Vol 28-No3-Summer

Transcription

Vol 28-No3-Summer

Geer Family Association
VOLUME 28, NUMBER 3
SUMMER, 2011
Gear, Geer, Geere, Gere, Etc (G/G/G)
Murder: Geer Family History
Mrs. Nathan W. Geer, widow, [nee Lydia A.
Fletcher]: Interference with daughter’s
marriage has tragic consequences in Lyons,
NY--1880.
Triple Tragedy in Lyons, Wayne, NY-1880
Source: http://www.waynecosheriff.org/hist_easter_union.htm
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
Solomon H. Easterly Kills His Wife and Mother-In-Law with an Ax, and Drowns himself. Newark Union --- from Lyons Republican, Lyons, N.Y.
July 31, 1880
FULL PARTICULARS
Of the Horrible Affair
To an already long list of recent startling occurrences in and near our village, last Sun. evening
added one more-the last being the most terrible &
horrifying of any tragedy ever happening in Lyons
within the memory of any of our citizens. Strong
men, used to ghastly & bloody sights, weakened at
the scenes presented by this sickening tragedy; & a
thrill of horror ran through the town as there were
related by excited citizens, one to another, the particulars of the double murder & suicide which are the
subject of this article.
THE STARTLING AND AWFUL CRIME
which we chronicle this week was committed
on Sun. evening about 6 o’clock at the farmhouse of
Solomon H. Easterly, about 3 miles southwest of
this village-resulting in the murder of Mrs. Lydia A.
(Fletcher) Geer [w/o Nathan W.6 Geer ID# 617-G]
& Mrs. Solomon H. Easterly (nee Mary7 Geer),
& the suicide of the murderer
Easterly a short time afterward.
The facts as gathered from the
nearest neighbors & one of the
2 children present at the time of the murder are as
follows: About 7 o’clock Sun. morning, Mr. Easterly ordered his hired man, Mr. Ben W. Woodhouse
(who lives in the rear part of the Easterly house) to
hitch his horse to a carriage. As soon as the horse and
carriage were ready, Easterly with his little son went
to Phelps & then to Clifton Springs for the purpose
of spending Sunday. The son, Charlie Easterly, a
bright little fellow of about 10 yrs., says his father
drank a little lemon pop at Clifton, but
NOTHING OF A SPIRITOUS NATURE.
The father & son arrived home a little after 5 in
the afternoon. Mr. Easterly un-hitched the horse,
put it in the barn, & went into the house. Finding no
one except his little girl in the lower rooms he went
upstairs on the 2nd floor to his room. Here he found
his wife & mother in-law Mrs. Geer, sitting, as the
boy says, in the corner. Immediately there seems to
have been an altercation between Easterly & his wife,
which momentarily grew more excited. The origin of
this altercation the son has forgotten; but the little
witness says that in the war of words the mother-in
law Mrs. Geer interfered as against the husband &
he, growing angrier,
ORDERED HER OUT OF HIS ROOM
several times, Mrs. Geer, each time flatly refusing to leave. At this Easterly went across the room
to his closet, & returned with a 5-barreled pistol in
his hand. Immediately he began to shoot wildly at
Continued on page 51
Geer Family Association Newsletter, Volume 28, Number 3 – Copyright © 2011
Page 49
President’s Letter:
Gene Geer
GFA Family:
The best way to describe the lead article in this edition of the Geer/
Gere/--- Newsletter is gruesome: something like the politics this country
has been overrun with in the last few months, and maybe in the category of the record heat waves that have affected almost all of us. I’m sure
that almost every family has similar (if not so graphically described)
incidents like this, but to read what happened to a wife and mother in
law in our own journal is startling indeed. (See the next Newsletter for
the thrilling conclusion.)
Otherwise, the Newsletter again tells us of some of the nicer things
our cousins have done, and gives us a glimpse of how many people
have lived their lives.
Progress is going forward to our next reunion, in Ledyard, Connecticut, in 2013 and I hope to see you all there. Lets hope the country,
and world, has settled down a bit so we can enjoy ourselves and maybe
learn a little more about how our ancestors coped with the hard times
of their day.
Gene Geer
Portfolio - Members Only Web Site
Table of Contents
1880 NY Geer Murder-Suicide (Part 1)........................ 49, 51-53
President’s Letter ................... 50
Corrections ............................ 50
Member Information ............ 50
Livingston Geer, New York
Artist............................ 54, 60-61
Geers House of Plato, MO ..........................................55-57
The Geer Family Song by Kristine
A. Albert ..........................58-59
Geer Family Photo Album.......... ..........................................60-61
Old Geer Correspondence1886 from WI ...................62-63
Letters to GFA ...................64-65
Geer Poetry .......................... 66
Milestones.........................66-68
Regional News........................ 69
Regional Reps......................... 69
Officers & Trustees, Map........ 70
GFA General Store.................. 71
Geer Place Name.................... 72
Page 50
We announced in our last newsletter, we are providing our
Members Only Website.
http://www.dloper.com/Home/Home-Page.htm
Login:
GFA-Member
Password:
G2011.WV1
You must enter these two credentials exactly as you see them
printed above (upper and lowercase letters, numbers, periods and
dashes).
Send an email to our treasurer
who maintains the active members
subscription list at:
Sandra.Marsh521@gmail.com
Corrections:
1) The ID# given to Louis Evans9 Geer, Jr. is actually the ID#
of his father. The correct ID# should have read: [ID# 626-5-1-1-G].
This is found on page 44 of the Spring 2011 issue, Vol. 28 no. 2.
2) In Civil War letter, p. 27, the date of that letter is Feb 20th,
not Feb 25th (as I read the letter.) Also, midway down the letter, it
looks like it should read “...it would all mos[t] [c]oat us one....”
3) On p. 32, [Onorah] Geer is Onnah Geer on both her stone
and that of her son Calvin, as I read them from the pictures. From
GFA member, Dick Brown of Hardyville, Va.
Murder - Suicide: continued
the 2 women, shooting 4 times without hitting them
& once snapping a defective cartridge. A bullet went
through a window glass & the others lodged in the
walls. The boy, who was present, says that at the 2nd
shot Mrs. Geer said to [her daughter], who was getting up, “Don’t be afraid, Mary;
“IT IS NOTHING BUT POWDER”
This seemed to anger the man more than ever, &
when the ladies hurried down stairs after the shooting, he hastily followed them. Upon reaching the 1st
floor Easterly dashed out of the door, across the road
to his barn opposite. In the meantime the son had
descended to the lower floor & gone into the room
with his mother & grandmother. While the father was
going to the barn the boy says his mother asked Mrs.
Geer what “Sol” was going to do; & Mrs. Geer replied that he was probably going to get his horse &
go to town. In less time than it takes to relate it,
Easterly appeared at the door.
WITH AN AX IN HIS HAND.
Charlie says that knowing then something terrible was about to happen, he ran out upon the porch,
passing his father as be came into the room where the
women were. A second later be heard a slight scuffling in the room, & almost at the same time a blow
from the ax “upon someone’s head” (as he expressed
it) which he found afterwards to be that of his Grandmother. At this the boy burst out sobbing & being
joined by his little sister, they went down from the
porch out into the yard by the pump on the west side
of the house. While standing there the children saw
the mother run out of the house & stop beneath the
maple tree in the yard.
