OCTOBER 1993 NEWSLETTER
Well, it is another of those months when incredible things just seem to happen. As you all know we have spent the last couple of years intensively studying the descendants (and ancestors) of Charles GEISSINGER, who is the grandfather of Henry MOWER Sr. We have been successful in finding the origins of Charles in Goetzis, Austria. This month a breakthrough with his descendants. I received a phone call on August 31st from a total stranger, Paula GUISINGER, of Golden, Colorado. She is a genealogist and she married a descendant of Charles Sr. We spent an hour on the phone and ended up relatives. Let me tell you the story:
Charles and Catherine GEISSINGER were living in Frederick Co., Maryland when the Census of 1800 was taken, but the family "disappeared" after that (this is according to Paula). She had no idea that they moved to Bedford County, Pennsylvania. She picked up the descendants of Charles and Catherine in Fairfield County, Ohio after 1811. Her husband descends through John GEISSINGER, son of Charles and Catherine--- he of course being a brother to our Catherine (GEISSINGER) MOWER, mother of Henry MOWER Sr.
I explained to her that our Charles received land in 1805 in Bedford County for service in the Revolutionary War. He lived on that ground and paid taxes in Bedford County for the years 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810. Since he paid taxes in the spring of 1810, but not the fall, it is assumed he either moved or died in the summer of 1810 at the age of 69. Where the family went we have no idea---that is what we have been looking for.
On the other hand she picks up the story from her end, following her husband's ancestors back in time she is familiar with many GEISSINGERs who changed the spelling of their name to GUISINGER when they lived in Ohio. She had researched her husband's ancestor, John GEISSINGER, back into Frederick Co., Maryland by the aid of two facts. John was a blacksmith by trade every place he lived in Ohio., and the 1850 Census placed his birthdate at the time which would closely correspond to the apprenticeship papers which existed on him in Maryland. You will remember that Charles had placed his son at the age of 10 in 1794 in apprenticeship to be a blacksmith. Thus she was fairly sure she had the right John GEISSINGER.
The only thing she really knew about Charles Sr. was what had come down through the family in the form of family tradition. You have to be careful of family tradition, but in this case this is valuable information. According to her husband's family tradition which had been passed down for 200 years was that Charles Sr., (the first of the family to come to America from the Old World) had been a soldier in Austria and had been a Catholic. The members of the family are mostly buried in Catholic cemeteries in Ohio, although there was a "falling out" between the GEISSINGER family and the Catholic Church and the family disassociated itself with the Church. It is uncertain whether or not Charles Sr. had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church or whether he became disgruntled with the Church--- in either case the family sought other religions. No record of an excommunication has surfaced and Catholic records are basically sealed and not open to research. Catherine, the daughter of Charles Sr., married Michael MOWER and they allegedly were Methodists--- although no records have been found that verify that. Members in the family that stayed in Ohio associated with the United Brethren Church.
Paula stated that several GEISSINGERs settled in Fairfield Co., Ohio about the same time (1811) and stated that she was quite certain these were brothers and close relatives of John GEISSINGER. This was just the year after Charles Sr. disappears from the tax records of Bedford County.
Of interest to her was a Michael GUISINGER who came to the county a little later and who she felt was a relative, but she could find no record of him in Frederick Co., Maryland--- yet he shows up in Fairfield County, Ohio living near John. How please she was when I told her I found the christening of Michael a son of Charles and Catherine in 1794 in the Conewago Catholic Church in Adams Co., Pa. This ties him into the family. She said that she had a lot of his descendants identified. She also said that she was a stickler for documentation and that she would send me all her family group sheets with the accompanying documentation. I sent her a copy of all of our family group sheets with accompanying documentation the next day.
Then Paula became somewhat reflective and she said to me, "You know Mr. MOWER, I don't want you to think me strange, but I have had a very strong impression as I have documented this research that these ancestors wanted to be found." She said, "I know that sounds strange." "Not too strange", I said. I told her that people of many faiths have had these experiences. I told her that I believe our ancestors do want to be found and that they actively help and guide us if we can listen to the promptings we receive--- and then if we work like crazy!
In Summary: Here we receive independent verification that we are on the right track. How fortunate we are that her family tradition mentioned that Charles GEISSINGER, the ancestor, and the first member of the family to come to America was an Austrian soldier. How interesting that because Charles apprenticed his son, the occupation of blacksmith helped locate the family in Fairfield County, Ohio. How fortunate we are that Tedi Jeen found the ad in the New Jersey records for the escaped runaway Charles GEISSINGER, aged 27 in 1767. How fortunate that Trudy SCHENK should be able to identify the mysterious town of "Gezeiss" (country unknown). How fortunate that someone on an L.D.S. mission just happened to microfilm the records of Goetzis, Austria last November--- the only town in all Vorarlberg County, Austria to have records microfilmed. How fortunate the christening of Charles was located in this record as 5 Nov 1740. How fortunate all the dates seem to fit of where the family was living, people's ages and when then moved to new areas.
