Geiszler Genealogy

I LOVE my GPS, but it isn't fool proof. Or, this owner doesn't really know how to make it work. In any case, you HAVE to know that Sunset Cemetery is in Galloway not in Columbus. Otherwise, you'll be 30 minutes on the WRONG side of Columbus. Thankfully, when I figured this out, a wonderful brake shop took pity on this crazy lady with no cell phone, called the cemetery and I got my GPS pointed in the right direction. I'll admit that Sunset Cemetery had me worried prior to my arrival. I was told that they couldn't give me a section map and that they'd take me to my stones when I arrived. Really? I don't want to set an appointment that I can't keep. I want a flexible schedule to visit cemeteries. However, the cemetery took the names I was interested in (so I limited it to family only). When I got to the right side of town, I saw a very nice cemetery. When I went inside the office, I was so pleased. Bill had made sure that the staff knew I wa...

As I headed to St.Joseph's Cemetery , I was confident that I could find those I sought quickly. I had previously contacted St. Joseph's regarding only family names that I sought. The office worker was so friendly and helpful. She sent me everything I needed to have success in this cemetery. When I opened my mail from St. Joseph's, I had a clearly legible section map. There were reference stones and an arrow pointing to the plots I was seeking. Additionally, I received copies of the burial records. To say they were what I wish all cemeteries would be more like, is an under statement.  St. Joseph's is a Catholic cemetery and I've never seen or been in one of these dedicated spaces. It literally took my breath away. It was a peaceful and BEAUTIFUL cemetery. Despite the heavy traffic and construction on High Street on its border, the sound in the cemetery was like being in a paradise. The landscaping, section markers, statues, alcove in a hill, and more were...

It was 10 am and I felt very discouraged by my venture to Obetz. I had hoped to do so much more work. I had called ahead to Oak Grove and learned there were no cemetery maps but that the cemetery was considered very small. The city of Georgesville cares for this cemetery and if I had a cell phone then someone would meet me there and personally take me to the stone. I don't have a cell phone and didn't know when to make an appointment. So the office had someone go to the cemetery find the stones I was looking for and gave me a rough description of how to find the stones. So with “go to the cemetery care building, travel down the hill and it's a few rows in”, I headed to Oak Grove.  I didn't NEED to go to Oak Grove but I wanted to see if I could get a better picture than what was placed on Find-A-Grave for Michael and Caroline Billman . Caroline is my 3 rd great-grandmother on the Geiszler line (Caroline Mack Geiszler Billma). Michael Billman is her second husband...

When planning for my trip to Columbus, I had made a master list of all the persons I had hoped to find in Franklin County cemeteries. I then called all of the cemeteries to see if I could get a plot map so that when I arrived on the scene, at whatever time, I could go directly to the plots snap my photos and move on. I attempted to stress the importance that depending upon people to personally show me the plots would slow me down and advanced preparation was needed. On Tuesday, May 22nd, I had six cemeteries to visit. I thought I had mapped out a circular pattern of driving but I'd soon learn that I was crisscrossing all over the county. I chose Obetz Cemetery as it had the largest number of persons that I was seeking. It was till to get the day started! When I called Obetz Cemetery , I was told they had no cemetery maps to hand out. Essentially, I had to go into the office and I would be directed from there. I was informed that the Columbus Metropolitan Library had secti...

On Monday, May 21st, I wrapped up my Green Lawn Cemetery venture and had about an hour before I needed to be at my aunt's home for dinner. I had three options. Go to the house, cool off, and wait. Do more volunteer photos in Green Lawn and cool off later. Or go to another cemetery. I thought if I really hurried, I just might make it over to East Lawn Cemetery before the office closed at 4 pm. If I could find the stones I was looking for today, I would have less cemeteries to visit on Tuesday. Plus, the drive to the cemetery in the air conditioned car would cool me off a bit. So I made a valiant effort.  Photo by Gene , posted on the Find A Grave website. I arrived at the East Lawn office 10 minutes before the office closed. If I'm not mistaken, the office worker was none to pleased. I simply needed a map to point me in the direction of the stones I sought as I had the lot location. I had called several months before my trip. I had hoped to get a section map and other ...

I was surprised with all the things I learned while I was at the Green Lawn Cemetery.  I had read a lot of great websites about the act of taking grave stones. I did my best to treat the stones carefully and create a clear historical document for other researchers, and myself. I didn't try to be artistic, as I'm not that skilled with a camera yet. However, I did learn a few things that weren't on any list. Lessons Learned: I really like taking volunteer photographs of grave stones. I look forward to doing some of this in Iowa when I return. Have clear cemetery maps before embarking on a quest. Get 'orientation' stones in large sections to help establish barrings. It's often easier to just snap a section down the line rather than seeking out individual requests. A painter type brush and scrub brush are helpful in preparing stones for photographing. Use a reflector or light blocker more to create even light on a stone. Check a st...