BLOOD WAS RUNNING DOWN HER FACE
and she seemed to have received a number of
wounds about the forehead. Scarcely had Mrs.
Easterly reached the tree when her husband dashed
through the door, jumped off the porch, & followed
her to where she stood. Then giving his ax a wide
swing over his head (raising on his toes to get a better
purchase) he
DEALT HIS WIFE A DEADLY, CRUSHING
BLOW
in the center of the skull, felling her to the ground.
She fell backward, throwing her head suddenly back
at the same time and in this way loosened the blade
of the ax from the cleft it had made in her skull. At
this moment Mr. Ben W. Woodhouse & his wife,
who occupy the rear rooms on the 1st floor of the
Easterly house, appeared at their door on the west
side of the house. They saw Easterly as he dealt his
unhappy wife the fatal blow, & saw the poor woman
fall at his feet. For a moment they were
DAZED BY THE AWFUL SPECTACLE,
and their limbs refused to move. Then Woodhouse, rallying his strength ran to the porch, to which
Easterly had in the meantime returned & where he
stood irresolutely with his bloody weapon in his hand,
looking back at his work under the tree.” How could
you strike a woman down like that?” he said. To
which Easterly hoarsely replied. - For Gods’ Sake,
“WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP ME?”
“You had got too far-I couldn’t do anything,”
Woodhouse answered.
Woodhouse says that Easterly then ordered the
horse hitched up, saying that he “would go for the
doctor & perhaps the wounds could be sewed up &
the women saved.” While the horse was being got
ready Easterly went into the room where Mrs. Geer
Page 51
lay dying-the son Charlie followed his father into
the house, & says that he there saw his grandmother
half kneeling in the southwest corner of the room,
leaning against a “what-not” or corner stand. She
had her hands, on her head, from which
THE BLOOD WAS STREAMING.
His father, he says, asked her if he had given
her enough; but no reply was made. Sickened at the
sight, the little fellow went out into the yard to his
dying mother, & the father remained in the room
with the expiring mother-in-law. The blood marks
on the walls, the “what-not” or corner stand & door
casings, & the great pools of blood on the carpet in
different parts of the room would seem to show that
Mrs. Geer was moved by Easterly, to the corner opposite, & placed in a rocking chair, where she was
found soon after. Easterly is thought to have done
this when alone with the dying woman. This opinion
is strengthened by the fact that when he came out of
the room he went to the pump & washed his hands, &
that blood was later found on his clothing. The ax he
put behind the secretary in the room at the same time.
In a few minutes Easterly went into the barn where
the man Woodhouse was harnessing the horse, & assisted in the work. Woodhouse says that repeatedly
during harnessing Easterly said.” Why didn’t you or
somebody stop me?” & seemed to be repenting the
deed. When the horse was harnessed Easterly went to
the house for his coat, & called his boy into the front
hall, where he gave him his pocketbook to keep &
told him to go to his grandfather Easterly’s near by to
tell what he had done & that he (Easterly) had been
PROVOKED TO IT.
He returned to the yard, & kissing his boy, bade
him good-bye & got into the phaeton, which had
been brought up to the gate. The last seen of Easterly by those at his house he was driving rapidly
down the road toward the village; ostensibly for a
doctor. Several persons living on the road remember having seen him on his way, but paid little attention. As soon as Easterly had departed, Woodhouse
ran to a neighbor’s, John Frank’s & told him what
had happened; & the two forthwith went over to the
house. Mrs. Easterly was lying in the same position
as when she fell at the fatal stroke. Her hands, in an
Page 52
involuntary movement of the muscles, were pulling
at the grass about her, & streams of blood ran from
the head gashes. She was
BREATHING FAST AND HARD
and was entirely insensible. Feeling that they
were incompetent to render any aid to the wounded
woman, they both went to Mr. Benjamin Whitlock’s a quarter mile away; & he, harnessing a horse
of his own, went back with them to the house. Arrived there, Mr. Whitlock entered with them & found
Mrs. Geer
SITTING IN CHAIR-- DEAD.
This was the first Woodhouse & Frank knew of
Mrs. Geer’s murder. Mr. Whitlock, suspecting that
Easterly had not really gone to get a doctor, advised
Woodhouse to harness another of Easterly’s horses
& go for one himself. This Mr. W did, & arrived at
Dr. Bottum’s office about 7 o’clock. In a remarkably
quick time Dr. Bottum accompanied by his medical
student York & Dr. Gillette, were at the scene of
the murder. Mrs. Easterly was removed from where
she fell, under the tree, to a cot-bed in the bare parlor on the east side of the house. An examination of
her wounds was quickly made, & they were decided
fatal-death being only a few hours distant. The main
wound was fully 6 inches in length on the scalp the
same on the skull. The ax had penetrated the brain
several inches. A fracture over the right eye was
found, & also one from this main wound behind the
right ear. Two wounds were on the left [of the skull]
& one on the right. It is probable that only the last &
greatest blow was a fatal one. Mrs. Easterly’s head
seemed to be
ALMOST SPLIT IN TWAIN
by this blow, which must have been inflicted with
tremendous force. No bullet holes were found on the
body, as some who had heard the shooting thought
there might be. It was deemed advisable not then to
close the wounds in the head; & attention was turned
to Mrs. Geer, whose dead body was still in the chair,
in a sitting position. A cot bed was procured & set up
in the sitting room, & the body placed upon it. Only
one wound, a long wide cleft in the skull, could be
found. This began above the left eye & ran to the
back of the head. It was about 6 inches in length &
3/4 of an inch wide. The blade of the ax had descended nearly to the base of the brain, almost cutting it in
twain. Mrs. Easterly remained in an unconscious state
until a little before midnight, when she expired.
THE COMMUNITY ROUSED
When the writer reached the Easterly homestead
on Sun. evening, great crowds from the neighboring
farms & from the village were arriving. The road
from the village was filled with carriages going to
and from the scene of the murder & the little square
in front of the house was crowded with men, who,
with due appreciation of the awfulness of the recent
event, were discussing with bated breath the deed,
the victims, the murderer, & the probable cause of
the trouble! The house is a 2-storied frame building
painted white. It is of medium size for a farm house,
& has a single storied wing in the rear. In front of
the house are a number of large trees, which tend to
make the place look cool & inviting. A few feet to the
west of the house is a small carriage house; opposite,
across a road running east & west, is large red barn.
A GHASTLY SCENE
Within the house the front rooms & hall were
crowded with people. Ghastly scenes presented
themselves on all sides. Strong men turned away
horror-stricken, & women, sickened & dumbfounded, shut their eyes to the sight. In the sitting room
where Mrs. Geer met her death & was lying dead
upon a cot, the blood spattered walls, the gory carpet,
the pools of blood in the chair in which she had sat,
the bleeding corpse & the pushing crowd, combined
to make the scene one long to be remembered with a
shudder. The air was warm & very few were able to
remain long in the house! The floor was covered with
an ingrain carpet, which was clotted with coagulated
blood in many places. In the southwest corner was
a what-not on which were shells, daguerreotypes &
books. It was in this corner that Easterly struck Mrs.