I don't yet know how many more descendants we will be able to submit to the archives of the Church for the ancestral file or for temple work, but I hope you are gearing up to get to work doing this work. Think of the years, the efforts, the prayers, the disappointment, the study, the dedication that has gone into bringing these ancestors to our knowledge. It is rather incredible to contemplate. Cousin Paula's material will be put on computer and submitted to the Church and we will get going on our next phase. I expect a rather large report from Trudy SCHENK this fall. We have not even started submitting Goetzis names yet. Lots of work to do! "And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep..." R. FROST. Two letters from Paula GUISINGER of Golden, Colorado 7 September 1993 (actually Paula's husband Gary GUISINGER is the actual bloodline descendant of John GEISSINGER):
Letter #1: "Dear Mr. MOWER, Your records have consumed my thoughts since I received Nelson's letter and your records.
"I don't know where to start in sending you records that I have collected from all over. I file my documents and records in 3 inch ring binders along with my family group records and notes. So I will start with each book and send what I think might be of interest.
"I just looked over the books again tonight and it leaves me boggled. I am so confused I have some things that look like Charles GUISINGER lived in Maryland for some time and his father was John and then I look at your records and I keep remembering the family oral history about a soldier in Austria and memories of Catholics in the family. The John that I had thought perhaps Charles descended from or was related to was Lutheran. Such questions I have. Perhaps we can find the answers together. I sincerely hope so. I believe we do descend from the same line and we are connected.
"So to start I have pulled information that I have on John the blacksmith because we know that Charles Jr. and he were brothers and a son of Charles Sr. Instead of trying to write you a letter relating to the documents I will type thoughts and staple them to the individual documents.
"I will send more as I gather it and get it copied at work. Take care and I am so glad we found each other as I do believe you have the answers. Sincerely, Paula"
Letter #2:
"Dear Mr. MOWER, You can not imagine how pleased I was to receive your information from Nelson. He has worked so hard to tie all of us GEISSINGERS together and at last it looks as if he has found our missing link in your documentation.
"You have done so much work on the early part of the line that I have struggled with for so many years. I am grateful to you and your family (association) for this hard work and kindness in sharing your records so freely. Thank you.
"I have enclosed a descendancy chart for the GUISINGERS that I have proven to this line. You will note George William GUISINGER, son of Charles GUISINGER (born in KY), [son of John GEISSINGER, the blacksmith]. The lady (who's name and address I will send in later documentation) only sent me the male line and I do not have the wives of this line entered. This family lives in Kansas and has a GUISINGER reunion every year and is sold on the story that we descend from Royalty and it has been very hard to budge them from this idea. She has promised to send more complete documentation and spouses sometime this winter. I shall forward to you when I receive this.
"It is so exciting that I don't know where to start on collecting my records and start getting them to you. I guess I will start with our John, son of Charles Sr. I suppose that you have copies of the indenture papers so I will not send them unless you are interested. Then there are letters from some lines in Ohio that we know tie in but don't know how at this time and I think you should have names of persons working on these lines so you can correspond with them if you wish... again this is so exciting!
"Please forgive my lack of documentation on the family group sheets for John Sr. and his spouse Nancy Ann BRADSHAW. I have just completed entering all of the GUISINGER family on PAF and hadn't gotten this done yet.
"I have enclosed the CRAWFIS line as you will note that they marry into our GUISINGER line and are part of the family. I had this line in the computer and thought you might be interested. Please note that the RADABAUGH line ties in several times with the CRAWFIS and GUISINGER line. All of the CRAWFIS and RADABAUGH lines are proven by Mrs. Herold RADABAUGH of Middletown, Ohio and she is very accurate in her work. I shall forward her address.
"Also enclosed are the family group sheets for our direct line connecting us to you. If you are interested I will send family group sheets for all GUISINGERS and CRAWFIS'. Just let me know. Or could I not send a back up of my program and you pull off Gary's line. I get rather fuzzy on this kind of things. Just let me know what you want and I will get it to you. As I told you on the phone I have some records on Family Ties and some in PAF and I am in the process of transferring these to PAF... Sincerely Paula"
Report from Ingegard PERSSON of Vastra Frolunda, Sweden on Amelia Augusta (ANDERSON) MOWER
19 August 1993: "Dear Jerry, During my holiday in July I had the great pleasure to travel around the Lindesberg area. I was fortunate to obtain some nice information about the area in English that I now include in my letter. This folder has text in Swedish as well, but I thought it would be nice to view the nature, it's churches and other spots of interest.
"Sweden does have what is known as the 'industrial vacation time' in the month of July. This means that quite a few if not all research offices are closed and this is partly the reason why it takes so much time. I do have to send for fiches--- cards from northern Sweden to check all my information.
Your family tree has given me some 'headaches' that I am working with, since in these neighborhoods many people carry the same names. I have even found that several men have married with women with the same names. I am truly checking, because I do not want to give you any wrong names.
I believe I did tell you that the ---sson ending means a son of---and are somewhat common in Sweden and your tree has these names. If families did name their children with little or no imagination it becomes hard for us genealogists. I feel I have reached a point of success, but I would need some further time to put the whole tree together. I hope you will enjoy the folder for the time being and that you are patient with my further work. If you have time please drop me a line, it is always nice to get a confirmation that my material reaches you. Enjoy the last summer days. I remain yours truly, Ingegard Almquist-Persson, Karmosingatan 11, S-421 65 V. Frolunda, Sweden"