter of John George and Marie Barbara Klein Gusseman and a sister of George Geesaman who served under Capt. Baltzer Orth in the Revolutionary War. (See Pennsylvania Genealogies, on Orth Of Lebanon, page 558.)
There may be other mistakes as we discover them, please let us know, and we will try and correct them.
OBLEY, A. H., farmer, S. 20; P. O. Louden; was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., Feb. 10, 1847; his parents moved to Jo Daviess Co., Ill, in 1854; he came to this county (Cedar Co.) in the Spring of 1869. He married Matilda Geesaman June 9, 1870, a native of Allen Co., Indiana; they have one son and one daughter -- Mary and Willie. (Matilda Geesaman was the Daughter of Henry Geesaman)
Samuel Geeseman was born 4-29-1814, the son of George Geeseman and Mary M. ? George was the son of George and Catherine Geeseman, Lurgan Twp, Franklin Co., PA.
Samuel married Mary Ann Johnson on 12-19-1833 in Washington Twp., Sandusky Co, OH. Officiating was George Overmier, J.P.
Samuel died 2-17-1864 in Wayne Twp,. Jay Co., Indiana and is buried in Reed Cemetery, Wayne Twp.
His wife, Mary Ann Johnson was born in Ohio 9-13-1811, the daughter of Isaac Johnson and Sarah Huff. She died 9-4-1875 in Wayne Twp., Jay Co., Ind. and is buried in Reed Cemetery, Wayne Twp. The family moved to Indiana in 1849.
Their children were:
William Henry, born 4-4-1835 in Sandusky Co, OH, married Lear Tibbs 11-24-1859 and died 5-19-1916.
Belinda was born in 1838 in OH, married William Wallace Holly on 9-8-1859 and died 10-25-1901. Her second marriage was to John Samuel Depew on 8-20-1882, C. E. Coder, JP officiating. Belinda lived in Noble Twp. Louis Franklin was born 2-28-1840 in OH, married Sarah Jane Hamilton 8-11-1864 and died 10-25-1926.
Esther was born 1-5-1841 in OH, married William Mathews on 5-1-1858, and died 9-1-1928.
Sarah Elizabeth was born 12-19-1844 in OH, married Charles Franks 5-16-1861, and died 5-10-1917.
Weltha Jane was born in 1846 in OH, married Thomas Franks 9-17-1871. Date of death is unknown.
Rachel C. was born 12-16-1848, married Christian Franks 11-3-1867, and died 1-26-1919.
John L. was born 5-15-1852 in Wayne Twp., Jay Co, IN, married Nancy Lanning 1-24-1874 and died 10-26-1928.
William Henry Geesaman was born in Jay Co., Ind. the son of Samuel Geesaman and Mary Ann Johnson. Samuel was the son of George and Mary M. Geeseman of Sandusky Co, OH. He married Lear Tibbs on 11-24-1859. He died 5-19-1916 at the home of John W. and Anna May in Salamonia, Madison Twp., and is buried in Center Cemetery, Green Twp., Jay Co.
His wife was born 5-4-1840 in Dark Co., OH, the daughter of John (Black Jack) Tibbs and Sarah (Sally) Wade of Salamonia. She died 4-13-1906 in Green Twp., Jay Co., IN and is buried in Center Cemetery, Green Twp., located at Road #87 at Indiana #26 in Jay Co.
Their children were:
Louis Franklin, box 12-2-1860 in Jay Co., IN, married Winnie Ann Bailey 11-1-1885 and died 3-7-1930
Mary Mahala was born 11-9-1864 in Green Twp., Jay Co., IN, married William Henry Arnold 5-20-1897, and died 1-19-1946.
Noah Edward was born 11-22-1868 in Green Twp., Jayu Co, IN, married Anna Binegar on 8-3-1890 and died 5-1-1943.