Whew! What a lot of ground I covered on a hot day in Columbus, Ohio. I know I lived in Texas, but gesh, 80 degrees up north was awful. If you're doing cemetery work on a hot day, all I can say is pack A TON of water.  Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Map of Section 64 Click for Larger View Nevertheless, I was at my final section that I would cover on this trip to Green Lawn Cemetery. I had drive past several soldier sections which were pretty impressive in their own right. And many had flags beside their stones. Soon, more would have the flags in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend. However, I had only had strength and water for one more section then I needed to head to my aunt's home and cool off. I was returning to the Gerlacher family in this section. My great grand-uncle's wife Clara had another sister buried in Green Lawn along with her husband. Minnie Gerlacher BORST (1888 – 1947) and John M BORST (1886 – 1953). I found a stone for Minnie and he...

If you've read this entire series thus far, you're probably wondering when it will ever end. I mean, how much can someone write about their adventures in a cemetery. Well, when the cemetery is as large as Green Lawn and you spend an entire day there, you have covered a lot of ground. Or I just write more than I should. Some say I have the gift of gab as well. Oh well, I promise that this post and the one that follows are the last two specifically about my adventures in Green Lawn Cemetery on May  21st, which happened to be one of my grandmother's birthdays. (I mean, my Grandma Louise had two birthdays). I have previously discussed Samuel B BARTON (1853-1929). He's not a an ancestor in any direct way. However, he was a mentor to my great grandfather George Joseph Geizler (who I visited first). He was so connected with my great grandfather's family that a) George and Evaline named their first son George Barton Geiszler in honor of Samuel who never had any children...

Thankfully the streak of no stones was apparently at an end. However, the heat of the day was making me want to wrap up quickly, without doing too many additional volunteer photos. Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Map of Section 75 Click for Larger View Section 75 was next to section 82. I had visited section 82 the day before and found my Great Grandpa George Geiszler's plot. Section 75 had another Geiszler connection. Caroline Mack GEISZLER BILLMANN's grand daughter (through her second husband) Emma Stone's in-law were buried in section 84. Caroline's daughter from her first marriage, to Joseph Gei ßler , resulted in three living children, one of which was Mary Elizabeth Geiszler GRENER.  Mary Elizabeth's marriage to Conrad GRENER Sr, resulted in eight children. One of these children was Fredericka “Freda” Grener (1890 - 1980) who married Harry E BARNES (1888 - 1924). So essentially, I was looking for Caroline's granddaughter from her first m...

I was finally working my was south and figuring a did have some time to take a few additional photos. So, when I went to Section 84, I took a few more volunteer photos. Section 84 doesn't have a definite break on the end where the names I was seeking were located. More like a large patch of grass before the next section starts. I almost missed the stones but thankfully a section marker alerted to me that I was in a new section and I back tracked a few paces. Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Section 84 Click for Larger View I really like these names. I honestly know little about William Marshall STONE (1856 – 1922) and Sara Jane Geisler (1860 – 1926) but I like the tree twist.  Sarah J Stone, 1860 - 1926 Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Section 84 Sarah is the sister-in-law to my great grand-aunt Hattie Elizabeth Brown GEISLER . Now, that Geisler name is very intriguing, isn't it? Because I have so many Geiszler's on my family tree. However, I h...

After the disappointments of finding no stones, I was hoping to continue the roll that started in section 112. Section 47 was well laid out and the map was easy to understand. Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Map of Section 47 Click for Larger View In section 47, I found Spencer Columbus RANCK (1877-1961) . He is the son of my great-great aunt Elizabeth Jane Brown  RANCK (1850-1900). I've liked that name Spencer Columbus and his father's Jefferson Babcock. They are names that stand out and when I come across them, I know they are my family members. In any case, Spencer and his wife Marie A SHIMPF's stones were easy to find. I snapped 9 photos and moved on. Grand total of 290 useable. Spencer C Ranck, 1877 - 1961 Section 47 Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin, Ohio Find A Grave  Memorial # 46154782 This is another installment in a lengthy multi-series post about the fantastic research trip I took to Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. If you'r...

SECTION 30 again.... I had absolutely no luck finding Leslie Akison's stone after walking the section twice. Perhaps there is no stone. Perhaps I needed reference points. Perhaps there is a stone but it's so faded that it's hard to read. Since his stone is giving me fits to find, I'm moving on. Someone else will have to confirm whether there is a stone or not. Section P again.... Section P was hard to swallow. I had hoped to find my 3 rd Great-Grandfather Charles GORDON in this section. He's buried on his sons-in-law's plot. Their names should be easy to find. I had orientation markers to help me find the plot. When I got there, the tears returned. No stones, for any of the family members. Perhaps I should have photographed the empty plot, which I absolutely knew was theirs, but I just needed to wipe the tears and move on. Section L again.... Although section L held the father of my great-grandfather's second wife, finding another loca...