Geer, & upon the cover of one of the books was distinguishable
THE PRINTS OF A BLOODY HAND
which the poor woman had involuntarily put out
as she sank to the floor. The door a few inches away
was spattered with blood, as were also some of the
books & other articles on the “whatnot”. Just back
of the door leading out on the porch was the rocking
chair in which Easterly had placed his mother-in-law
after felling her. A foot away; in the northwest corner
of the room, was a small yellow secretary, behind
which Easterly had thrust the ax after striking his
wife. The weapon had remained where Easterly left
it, but was now brought forth. It had a short handle,
and a blunt, rusty blade. Very little blood could be
seen upon it, only a stain, & gray hairs adhering.
THE DYING WIFE
Across the hall on a cot in the parlor, lay the dying wife. The floor of the room was bare as were the
walls & mantle, the former furniture of the room not
having been brought back after the reconciliation
between Easterly & his wife 2 weeks ago. A great
cleft in the woman’s skull lay gaping, out of which
quantities of blood ran out upon the pillow, and to
all who gazed upon the horrid scene it was apparent
that a small remnant of life would soon be gone. At
about 11 o’clock very few of the persons remained
who had been drawn to the house by curiosity & kind
friends were left to themselves to take care of the
dead and dying. Mrs. Easterly died shortly before
midnight.
PURSUIT OF THE
MURDERER
During the time when
crowds were going to and
coming from the house, Sheriff Glen Burnett & Deputy
Sheriff Howell had not been
unmindful of their duty as
conservators of the public
welfare.
[Historian’s note: As I
copied this from an old newspaper, I took the liberty to
abbreviate, use symbols, in
order to to shorten the piece. Sheriff Glen Burnett,
Some extraneous sentences/
Lyons, Wayne Co.,
paragraphs were dropped.]
New York
Page 53
Feature: Livingston Geer, American Artist
Livingston Geer, American Artist
Illustrator in Demand during 1920s and 1930s
By Patricia11 (Geer) Jasper [ID# 1450-3-1-1-1]
Leon Sutherland (Livingston)9 Geer [ID#
1450-3-1-G] was b. Mar. 21, 1887 in Athens, PA.
He was one of 4 sons who were b. to George Delet
Geer--1858 & Ella (Smith) Geer: Bertie & Harold, who d.y., & Livingston & Raymond Horace
Geer--1897, both of whom lived to adulthood. Ray
was a banker who d. at the age of 55 of a heart attack.
An artist, Livingston painted portraits of movie
stars, which he sold to Photoplay & other magazines, often for as much as $750 apiece. During the
Depression, this was a small fortune. He was under
exclusive contract with Photoplay, but painted under the alias of Pierre Andre for other commercial
ventures. He also sold portraits & landscapes on his
own. He was commissioned to paint a portrait of the
Shah of Iran for $10,000. At the time, this was an
obscenely generous amount. He painted large murals in his brother Ray’s dining room in Rutherford,
NJ, & in his own dining room in Ardsley, NY. On
his son’s birth certificate, he listed his occupation as
Art Editor of Puck Magazine. Livingston travelled
to France with his 2nd wife Vaughn, arriving back in
New York City in August of 1930. In the 1930’s, he
lived on West 55th Street with a group of other artists, including Francis S. Dixon & Norman Roberts.
His 1st wife was Eugenia Gale who d. at 22 of
puerperal fever after giving birth to their only child,
Gordon Van Tuyl10 Geer in 1917. He painted a sepia-toned picture of her washing dishes. His 2nd wife
was Vaughn De Leath, who was the first woman to
sing on the radio & one of the first women executives to manage a radio station. She also performed
on stage. They were mar. in 1924 & div. in 1935.
His 3rd wife Pauline, was a Russian countess. They
lived in a beautiful home in Ardsley, NY. Livingston was at one time involved in a publishing venture,
a calendar of all the arts/performance events happening in New York City. This was not a success.
Pauline d. of a stroke and Livingston moved to an
apartment in Miami, FL, where he d. in Mar. 1974,
Page 54
[Hist. note:
Photos sent by descendant Donald Geer of his
grandfather and his grandfather’s paintings. See
photos of Livingston Geer on pages 60-61]
leaving a son (Gordon--1917) & 5 Geer grandchildren (Patricia--1943, Judith--1947, Richard--1950,
Kathleen--1953 and Donald--1958).
He believed in reincarnation and dabbled in psychic phenomena such as extrasensory perception,
clairvoyance and psychokinesis. Near the end of his
life, Livingston gave his son a phrase that would confirm the validity of any afterlife contact by him. He
also wrote numerous short stories, which were found
after his death.
Feature: The Geers House of Plato, Texas, Co., MO
The Geers House of Plato, Texas Co., MO
(a.k.a. the Bates-Geers House)
From the U.S. Dept. of Interior Heritage Conservation & Recreation
Services National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
The Geers House, a prepossessing Greek Revival structure, looks west from a location amidst
the Texas Hills of central MO. The frame house has
solidly proportioned facades dominated by massive
sandstone end chimneys. The two-story, 5 bay main
block has a single story “el” on the east.
Rising from a sandstone foundation, the house,
sheathed with weatherboarding, presents Classical
architectural detail: pediment-shaped window heads
of 6-over-6 light windows and pilaster corner boards.
A boxed cornice and frieze continue to form pediments on the secondary facades, where at each story,
windows flank chimneys trimmed with stone courses
at the level of shoulder and head. The three bay “el”
has a fenestration pattern and sandstone chimney
identical to that of the main block; its cornice and
frieze are similar but end in returns on the east façade. The south façade of the el is faced by a built-in
porch (now screened) supported by posts with pillow
capitals.
Under the shelter of a pedimented porch with
molded posts, the primary entrance creates the building’s strongest statement. A singleleaf door with
sidelights is crowned by a six light transom. Abut-
ting door, sidelight and reveals are paneled pilasters,
similar to the posts of the porch, which carry transom
bar and door lintel. Details of the doorway were once
painted red, white and blue.
Additions to the structure include a standing
seam metal roof over the original wood shingles; a
small porch over a secondary entrance on the north
façade and a well house covering the original cistern at the rear of the house. A bay window added to
the primary façade on the north and another cut on
the south are intrusive and detract from the intended
symmetry of the elevation.
Barring the installation of electricity the interior
of the Geers House has survived in nearly original
appearance. Each floor of the main block is comprised
of two rooms and a central hallway. Woodwork in the
house, varied but uniformly simple, is the expression
of the early local craftsman. The north room of the
first floor, lined with paneled wainscoting, presents a
handcrafted paneled mantel. The room on the south,
lined with wainscoting of a different design, has a
similar mantelpiece. The walls of both rooms are
plastered and have been wallpapered. The entrance
hall, also wainscoted, has walls faced with vertical
planking. Its primary decorative feature is the scored
woodwork lining each doorway and simple wooden banister of the stairway. The two upstairs rooms
Page 55
Photo courtesy of Kristi - Live and Love...Out Loud
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/knkbonney/>
each have simple, heavy woodwork and mantels, and
walls of vertical planking.
The interior of the one story addition has somewhat more sophisticated decorative details. A dining
room, with two sets of doubleleaf, folding doors to
the outside, opens from the north room. The “winter
kitchen” to the rear has a mantel which, though paneled like those of the rest of the house, is accentuated
by finer moldings and the ornamentation of small
pilasters. All doors on the interior are original and
some of their hardware is retained. Wide plank flooring remains throughout the house.
The Geers House lies on a low hill in the center
of 285 acres of dormant farmland. About a mile of
original split rail fencing still borders the property.
