Geiszler Genealogy

In last week's post, I shared how Chad Graham was in the Obetz Cemetery in Franklin County, Ohio. He found the tombstone of Harry A Townsend. This week I'd like to share the photo he took of William James Townsend, Harry's father, and my 2nd great-grandfather. Having a photograph of William's gravestone opens up a WHOLE new world for me. I know that the Obetz Cemetery Office has no further information about this stone. In fact, they couldn't direct me to it when I visited in May 2012. I honestly had no idea it was in the cemetery, which causes me to wonder how Chad found William. It's possible that my reference to the section indicated by the Franklin County Cemetery Index helped Chad. In any case, the inscription reads: William James Townsend PVT Co K 133 Regt Ohio Inf Civil War  1842 - 1889 William is buried beside his son Harry A Townsend. I wish there were other markers for Townsend to help me solve more clues to my puzzle. Where was William...

Nearly two years after the close of the Civil War, Sherman Lewis Brown a was born on 4 Feb 1867 in Lockbourne, Franklin, Ohio. b,c,d He is the seventh child of Samuel Curtis Brown, 45, and Martha Gordon, 39. (Sherman Lewis Brown is the father of Lewis Sherman Brown who I have blogged about.) Lockbourne, B, is south of Columbus, A Lockbourne is a small village in rural Franklin County, almost 12 miles south of the county seat in Columbus (population around 19,000). It was located on the Ohio & Erie Canal. The canal was constructed between 1825 and 1847 and ran between Cleveland and Portsmouth.. e,f The canals were very popular from the 1830s to the early 1860s and helped Ohio become the third most prosperous state in the 1840s. During the Civil War, railroads became the transportation technology of the time which would lead to the decline of the canal usage. When baby Sherman was born in Lockbourne, the canal business was dwindling significantly and would a flood would wipe out...

After visiting Ohio last May, I was frustrated with Obetz Cemetery and how disorganized their records were. So, I decided to request a gravestone photograph through Find A Grave. My request was filled by an awesome volunteer. Harry A Townsend (1877 - 1918) is the brother of my great grandmother Emma Virginia Townsend Brown (1880 - 1943). I took the picture of Emma's stone when I was at the Obetz Cemetery. It was one of the few pictures I took in this cemetery. It pains me that I was so close to Harry's stone. I can visualize this location because of the fence and Mausoleum. Nevertheless, I am so grateful to Chad Graham for his service. I love how this stone gave me a HUGE clue about Harry A Townsend. Close of Photo: Chad Graham Woodmen of the World is a large fraternal benefit society that started in 1890. Harry would have been about 13. It was originally an insurance organization. Apparently 'Early Woodmen of the World policies provided for a death and a mo...

I have a lot of tangent families in my stack of research. My mother's great aunt Anna Mulford married Dan Ray Long. They had no children but my mother adored Aunt Ana. So, when my mother became interested in genealogy, she received all of Aunt Anna's family records. I don't feel like I should spend much time on this family line. It sounds mean, but there are so many branches and connected tangents on my 'main lines' that I just need to know when too severe research ties. Nevertheless, there was a Mulford Family Bible that passed into my mother's possession. Unfortunately, that bible no longer exists. The long, tragic story that I can't share. But I do have a surviving extract from that Bible for what it may be worth: Surviving extraction from the Mulford Family Bible that no longer exists. For those who are interested, here is what this extraction says: Thomas Tillinghart Mulford b 20 May 1798 Long Island, New York d 23 Oct 1881 m 25 Mar 1821 ...

My maternal grandfather Lewis Sherman Brown , had many occupations and interests throughout his adult life. He and his wife had many long time friends who they would entertain as often as possible. They worked hard and enjoyed their free time. I'd like to share some of the interests of Grandpa Lew. Lewis Brown with his beloved Don, ca 1941 Around 1941, Lewis owned a horse named Don. His adored horse stayed at Walters Riding Academy (I couldn't find a directory listing for this). Louise could never ride Don but Lew could. It is believed that keeping the horse became too expensive for the newlyweds and was sold. \ Also in the early 1940s, Lew was a hot bread truck driver. His wife Louise related, "We were pampered back then! Lew would delivered fresh, hot bread once or twice a day to the customers on  his route. The company wouldn't give men a route unless they were married. So after we were married he got a route of all about $15 a week." Apparently Lew was reall...

Lewis Brown in World War II Uniform While Lewis Brown was a newlywed, the Japanes e attacked American ship anchored in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. On 11 December 1941, Italy and Germany declared war on the United States of America and technically entered the country into the war. Thirteen months later, Lewis enlisted in the in the Army for WWII on 4 Jan 1943. According to his World War II Army Enlistment , Lewis had completed 4 years of high school. He was capable of semi-skilled occupations in building transportation equipment. Lewis was 69 inches tall and weighed 138 lbs. He received the serial number 35620761. He was a Technical Fourth Grade for the Headquarters 1304th Engineers Construction Battalion. Lew started receiving his first immunization shots on 12 January 1943. His immunizations would continue throughout his service in the war. The last shots for Typhus, Cholera and Smallpox were administered on 13 September 1945. Scan of original, Immunization Record...

When visiting cemeteries, some just stand out to me. This is another one. I guess I'm attracted to statuary as much as to unique design. Is it the part of me attracted to graphic design? I'm not sure, but in any case, I thought I'd share this beautiful monument. Elmer E And Ruby B Boice Sec 12, Lot 128, Grave 1 Obetz Cemetery, Obetz, Ohio Elmer's Find A Grave Memorial is # 16720907