Isiah Eugene was born 8-29-1871 in Green Twp., Jay Co., IN and died 7-31-1880 at the age of 9 yrs
Lydia Ann was born 8-5-1874 in Green Twp., Jay Co, IN, married Isaac Hillery Totten 1-1-1893, and died 3-13-1962. Isaac Totten was killed by a Lake Erie & Western Railroad at the Blain Crossing 7-16-1906 (now Norfolk & Western). Lydia then married 3-1-1916 to John W. Mal by Harry Lacey, MG. They were divorced later the same year.
(This information comes from Mrs. Murray O. Ashcraft, P. O. Box 2405, Muncie, IN 47302.)
Like many another citizen of central Pennsylvania, Amos F. Geesaman became identified with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation as a young man and remained to advance far in this great organization. Since1927 he has been assistant comptroller of the corporation, one of its important officials and always a most loyal supporter of all that the Hershey community stands for in the world.
Mr. Geesaman is a native of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, born July 16, 1896, son of Amos Geesaman, deceased, and Lizzie Flickinger. Reared on this father�s farm, and familiar with agriculture from boyhood, he attended local schools and remained with his parents until he was almost of age. Then under the unwritten custom of his people he had done his duty to the family and was free to choose career. He went with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation, in 1916, and worked his way up through various departments for eleven years before he won richly deserved promotion to this present position.
Mr. Geesaman is a recently elected school director of Hershey for a term of six years. Fraternally he is a Thirty-second degree Mason. As a religious leader he is a member, secretary and trustee of the United Brethren Church at Campbelltown, and is active and liberal in charitable and humanitarian organizations and movements.
On June 16, 1917, at Lebanon, PA, Amos F. Geesaman married Carrie Echert, and they have the following children: A. Richard, Pauline, Earl Robert, deceased; Arline, Clair, Anna June, Fay, Joan and Janice Geesaman. (Excerpt from Central Pennsylvania section of a book on prominent citizens.)
Matter, Balthaser, farmer, Berrysburg, PA, was born in Mifflin township, April 22, 1864. He is a son of Balthaser and Magdelina (Littick) Matter. The father was engaged in farming in Mifflin township. He married Miss Magdelina Gesemen. Their children are: William, Benjamin, George, Daniel, John, Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, and four who are deceased. He married secondly, Miss Littick, by whom he had one child, Balthaser. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and politically was a Democrat. His death occurred in 1869, and his widow has since married Peter Botololf. Balthaser received his education in the public school and the Berrysburg Academy. He has been engaged in farming continuously since that time. He married, in 1887, Miss Sarah Sebold, by whom he had five children: Aron J., Warren B., Beulah, Charles H., and Verna. He is Republican and a member of the Reformed church.
Recently I had the pleasure of reading a copy of the �Geesaman Cousins� the official publication of the Geesaman Family Association, with a nationwide membership.
The �Cousins� include all the variants of the name - Geiseman, Gieseman, Geeseman, Geesman, etc., and is hailed as a medium for exchange of information by all Geesaman family researchers.
The 8x11 page booklet consists of 16 pages with pictures and genealogy of the famly and the activities of its members.
The publication was begun in January 1975 by Richard F. Kirkpatrick of Covington, Okla, but since late 1976 the information has been assembled and edited by Bernadine N. Geesaman and her husband, John E. Geesaman, at their home in Quincy.
Presently the Geesaman family newsletter has more than 100 subscribers in all parts of the country.
The Geesaman clan is one of the very few in the country that keeps in touch with such a publication.
The Annual Reunion of the Waynesboro, Pennsylvania Geesaman Families will be held on Sunday, September 5, 1977 at the Waynesboro Fish and Game Farm. A putluck dinner will be served at noon with a pavilion and fireplace provided. Beverage supplied; games for all ages.
The reunion of the Rev. John G. Geesaman family will be held on Saturday, September 17, 1977 at Mount Laurel Park near Linglestown, PA with a potluck dinner served at 1:00 PM. Come and have an enjoyable time with your Harrisburg area relatives.