Several out-buildings of later date are to the north &
west of the house. Although some residential building is in progress in the area, the house remains the
dominant force on the landscape. Structurally sound,
but in need of restoration, the house will be returned
to its original condition by the present owners. [Apparently, no restoration happened after all.]
Page 56
The Geers House is a significant Greek Revival structure, a product of fine, early craftsmanship,
created of local materials in a traditional vernacular
vein. It is one of the few extant examples of early
19th century architecture in Texas Co., MO. Built by
one of the area’s earliest settlers, the Geers House
has throughout its history been the home of leading
Texas Co. families: a prime example of both pioneer
workmanship and contemporary domestic architectural taste, it is important also because it is deeply
intertwined with the history of the Texas Co. Hill
Country.
Among the first settlers in the land that was to
be Texas Co. was Addison Bates, who came from
NC in the 1830s and constructed a small sawmill on
Paddy Creek. (The mill was still in existence as late
as 1889). It was the first mill in the area and sent its
finished lumber from the Texas forests as far away
as Springfield, MO. Around 1840, Bates began the
construction of the present house, an appropriate indicator of his thriving business and rising social status. Sandstone for the foundation was quarried on the
property and pine trees from the hills around were
sawn, planed and shaped at Bates’ own mill. Labor,
according to local history, was provided at least in
part by slaves; remains of their cabins can still be
seen far to the rear of the house. The house reflects a
consistent trend in the transference into MO of eastern regional architectural types. Although such ornamental details as the monumental, trabeated entry,
cornice and frieze appear in deference to the era’s admiration for the nobility of the Greek Revival style,
the house’s 5 bay, central hall I-house form, its heavily proportioned elevations, with almost the massing
of stone, and the large sandstone end chimneys which
heighten the effect, have their origins in eastern vernacular tradition. Bates, like other immigrants from
the east, built in the housing forms most familiar to
him, thus indirectly ensuring their continuation in the
west.
The house when completed was the showplace of
the county. Sometime before the outset of the Civil
War, Bates apparently sold the house to William &
Mary Roby, whose family gave their name to the
small village of Roby nearby. During their tenure,
the house was reportedly used as a stagecoach stop
and occasionally sheltered some invalid Union soldiers: according to local legend one such, known
only as Abner, can sometimes be seen riding about
the farm at night.
Towards the end of the war, the Union Army
sent a platoon through the hills to suppress a band
of Bushwhackers operating in the area. With them
was John Geers, a young soldier from Illinois. Born
March 20, 1841 in Madison Co. IL, he had enlisted
in Comp. C, 117th Vol. Inf., in 1862. Geers was fascinated by the beautiful countryside with its plentiful
game, and by the Bates place on 550 acres of land,
which happened at the time to be for sale.
Returning to Texas Co. at the close of the war,
Geers completed purchase of the house and land in
1872. His large family was raised on the property and
in 1932, after his death, his youngest son Charles
with his wife Rose, leased and later purchased the
farm. While the land remained always in production,
they supplemented their income during the 1940s by
running a boarding house for workers employed in
the construction of Fort Leonard Wood 17 miles to
the north. The house continued in the Geers family until 1978 [hard to read] until it was purchased
by the present owners who intend to fully restore it.
[Apparently, this did not happen.]
[Historian’s note: John Geers was son of William Lawrence Geers and Desdemona Higgins.
William was b. about 1816 KY; his parents were
Jesse Geers b. 1795 VA and wife Laurany Hall.
This is a lineage that needs a DNA Geers’ participation.]
Photo with
permission from
Mary Swanson,
Grants Pass, OR.
Page 57
Feature: The Geer Family Song
The Story of “The Geer Family Song:”
A Keemo Kimo/Kitty Kimo Variant
by Kristen Ann Froehlich Albert, Ed. D.
August 10, 2011
How many families can claim to have a family
song they can call their own? A song so unique that
although experts in the field of folk music history and
genres are not familiar with it, it is sung with joy and
gusto by dozens of Geer’s as they gather in reunion as
we did this past July, 2011 in Johnstown, PA.
With the encouragement of my second cousin and
family genealogist Audrey Jane Geer Masalehdan, I
sought to uncover the history and context of the “Geer
Family Song” also known in the family as “Hi Ho. ”
Where did it come from? How did it enter the family?
How did it become a tradition among the Geer decendants of Frank Densmore Geer and Clara Ada Heck
Geer? How has it changed over the course of these
past 150 years to become the song that it is today? The
history of what we now know as “The Geer Family
Song” is interesting in and of itself. To some, more fun
and perhaps even more interesting are the individual
variants of the “Geer Family Song;” the changes in
text, melody, and style now sung by members of my
own extended family. Folk music is music “of the
people;” over the years the Geer family adapted what
has become our song from songs that were likely once
part of the minstrel tradition, and that have become a
Geer family tradition for six generations.
I learned “The Geer Family Song” from my paternal grandmother Sara Geer Froehlich, daughter of
Frank D. and Clara Ada Heck Geer. My earliest
memories of this song hearken back to when I was a
young child, perhaps four or five years of age, sitting
in the backseat of the family car with my grandmother
Sara Virginia Geer Froehlich, as she sang to me a
song that contained a litany of non-sense words in a
melody set to uneven meters. (See copy of the “definitive Geer family song.”)
The origins of this song remain a mystery to
the Geer descendants. It is evident from tracing the
family genealogy of those who know this song, that
the children of Frank D. Geer, Sr. and Clara Ada
Heck Geer (my grandmother Sara, and her two brothers, Robert Reid Geer, and Frank D. Geer, Jr.) were
likely to have been the ones who passed it on to their
Page 58
children and grandchildren.
From where did the song originate? Three variants
I have found in my research included “Kemo Kimo,”
“Kitty Kimo,” and “Cremo-Crimo-Dorro-Wah;” these
are the closest to what the Geer’s of today sing. Two
versions under the titles “Kitty Kimo” (see pg. 61)
and “Kemo Kimo” (see pg. 61) were performed as
burlesque in minstrel shows and illustrate a mocking
caricature of “the darkie” (Tolman and Eddie 399).
The minstrel version of “Kitty Kimo” published as an
“America Singing: Nineteenth Century Song Sheet”
was identified as having been “composed and arranged
by Charles White, and sung nightly by Old Dan Emmit, with thunders of applause.” The second version,
“Kemo Kimo” was published by a Baltimore, MD. publisher, Thomas G. Doyle. While these variants were
from the minstrel tradition, ethnomusicologist Dorothy Scarborough remembers an “old nursery song”
called “Cree-mo-cri-mo-dorro-wah” that echoes texts
similar to the minstrel variants. Scarborough learned
this nursery song from the singing of various “black
mammies of the South” who were “Negroes” on her
father’s plantation in East Texas.” Further confirming
its existence as a nursery song, Scarborough collected
a version from Kate Langley Bosher, of Richmond,
Virginia, who remembered being sung to sleep with
this song in her childhood. (shown below)
In her book On the Trail of Negro Folk Songs, Scarborough provides two more variants that are also similar, acknowledging that “the nonsense chorus is considerably varied in different versions (Scarborough 175).
The first was collected in Auburn, Alabama 1915-1916
and identified by the source as a “slavery-time song”
while a second variation she collected from a professor
at the University of Virginia who told her of the variant
he experienced as a refrain from a sheet of “yells” printed and used at Trinity College, N.C. in 1921 (Scarborough, 176).