BREAK TIME As it was close to noon with the temperatures in the high 80s, I needed a break and I needed some answers, so I headed into Green Lawn Cemetery office. I was greeted by Diane Gailbraith . I showed her the maps of the people I was seeking but could NOT read the numbers for anything. She quickly helped me read Section 93's map and I would be headed there soon. She looked up reference monuments for me which was VERY helpful.  Then I showed her section 30, P, and L. She confirmed where Leslie Akison, Charles Gordon, and William Webb (in respective sections) were buried. She helped me get a few reference points for these sections. I felt confident that I could find Leslie and Charles but I was confused about William. The front desk assistant obtained reference points for me and I headed off again. Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Map of Section 93 (oriented for North) Click for larger Image SECTION 93 This section is LARGE. Having the large monu...

Okay... now I was REALLY looking forward to this section. First, my 2 nd grandmother Maggie Hoppe GEISZLER was buried there.  Maggie should be found on her sister Annie Hoppe ROSS's plot along with several infants. Now, I figured the infants wouldn't have stones, just like George and Evaline Geiszler's little girl from Sunday's visit. But I certainly could find Annie and Maggie. Plus, it was a rather small section so I just might be able to complete the whole section of volunteer photographs. Perhaps a crazy idea, but I wanted to try. Then I would take a lunch break, visit the office, and return to the southern half of the cemetery. Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Map of Section 46 Click on image for larger view Section 46 is a small section and the map fairly easy to understand. HOWEVER, I struck out again, or at least I'm confident I did. I didn't find Maggie's stone anywhere. I had forgotten that I was also looking for Annie Ross...

Although Section U was right next to V, I decided to skip it. For Columbus, it was getting extremely hot. I was feeling fatigued and I had additional sections to visit. Section U had one of those distant cousin's parents. Although I really wanted to get the photo, I felt best to skip it. Sorry Marion George BUSH, someone else will just have to visit you later.  Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Section L I visited Section L looking for the father of my great-grand father Andrew Nelson SMITH's second wife Marietta Webb SMITH. The couple is buried in Section 35 and I have photos of their stones. However, I wanted to complete Marietta's story with a photo of her English immigrant father William WEBB (1816-1905). I was confused when looking at the map, so I knew I had ANOTHER map to take into the office. The reasons this bothered me was because I didn't think the staff at Green Lawn would be accommodating with a long list of names to look up. I also re...

I was so excited to be going to Section V. In Section V, I hoped to find my Hoppe relatives. My 3rd great-grandmother Magdalena Geiszler's maiden name was Hoppe. I should find her parents Christian HOPPE (1818 – 1881), her mother Anna M Karlsberger HOPPE (1824-1911) and her brother Christopher Hoppe (1859 – 1900).  Section V's map didn't seem difficult to understand. The plot should be right near the road. I went up and down the side of section V twice before I saw the plot.  Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio Section V, oriented for North Click on image for larger view. The plot only had one small stone... Christ Hoppe (the son/brother). I posted about how sad this was in an earlier post The Sadness of an Unmarked Grave . However, I hopped out of the car with all my gear, photo graphed the family plot and Christ's stone. And took 39 additional photos and moved on. (Total thus far 152 useable photos) Anna M Hoppe Plot in Section V Green Lawn Ce...

I had originally planned on going to section 35. I know this plot well and exactly where it is. I've been to it several times, most recently in January when my Grandmother was laid to rest. As I drove past the section, I could see from my car that my grandmother's stone was not in place. I already had photos of the other family members on the plot, so I decided I didn't need to visit the section. So I drove to Section P. I was hoping to find my third-great grandfather Charles GORDON (1801 – 1873). He was buried on a plot jointly owned by George C Wolford and Oakman A Booker, his sons-in-laws. His wife Jane Fickle GORDON (1803-1865) was buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery in Worthington. I would attempt to visit her grave site the following day. I found it fascinating that Jane was buried on Spencer B Morgan's plot and Charles was buried on his sons-in-law's plot. Why not together? Or, do I have the wrong Jane GORDON. That would be for tomorrow to determine?  ...

Section 30 After three sections, I was feeling a sense of accomplishment. Thus far, I'd found everyone I'd searched for. I only needed to go into the office to figure out one section map. It was time to move on to Section 30.  I went looking for the son of my great grand-aunt Ida Loa Brown AKISON . Her son Leslie Cushman AKISON (1883 – 1948) was buried in this section and I had hoped that perhaps he was buried near additional family members and I would get more clues into this aunt's family. I did my best to read the map, but I wasn't confident I knew which plot to look at. I searched and searched the section and decided I now had two sections to ask about in the office. Bummer. Section S Moving on to Section S, I was looking for Elsie Gerlacher Baumgartner . I'm starting to get far removed from my family line. However, this is the sister to Uncle William Richard Peak's wife Clara. Their stones weren't on FindAGrave.com so I figured, it...