Thankful Thursday: Caroline Mack Geisler Billman

I opened the mail on Monday and was surprised to receive an envelope from Ohio. Not recognizing the return address name at first, I opened the manila 5x7 sized envelope with "Photo Do Not Bend" on the outside.

Since my mother passed away in December and I sent "in case you missed it letter" to her friends in her phone book, I thought this would be a photo of my parents and some of her Ohio friends. Boy was I ever excited to be wrong.

Inside was a note from someone I had connected to through Ancestry.com. We had spoken Freda and Frank Grener of Columbus, Ohio. They are two of the eight children belonging to my 2nd great grand aunt Mary Elizabeth Geißler Grener. Lisey was the daughter of my 3rd great grandmother Caroline Mäck who married Joseph Geißler (by Geißler brick wall) and then Michael Billman.

Caroline Mack Geiszler Billman
The back reads:
Grandmother Caroline Mack Billman


She saw that I had a photo of Caroline with her sons from her second marriage. This kind woman thought I might like to have a photo of Caroline later in life. Umm... YES!

I did a Google Search for the photographers Lyman & Wells in Columbus, Ohio. Google Books had a viewable book entitled

Ohio photographers: 1839-1900


Sure enough, inside was a listing for Lyman & Wells, 276 1/2 S. High The photographers years were 1892-1895. Guess what? Now I know when this photo was taken within a few years. She was between 54 and 57 years old!

Caroline would die 11 Oct 1904 in Pleasant, Franklin, Ohio. Her second husband Michael died 1 Aug 1884 in the same place. 

Needless to say... I'm doing the genealogist happy dance.

My Geiszler 2nd cousin often says things will come to you when you 'throw it out there' that you're searching for people. Well, he's right!

Comments

  1. Debi AustenApril 4, 2013 at 2:53 PM

    What a great find!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jana LastApril 6, 2013 at 6:12 PM

    How wonderful Devon!! It's definitely time for a Genealogy Happy Dance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devon LeeApril 8, 2013 at 4:01 AM

      Thanks Jana. It's worth dancing over. Perhaps we should do a crazy thing such as post our Genea Happy Dances. I don't have the ability to take video. Someday.

      Delete

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