The comparison among the texts of various examples strongly suggest that the origins of the Geer Family
Feature: The Geer Family Song
Song came through the societal influence of the minstrel tradition, as can be seen in the chart below. Over time the
Geer Song re-constituted and became new variant and folk music in its truest definition (Lund 12). Only textual
variants remain in print, and while the original melody of the Geer Family Song may never be known, it is likely
additional melodic variants existed, were never written down, and may have been lost in time.
Geer Family Song (modern)
Hi ho
Rumstabummadoodle
Sak pak
Pinny Winny
Nip Cut
Sing a song o’ Kitty and Kimeo
Kemo Kimo Dairo Wo
Kemo Kimo (Thomas Doyle)
Kitty Kimo (Charles White)
Me hi, me ho,
Rumsit pum a diddle
Sot bug
Poddy woddy (link cum)
Nip cut
Sing song Kitty, can’t you Kimeo
Kemo, Kimo, dar a war
My hi, my ho,
My rumsti-pummididdle
Soot bag
Pidly-winckem (link ‘em)
Nip cat
Sing song, Polly, won’t you ki me, oh
Camo, kimo, daro, war
Folk music can only remain alive in the present in three ways: recordings, print materials, and in the hearts
and souls of the people who sing their songs. Although I have recorded and transcribed twelve modern variants of
the Geer Family Song as sung by my extended family, the written page can only serve as a one-dimensional preservation of what otherwise was intimately connected to the lives of the folks who sing them. At the time of this writing, Jonah, the youngest Geer, and a sixth generation descendant of Frank D. Geer and Clara Ada Heck Geer,
has had the family song sung to him by his grandma Audrey Jane Geer Masalehdan and his mother Azadeh
Geer Masalehdan Block. Jonah responds with enthusiastic recognition and laughter. As he grows, we hope that
he too will sing the Geer Family Song with robust joy and help to keep it alive for generations to come. As relatives,
we can all share the Geer Family song. I encourage you to learn it, make it your own, and pass it on to your future
generations.
[Editor’s Note: See images of lyrics, on page 61 this issue, Geer Family Photo Album.]
Bibliography
America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song
Sheets. Kemo, Kimo. Baltimore: Thomas G. Doyle,
Bookseller, Stationer, and Song Publisher, n.d.
American Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song
Sheets. Kitty Kimo. Composed and arranged by
Charles White. New York: H. De Marsan, n.d.
Keemo Kimo: George Christy and Wood’s Celebrated Banjo Song. Arranged by A. Sedgwick. New
York: William Hall & Son, 1854. Print.
Lund , Floice R. Research and Retrieval: Music Teacher’s Guide to Material Selection and Collection. 2nd ed. Westborough, MA: Pro Canto Press,
2007. 12. Print.
Scarborough, Dorothy. On the Trail of Negro
Folk Songs. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1925.
156-158. Print.
Tolman, Albert H., and Mary O. Eddy. “Traditional Texts and Tunes.” Journal of American Folk
Lore. 35. (1922): 399. Print.
White, N.I. American Negro Folk Songs. Boston:
Harvard College, 1928. 175-176. Print.
The Geer Family Song
Hi Ho
CSP= F#
Lively and Spirited
# UU
& 42 œ œ
q = 92
Hi ho
œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43
rum - sta-bum-ma-doo-dle
#
& 43 œ œ œ œ œ
5
kit - ty an'
8
&
a
nonsense song
Tone Set: d r m f s
œ
œ
ki - me - o.
sak - pak pee-ny wee-ny
42 œ
œ
Ki - mo
œ
nip cut sing - a song-o'
œ
ki - mo
œ
œ
dair - ro
œ
wo!
# Uœ U
œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Hi ho
rum-sta-bum-ma-doo-dle
sak-pak pin-ny win-ny
nip cut sing-a-song-a
kit-ty an' a ki-me-o.
NOTE: Several variants of "The Geer Family Song"
suggest that the final A section is to be performed
in a new tempo, as fast as the singer can perform it.
This variant was derived from an examination of twelve field
recordings from 12 descendents of Frank Densmore Geer, Sr.,
collected by Kristen Albert in June 2010. This score represents the most
common combination of elements gleaned through comparisons of
melody, rhythm, text, and expressive elements of the
twelve field recordings.
KAA June 15, 2010
Page 59
Family Photo Album
Above:
John Geer’s son
Oscar Ernest8 Geer
b. 1891-d.1964) and wife
Lillian Grace (Deschler) Geer
Sent by Donald Casey, descendant.
Livingston Geer, my mother
Dee and me at Easter 1943.
Submitted to GFA by Pat
(Geer) Jasper
Page 60
John7 Geer
[ID# 618-4-G]
b. 1849
Little Falls, Wayne
Co., PA
and d. 1933
Livingston, his father George Geer and grandfather (either James
Rezin Geer III--we’ve been told both--Submitted to GFA by Pat
(Geer) Jasper < patjasper@rogers.com >
Painting b
“Livingsto
this Geer a
Dr. Kristen A. Albert, submitted these “Geer
Family Song” images to accompany her
article on pages 58-59 this issue. <http://www.
linkedin.com/pub/kristen-albert/15/a07/875>
by Leon Sutherland (called
on”)9 Geer [ID# 1450-3-1-G] For more on
artist, see page 54 in this issue.
Livingston Geer with his first wife Eugenia Gale, who died at the
age of 22 about a month after son Gordon Geer’s birth. Submitted to
GFA by Pat (Geer) Jasper < patjasper@rogers.com >
Page 61
Old Geer Correspondence from 1886: Endicott Letter
Sun, Jul 3, 2011
Hi GFA!
Here’s the letter that was written to Martha
Davison Gifford from her aunt L.C. (Lucy Caroline) Geer Endicott. This letter was written about a
month after Martha had died! You’ll notice the reference to “Uncle Darwin”
who I believe is Lyman Darwin Geer. I found an entry on findagrave for Carline Geer
Endicott and wonder if this is same person as L.C.
Endicott. Unfortunately there is no headstone picture. If it is L.C. Endicott she certainly traveled the
country!!
I even found a transcription I did ages ago!!
Robin Poeschek < robin@poeschek.net >
Historian Note:
Lucy Caroline6 Geer Endicott is 6th gen. and
ID# 278-9-G [formerly ID# 278-8 per page 372 of
The 1923 Geer Genealogy, by Walter Geer. Yes,
Lyman Darwin did die on the 22 November 1885-less than a year before letter was written. Fo more on
this man, see (see this man called “Darwin Geer”,
son of Josiah Geer ID# 278, on page 372 of the
1923 Geer Genealogy.)
The Martha she is writing to is dau. of her sister
Mary “Polly” Geer Davison. Her full name: Martha Carlinda Davison Gifford, and she and husb.
had 8 ch. that we know of.
Letter Transcription:
12 Jun 1886
Burr Oak, Wis.
