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Showing posts from March, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday: My great-grandfather's wife's sister

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Rosa Webb Owen 's gravemarker, Photo by  Marcia1061 I haven't seen many people working on the family of my second great grandfather's second wife. Andrew Nelson Smith (1855-1933) had two wives that I know of. Emmeline Ward (1866-1893) is my second great grandmother. She is the mother of Lura Maude Smith who I've shared scrapbook pages about (or will do so soon). Emma died shortly after the birth of her second child. Grandpa Smith, as my Grannie called him, remarried a woman named Mary Etta Webb. Mary Etta was committed to an asylum and died there. So, my Grannie new very little about Grandpa Smith's second wife's family. I figured someone should search... Mary Etta is the daughter of William Webb (an immigrant from England) and Georgina Stares, also from England. They have four children that I know of: 1. child Webb - died Oct 1865 in Columbus, Ohio 2. Charles F Webb - b 19 Feb 1854 d 23 Apr 1908 in Franklin County, Ohio 3. Rosa Webb- b 20 Dec 1856

Amanuensis Monday: Elizabeth Long letter discussing Longs of Lycoming, PA, Pt 2/3

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This is the second page of the letter from Elizabeth Long to Penny Geiszler regarding the Long Family that originated in Pennsylvania... but now includes the siblings of my great grandfather Harry Howard Long. Letter from Elizabeth Long to Penny Brown Geiszler, 9 October 1976;  digital image held in 2010 by Devon Lee. Here's the transcription: My siblings and me are: all born in 1800s in New Haven, Ohio Dan Ray b 10/7/76 died 9/15/1954 buried New Haven “Dan” not “Daniel” Gertrude b 6/30/78 died 2/1/1949 in Washington buried in New Haven Mary Agnes b 2/21/82 died 11/16/1953 in Washington buried in Havanah Ohio Harry Howard b 12/1/83 died 12/13/1937 buried in Columbus, Originally he was named Henry Howard but always used the name “Harry” Felix Angelo b 1/25/1886 died 12/23/1890 buried in New Haven Elizabeth b 12/22/1890 will not be buried, body will go to GWU Med School (The above is recorded in my personal 'birthday book” or otherwise from persona

Amanuensis Monday: Elizabeth Long letter discussing Longs of Lycoming, PA, Pt 1/3

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I wanted to start writing the history of my great grandfather Harry Howard Long, but I had to stop. I was looking at a source citation that referred to a letter written by his sister to my mother. In the letter, there were a few nuggets about great grandfather's Long relatives and a brief mention of the Marvin family. So, I decided to pause and transcribe the letter. The original letter was three pages, so I will share the letter in three posts. Letter from Elizabeth Long to Penny Brown Geiszler, 9 October 1976; digital image held in 2010 by Devon Lee. Here is the transcription of page 1: October 9, 1976 Dear Penny: You have been on my mind for some time especially recently. I've been trying to remind myself to get at writing and then today your letter supplied the necessary push and so here's your letter. I'm afraid I can't give you a lot of information about my father's family. Father never alked much about his family. What data I have

Patience for a Civil War Pension File

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Okay... so $80 and 120 days are the price to hopefully obtain a Civil War Pension file for my Grandpa Lew's maternal grandfather William Townsend. I am HOPING beyond hope that there will be clues to my 2nd Great Grandfather Townsend. He is a family history brick wall of great proportions. Many genealogy sites say some nuggets are bound to be in the file. Fingers crossed and all that. Unfortunately, this is a lesson in PATIENCE. And despite the fact that my genealogy website is named A Patient Genealogist, it's more a satirical title. When I want to know something, I'm FAR from patient. Once I hear something, I'll let you know.

Mystery Monday: Where is Wittenberg Lutheran Cemetery?

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I am completely stumped by a reference in a Death Certificate. The reference is for Elizabeth nee Pusecker was buried in Wittenberg Lutheran Cemetery in Ohio. I have no idea where that Wittenberg Lutheran Cemetery is or was. Elizabeth Pusecker Death Certificate Family Search , "Ohio Death, 1908-1957" database, (http:/www.familysearch.org) : Entry for Elizabeth Pusecker, died 11 February 1913 Source Film: 1953599, Reference No: fn 8754.   Here's what I know about this 'non-relative' relative. Elizabeth is the second wife of Karl Friedrich Pusecker (9 May 1808 - 11 Nov 1886). Karl Pusecker traveled from Gillersheim, Northeim, Niedersachsen, Germany to America with my fourth great-grandmother Heinrich Andreas Mäck (29 Jun 1811 - 29 Nov 1868). The two families settled down in Franklin County, Ohio by 1855. Heinrich's son Heinrich Ludwig married Karl's daughter Caroline Pusecker. In any case, Karl's first wife and mother to Caroline died in 1856

Geiszler Family History: George Joseph Geiszler

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I've spent a lot of time on my mother's maiden name line and I'm a bit... well burn out is not the word but it's the one that comes to mind. So I felt like shifting gears a bit. I skipped over my dad and my grand father . I know I should write about them as they are the closest to me. However, Great Grandpa George is Grandpa to my father's living cousins. I visited his three surviving grandchildren , all of whom are girls. I feel drawn to write about him so that I can develop more questions for his living descendants. Plus, I recently received  many wonderful photos of Great Grandpa Geiszler , that I want to share that as well. George J Geiszler of Columbus, Ohio abt 1910 My great grandfather is George Joseph Geiszler. George was born on 8 Jun 1886 in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio. George was the son of Henry Joseph Geiszler and Marguerite Magdalena Hoppe . He grew up with an older brother, William Joseph, as two younger siblings had died very young. As early as 1899 Ge