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Showing posts from August, 2013

Future Research: Great Aunt Mary Elisabeth Geissler Grener

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Conrad and Marry Elisabeth Grener Someday I'd like to explore the history of Conrad Grener and his wife Mary Elizabeth Geissler. This what I know about my 2nd great-grandfather Henry Geiszler's sister. My 2nd great-grand uncle Conrad Grener is the son of Conrad Grener and Friederike Auguste Christiane Adelheide Kiesewetter. Conrad the elder was born in Baden. Conrad the younger was born 13 Aug 1853 in Alton, Franklin, Ohio. Conrad the elder was a countryman to Mary Elizabeth's birth father Joseph Geissler who was also from Baden. Conrad the elder was born about 1822. Joseph was born about 1836. There would be a 14 year gap between the two. I know when Joseph received his naturalization papers (1858), but I don't know when Conrad received his. So, did they travel together? Did they know each other in the old country? I have yet to find either Conrad in the 1860 US Census. Did they arrive after the death of Joseph and not know each other at all? Was it a simple coi

Finding Joseph Keezler Civil War Draft

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Name on Naturalization Certificate issued in 1858 Since many records have Joseph Geißler spelled something like Keizler, I played around researching with this last name variation. I knew that Joseph was living in Prairie Township, Franklin County, Ohio in 1856 when he purchased land. From the Franklin County Plat Atlas, 1856 Joseph Geißler (here spelled Guisler), father-in-law Heinrich Mäck (here spelled Maeck) Jr, and a third man Karl Pusecker purchased three adjacent properties of ten acres each, as verified by the 1856 plat atlas. The property was adjacent to the railway.   In the 1860 US Census,  Joseph is listed with his wife Caroline and their son Henry. Interestingly, both are listed as attending school. Several adults in the community are. They are still listed beside the Mack and Pusecker families as well. Again, the family is living in Praire, Franklin County, Ohio. Year:  1860 ; Census Place:  Prairie, Franklin, Ohio ; Roll:  M653_962 ; Page:  214 ; Image:  432 ; Family Hist

Brown Brick Wall: Who were the other four?

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When I was in Ohio in May 2012, I noticed a micorfiche draw at the Ohio History Center library that piqued my interest. It was records of still births in Franklin County, Ohio.  Birth Certificate for Baby Brown The reason this peaked my interest is the fact that I have a mystery in my family. Who were the other four? On my grand father Lewis Sherman Brown's birth record, there is a note that says his mother Emma gave birth to 9 children and only four were living at the time. I know the names of 5 of her children. But who were the other four? One daughter died in infancy. I have no birth or death record for Edna Irean Brown (14 Dec 1900 – 6 Apr 1901) except what was recorded in the family bible.  Scan of Laminated Page of Emma Brown's Bible I have wondered if I did a search of the Still Birth collection if I would find the remaining four children born to Sherman Brown and Emma Townsend. The year range would need to be between 1895 and 1918. That's a pretty big gap. My guess

Future Research: Browns in Perry County Ohio

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Artifact found in Emma Brown's Bible I have encountered a family by the last name of Brown from Perry County on occasion during my research. The parents are William Brown and the wife is Mary Ann Fickle. They have nine known children. Two of their children were deaf, Moses and Ferdinand Brown. In 1880 they lived with their sister Mary Brown beside my second great-grandfather Samuel Curtis Brown (b 1821 – d 1900). I've often been told to investigate neighbors because they could be relatives. I know that The Brown siblings who lived next-door to Samuel Brown were the first cousins of his wife Martha Gordon through her mother Jane Fickle Gordon. Jane and Mary Ann were sisters. What I do not know is whether William Brown (b 1815 in Baltimore, Maryland) is related to Samuel Curtis Brown (b 1821 in Baltimore, Maryland). I do not know the names of William or Samuel's father. Could they be brothers? Could they be cousins? Could they just have a popular name and birth dates so cl

Surname Saturday: Could this be my Brown Brick Wall

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Samuel Curtis Brown b 3 Aug 1821 in Baltimore, Maryland d 14 Jan 1900 Columbus, Ohio  I've written before how difficult it is to do genealogy with the surname Brown. My brick wall is Samuel Curtis Brown. He's a traditional looking gentleman from the 1800s, don't you think? Well, here's a research investigation that I've been mulling over for several years. On 7 Nov 2006 Willy Istvan sent me the following message: I am 99.9% sure that your Brown line is connected to a Brown line which my wife is connected to. I believe that your Samuel Curtis Brown is a sibling of a Brown family that two of my wife's "cousins" are descended from. I am attaching a Brown Descendant Report that I believe to be correct. Your Samuel is a perfect match, regarding his locations, with this other Brown family. Also, if you find Samuel Brown and Martha (Gordon) in the 1870 census in Hamilton, Franklin, OH, they are living next door to 3 of Samuel's siblings, Fe

Surname Saturday: Searching for Bricker, Grener, and Billmans

I have no qualms about posting my deepest wish to contact distant cousins. The ones of interest for me are descendants from the following three families:  1. Michael Billman and Caroline Geisler (nee Mack) of Franklin County, Ohio 2. Allen Bricker and Caroline Geisler (marriage record spelling was Gisler) of Pleasant, Franklin, Ohio. 3. Conrad Grener and Mary Elizabeth Geisler of Prairie, Franklin, Ohio. Why? Well, because I'm hoping to learn more about Michael, Caroline, Caroline, and Mary Elizabeth (also known as Lissie). Idealistically, I would love for clues to break open the brick wall of Micheal's ancestors and that of his wife's first husband Joseph Geissler. However, I have photos of the mother and daughters, but not the step father.  I know no stories of these people. I want to know more than what the Census records can tell. Will I ever find an ancestor?