Dear Martha,
When I wrote you before I was in a great hurry. I
did not write you a very satisfactory letter to a niece
I had not seen in so long a time. My dear girl! how
much I want to see you, and how I pity you, I am so
sorry you have such poor health. Your Mother used
to take Medicomentam for a cough and if you can
get good I think it will help you. How I wish I could
come and see you. Your Uncle Darwin died the 22nd
of Nov. He suffered a great deal in his sickness, but
if we can meet again I feel thankful he is done with
pain. I was with him when he died. I but regret very
much that I did not go to him sooner, but it was hard
for me to go when I did I was there 8 days. I felt as
though I did not want to live to see another friend
die, but I have had to. Your aunt Jane, and I if I can,
think of coming to see you next Spring. Her health
is better than it was. I was much pleased with your
letter, and your girls I should like to see your husband and children, and Oh! How much I should like
to see you. Mary sais one of your girls looks like me,
Electa; - Your aunt Malinda has very poor health
this Winter she is troubled with a pain in her tongue.
My dear girl hold up with good courage. (New milk
if you can drink it is good for you, drink it warm.)
Good bye for now.
Your’s L.C. Endicott.
Submitter’s note:
On the side of the second page of the letter it
says: “excuse my hurried letter.”
DID YOU KNOW . . .
Burr Oak is native to Wisconsin. It can
grow to 80’ with large spreading crown.
Acorns can grow quite large and mature
within one year.
Page 62
Old Geer Correspondence from 1886: Endicott Letter
Page 63
Letters to GFA
Jun 8, 2011
I am researching the Geer family & am hoping
that you can help me order a copy of your article
“Riddle of Samuel Geer #469 vs #296” from the
GFA Newsletter—Vol. 5, no. 3, p. 47.
I’m working with a Geer descendant whose
Mayflower lineage, & that of a previously approved
cousin, depend on the answer to this “riddle”. We
need to know, but I’m almost afraid of the answer.
Are the children listed for both Samuel Geer
those of #469 or #296? Which Samuel did Lucy
Tracy marry? Did she die in CT in 1810 (per Preston /Barbour records) or in MA? She surely didn’t
die in 1873... Does your article answer these questions? OK - I admit, the suspense is killing me.
Peggy Durack, San Antonio, TX
pdurack@satx.rr.com
[Historian’s note:
Per Peggy’s request, material was sent to her.]
_____________________________
Jun 3, 2011
LINEAGE: George Geer 1621-1676 was my
10th gr-grandfather. How much of my ancestry from
Eunice Geer forward do you want? It appears you
have my grandmother Minerva Jane Mullins [in
the greater genealogy.] Do you include those currently living? Am I eligible to join the GFA since I
don’t have the Geer name? [YES!]
I’ll work up my family line to the Geers and send
it to you via e-mail. Would you like it as a GEDCOM
file?
I would love to be able to attend the next Ledyard
based reunion. I’ve been hoping to spend time in CT
to do research and that would give me an excuse.
I’d like to track down a short term lease and spend
a month or more. I tried to use my Geer connection
to get into the DAR but couldn’t find enough documentation for Eunice to make them happy. So, I did
it through my Sanfords. I wonder how she managed
to remain so anonymous. It has been great fun finding “cousins”.
Lois Case, Fresno, CA
lois.case@att.net
__________________________
Page 64
May 28, 2011
I would love to see a GFA newsletter. I am considering joining. I have attached photos of Charles
Harrison Kinne/Kenne [ID# 1289-7] & wife Harriett Rosealtha Kinne. I don’t have pics of Harriet
Paulina7 Geer [ID# 1289-G], but will ask my Aunt
Joy (Silver) Curtis. If she does, I will be happy to
forward them. Are you on ancestry.com? That is
where I found many connections. If you go there you
will find all of Harriet Paulina’s children.
The connection to William Brewster goes from
Mary Kinne Phillips to Harriet Rosaltha Kinne to
Harriet Paulina Geer to Mary Ann Cook to Esther
Halsey, to Esther Parke to Sarah Brewster to John
Brewster to Daniel Brewster to Benjamin Brewster
to Jonathan Brewster to William Brewster. The
existing documentation is approved through to Mary
Ann Cook. I only have to provide documentation
from Harriet Paulina Geer forward to me for the
Mayflower Society. Do you know of any other Geers
who have a Mayflower connection?
Warmest regards,
Janet Cisco, Denville, NJ
jcisco4@optonline.net
[Historian’s note: I have
been asked this last question
dozens of times. It may be time
to add a section to our Members-Only Board for Geer/Gere/
Gear---Mayflower Connections.
What do others think of this?]
_______________________________
5 Jan. 2011
I’m learning about my Geer family connections.
From what I can tell, my Great-great-grandfather
was Erastus C. Geer (1817-1871), born in NY and
moved to MI. He was listed as a physician, and m.
a widow, Eveline Farrar Holcomb, in the 1840?s.
Eveline’s father was Asa Farrar from NY who
moved to Atlas, Genesee Co., MI. Mr. Farrar was
the 1st settler of this town. Erastus’s mother, Dorcus (Dorcas?) Bronzton was m. to Lemuel Samuel
Geer whose father also had the same name. Dorcus
may have been mar. previously. With Lemuel Geer
she had Erastus, Lorenzo (he d. in 1880 from a
Letters to GFA
fall off a wagon – he was a farmer), and there was a
dau. who mar. someone whose last name was Heath.
From what I have been able to trace, the first Lemuel was a child of Christopher3 Geer. I keep seeing ‘died in a well’ after his name, with no dates of
death. Any info I can find out about this family (or
any confirmations) would be more than welcome.
My gr-grandfather Richard L. Cramer (1842-1894)
m. Rozilla Geer (dau/o Erastus & Eveline). Richard & Rozilla had many children. My grandfather
was Joseph L. Cramer (1878-1916). My father was
Glenn E. Cramer (1912-1968). Rozilla d. in 1922,
an inmate of Pontiac MI State Hosp.,where she had
been for many yrs. I believe that she had no home &
that it was common practice for this to happen?
Pam Cramer
<pamydc@yahoo.com>
__________________________________
Feb. 8, 2011
My husband’s gr-grandfather was Horatio Edward Geer b-1859 in Jefferson, TX, s/o Williamson
M. Freeman Geer (b.1807 in GA) & Drucilla Olivia
Bowdre (b.1812 in GA) Williamson is the s/o Hugh
Freeman (b.1779 in NC -have not been able to verify
this with source documentation yet) & Lucy Murray
(b. 1780 in NC).
Horatio Nelson Geer (b.1832 in SC) is s/o Levi
6
P. Geer (b.1794 in MA – s/o Silsby5 Gere (b.1767 in
Preston CT) & Jane McCray (b. 1767 as well- in No.
Bolton, CT) Silsby5 Gere’s father was also Silsby4
Geer (b. 1742 in Preston, CT) & Lydia Allen. Silsby4
Gere’s father was James3 Geer (b. 1715 in Preston
CT) & Mary Mackell (b. -in Preston CT) and was s/o
Joseph2 Geer (b.1692 in Preston CT) & Susannah
Silsby (b. 1694 Preston CT) Joseph3 Geer was the s/o
Joseph2 Geer (b. 1664 in New London or Niantic,
New London, CT) who was the s/o George1 Geer
-(b.1621 in Heavitree, Devon, England.
I have no idea where Samuel Taylor Geer has
gotten his family info, but I hope it does not show up
in this book. I would appreciate hearing from you regarding this situation, & hoping that you can put our
minds at ease. Sincerely, Aileen Geer
-w/o Wm. P. Geer & mother to
William Harrison Geer. 15 July 2011
GFA:
I have a cousin who has done a lot of genealogy
work on Gearhart side, but not Gear. My Gears
are from IA. I think they may have lived somewhere
else before that, as people moved around a lot. My
grandfather’s first name was Frank. He m. my
grandmother, who was Mary Gearhart. My grandfather Gears mother’s maiden name was Rankin
(she died when very young). Franks father’s name
was George Gear. Frank had a hard life due to loss
of his mother. He had, I believe, 3 siblings. My
grandparents moved to MN in the early 20’s. I don’t
know a lot about the Gears. I am very excited to get
a newsletter. I would appreciate any other info you
could share. Thank you so much. Jan Bailey jan@wglpa.com
__________________________________
Ken Geer & Gene Geer
April 15, 2011
I talked to Ken Geer today about the upcoming 2013 triennial. He thinks the w/e of June 22--23
might be a good one.
He’s working on securing the church, and we’ll
need to have a committee to decide on who will handle the money, contribute ideas, make out the application forms, etc. He’s been looking into some new
graveyards that have Geers in them so we will have a
few new places to visit. Like the last CT reunion I’m
sure there will be a full schedule again.
He also reports that lots of labor (& about $16,000)
has gone into restoring the Geer Hill School. It looks
like it will be in good shape for a long time to come.
Both he and I have had our DNA analyzed so
maybe we’ll have to work up something to see if
our lineages converge back to a common point in the
past.
Gene Geer,
President GFA
Page 65
Milestones
Births
Honors
Geer Named Miss Kosciusko County Fair
Ava Faith McDonald
Ava Faith McDonald
[lD# 1060-1-6-5-2-1-G]
was born in Charleston, SC
March 10, 2011 to proud
first-time parents Mary
Catherine
(Robinson)
McDonald and husband is
Tyler Bradford McDonald. Mary is a granddau. of
the late Muriel9 (Geer) Robinson and 92 year old
James Robinson of Maine.
PIERCETON, IN - Paige Geer was named the
2010 Miss Kosciusko County Fair Queen Fri. night
at Pierceton Elem. School. She won a $1,250 college scholarship as well as entry to the state fair
queen pageant & the state festivals pageant. Geer
will be busy this week at the 94th Annual Kosciusko
Co. Fair as she spends time at events as a judge &
handing out ribbons.
Geer Poetry
Obituaries
When Great-Grandma was a Girl
Great-Grandma on a winter’s day,
Milked the cows and fed them hay.
Slopped the hogs, saddled the mule;
And got the children off to school.
Did a washing, mopped the floors,
Washed the windows and did the chores.
Cooked a dish of home-dried fruit,
Pressed her husband’s Sunday suit.
Swept the parlor, made the beds,
And baked a dozen loaves of bread.
Split the firewood and lugged it in,
Enough to fill the kitchen bin.
Cleaned the lamps and put in oil,
Stewed some apples she tho’t would spoil.
Cooked a supper that was delicious
And afterward washed up all the dishes.
Fed the cat and sprinkled the clothes,
Mended a basketful of hose.
Then opened the organ and began to play,
“When You Come to the End of a Perfect Day.”
(This poem was given to me by the late Mable
Pribble Geer when I was just a young girl and
stayed at her house a few weeks.Loraine Cox Trembly) Mabel Pribble (18931984) dau/o Hugh Pribble & Mary Ellen Dulin
of Parkersburg, WV mar. Clarence Forrest9 Geer
[ID# 1165-4-2-7-G]
From the publication, They Came Here…
copyright © Loraine Cox Metz, 2004, 1984.
Page 66
Queen
Source: Excerpt from “Geer Named Miss Kosciusko
County Fair Queen”, Times-Union of Warsaw, IN, Daniel
Riordan, Staff Writer, Aug. 9, 2010.
Marian Hedges
Marian Thelma “Mickey”
Hedges [ID# 278-1-3-10-6-3-G] of
Eugene, OR d. 4 Jan. 2011 of complications following a stroke. She was
75. She was b. Oct. 8, 1935, in San
Jose, CA, to Royce Nathaniel “Bud”
Davison, Jr. (gr-gr-grandson of Mary “Polly”6 Geer
ID# 278-1, {1804-1855}) & Mary Elaine (Gould)
Davison. Marian mar. Charles Hedges on 3 April
1954, in Dexter, OR.
She held an A.D. in nursing from Lane Community College. She worked as a nurse at Sacred Heart
Medical Center in Dexter, OR.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Rick of
Marcola; 2 daughters, Pam Poling of Springfield &
Jackie Austin of Parker, AZ; 2 sisters, Gayle Rogers
of Eugene and Kelly Coder of Springfield; 6 grandchildren; & 3 gr-grandchildren.
Source: The Register-Guard, of Eugene, OR. Photo per
permission of family. [http://special.registerguard.com/web/
newslocalnews/25762317-41/died-stewart-gracie-eugene-service.html.csp]
________________________
Christine “Teeny” (Buzas) Gere
Christine “Teeny” (Buzas) Gere, 93, of Park
Ridge, IL d. May 15, 2011, wife of the late Joseph
Gere; sister of John (Nell) Buzas & the late George
(late Blanche) Buzas, Bernice (late Harold) Dietz
& Mary (late Albert) Svenningsen; loving aunt of
Betsy Grueter, Elizabeth Johnson, Barbara Svenningsen & Pam Terket. Interment: St. Luke Cem.
Milestones Obituaries
Sheridan K[nowles]10 GEER
Sheridan K[nowles]10 GEER [ID# 282-1-3-51-1], born 13 July 1916; died 23 January 2009, of
Holland, NY, beloved husb/o Angie “Anne” Sortore
Geer; devoted father of Judith (Charles Wightman)
Geer & Janet Elizabeth (Robert Bradley) Geer;
loving grandfather of Lisa & Erik Bradley; dear
brother of the late Willard Frederick10 “Bill” Geer
(survived by Kay) Geer; father through the AFS of
Vivien Ponniah, formerly of Malaysia & Carlos
Turc of Argentina; also survived by nieces and nephews. Served as a Little League Coach, and was active in civic affairs. Interment in Holland Cem. Mr.
Geer was a WWII Army veteran and a member of the
Holland American Legion. Donations to the Holland
Schools Library Fund, the Holland United Methodist
Church or the Holland American Legion. [Per obit in
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, 2009.]
________________________
Elwin T. Dickenson
Elwin T. Dickenson
[ID# 278-5-4-4-7-G] ,
100, of Sparta, WI d. 28
Feb. 2011 in Sparta. He
was b. on 9 Feb. 1911 in
Angelo, WI to Alton B.
& Malinda Edna (Sacia) Dickenson. He was
one of nine children. He m. Pearl Parsneau in 1934
in Sparta and they lived in Sparta. He worked for WPA
during the depression and also traveled to Guam as a
painter. He then worked on the Alcan Highway as a
blaster & traveled to the Aleutian Islands. He drove
cab & bus at Fort McCoy. He then drove over the road
semi hauling new automobiles for Clark Transport &
C & J Transport until his retirement. He loved playing
his guitar and singing at church. He was very active
in the Assembly of God Church. He is survived by
his children, Audrey (Ted) Hubert of Charles City,
IA, Douglas (Delores) Dickenson of Milwaukee, WI,
& Eleanor Evans of Sparta; 12 grandchildren; 16 grgrandchildren; & 5 gr-gr-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Pearl; infant son,
Donald; a son, Dale; son-in-law, David; granddaughter, Denise; 8 brothers & sisters. Burial will be in the
Big Creek Union Cem., rural Sparta.
[Per obit in Chicago Tribune on May 17, 2011]
Samuel Lee Geer
May 24, 1921 ~ March 25, 2011
Samuel Lee Geer, husb/o longtime Burnet resident
Vera Williams (Johnson) Geer, passed away in Lubbock, TX on March 25.
Sam was born on May 24, 1921, in Sparta, TN, but
grew up in the town of Bridgeport, on the Tennessee
River in northeast AL. He was the 4th of ten children b.
to Thomas & Mattie Geer.
In Dec. 1944, during his WWII years in the Army
Air Corps, Sam m. Mary Esther Bryant of Gainesville, FL. They settled in Cowan, TN after the war. In
1947, Sam moved his wife & daughter to Pompano
Beach, FL, where he became the fifth employee of the
Farmer’s Bank of Pompano.
Sam remained with this same financial institution for 39 yrs. though it relocated, added branches &
changed its name. He retired in 1986, at which time
he was a Senior VP with Florida Coast Banks, Inc., in
charge of the finance & control section.
Community service was always important to Sam.
He was active in Pompano Beach’s Chamber of Commerce (1964-73; serving as director & as treasurer), Kiwanis Club (1969-80; pres. in 1974), Zoning & Advisory Board (1975-83) & the North Broward Co. National
Alliance of Businessmen. Much of his service focused
on finding jobs for disadvantaged youth.
Service to God led Sam to spend decades as an Elder
in the Sixth Street Church of Christ of Pompano Beach,
of which he and his wife were founding members.
After 52 yrs. as a Floridian, Sam became a Texan
when he m. Vera Johnson of Abilene in Feb. 1999.
The two had been friends while he was stationed in San
Antonio during WWII. In Abilene, he was a member of
the Univ. Church of Christ. In Oct. 2010, Sam & Vera
moved to Heartland House assisted living in Lubbock.
Samuel L. Geer was preceded in death by his toddler son Samuel Clyde Geer, his wife of 50 yrs., Mary
Esther Bryant Geer and 7 of his siblings. Survivors
include his wife of 12 yrs., Vera Geer; his daughters
& sons-in-law Gwen & Billy Parris of Panama City,
FL, & Elizabeth & Greg Moore of Chapala, Jalisco,
Mexico; stepchildren Larry & Ann Johnson of Bartlesville, Janice & Rocky Sprott of Stratford, & Kenneth Johnson of Lubbock; 2 sisters, 4 grandchildren
& 6 gr-grandchildren. Sam was buried in Pompano
Beach, FL. Memorial.
Page 67
Milestones: Obituaries
Samuel Lee Geer, continued
Contributions may be made to: Covenant Foundation, Palliative Medicine Unit, 3623 22nd Pl., Lubbock, TX 79410.
Helen Mae (Darden) Geer
Source: http://burnetbulletin.com/obits/samuel-lee-geermay-24-1921-march-25-2011/8196161/
____________________________________
Mary Caroline (Grainer) Geer
Mary C. Gere
passed away Nov. 22,
2010 at her home in Bellevue. She was 84. Mary
was born in Passau, Germany on March 3, 1926
to John and Caro-lina
Greiner. The family emigrated to Tacoma where
she enjoyed growing up
with her sister Lena, and
her brothers, John and Harry. She attended Lincoln
High School, and worked as an elevator operator in
downtown Tacoma. She married Philip C. Gere on
November 10, 1950, and moved to Bellevue. Mary and
Phil enjoyed 37 years together before Phil’s passing in
1988. They raised 4 beautiful and loving daughters.
Carol, Cindy, Clarissa, and Cassandra. Mary loved
gardening and was active in Valleyvue Garden Club.
As well as being a kind and generous Mother, Mary
loved to cook and bake. She also worked for Frederick
and Nelson and Old National Bank for many years.
She is survived by her daughters, sons-in-law, Rick,
Norman, and Brad, grandchildren Kristin, Ellie,
and Ryan, 6 great-grand children, as well as numerous
relatives and close friends. A memorial open-house
was held at her home in Bellevue on Dec. 11, 2010.
________________________
Kathryn GEAR
Kathryn GEAR -Passed away peacefully in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada on April 17, 2011, in her 82nd
yr. Beloved wife of the late Kenneth William Gear.
Dear mother of Keith (Brigitte) Gear & Karlene
(Roger) Phillips. Loving grandmother of Jonathan,
Sarah, Rebecca & Jessica. Survived by sister Diane
Grassie & brother Frank Grassie. Also survived by
dear friends Janet Winger & Anne Wilde. Burial in
Woodlawn Cem., Dunnville, ON.
Page 68
Helen Mae (Darden) Geer (1929 - 2011), 81,
a homemaker, passed away Jan. 5, 2011. She was
b. March 10, 1929 in Abilene, Taylor Co., TX. Funeral was at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, Arlington, TX. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. She enjoyed music & art. She was
very active in her church. She was preceded in death
by her husband, Otis D. Geer Jr. Survivors: Sons,
Otis D. Geer III & wife, Sue, Roy R. Geer & wife,
Vickie, & Charles L. Geer; dau., Helen Ruth Geer;
10 grandchildren; 23 gr-grandchildren; & sisters,
Patricia Mehal & husb., Ed, & Nancy Enright.
Published in Star-Telegram on January 8, 2011, Arlington, TX.
[Historian’s note: This lineage of Geers begins with
John1 Geer d. 2 Oct. 1769 Orange Co., NC, David2 Geer
b. abt. 1735, Solomon3 Geer b. Dec. 1775 NC, John M.4
Geer b. bef. 1807, Lorenzo Don5 Geer b. 1840 AR, Wm.
Carlos6 Geer b. 26 Aug. 1862 TX, Otis D.7 Geer, Sr. b. 11
Sept. 1927 TX. The superscript in this case refers not to
generations from immigrant, but rather generations from
first-known ancestor in America, who may have been an
immigrant. Ancestry discovered by Sam Taylor Geer.]
Send a link to your family tree web page to
webmaster@geerfamily.org
We will add you to the GFA “Share Your Ancestry”
page, Also check for the updated content and site
changes planned.
Region 1 News: Johnstown Geer’s Reunion, July 2011
What works better than a “book” about the
reunion for the attendees? How about a web
site now at [http://www.johnstowngeers.org],
by Judy Ewing.
Left to right, in front kneeling: Miles Froehlich, Lindsay Miller, Alex Miller
First row seated: Kristin Froehlich Albert,
Curt Geer, Jim Geer, Jean Gray Geer, Audrey
Geer Masalehdan. Standing: Robert L. HershGeer, Tom Ewing, Marilynn Geer Kobza, Judy
Geer Ewing, Beth Preston Froehlich, Charles (“Chip”) Froehlich III, Kitty Johnson Froehlich, Kay McNerney Geer, Byron Geer, Joanie Walker Geer, Greg Miller, Laura Froehlich Miller, Robert R. HershGeer, William Geer Masalehdan, Ali Masalehdan, Doug Albert.
Regional Representatives
REGION 1 (ME, NH, CT, RI, PA, NJ, VA, WV, VT, MA, NY, MD, and DE )
ME & NH Mrs. Judith A. Ewing, judy1@maine.rr.com . ............................................................................ (207) 329-0077
CT.........Susan Geer Downes, 30 Caulkins Rd., Norwich, CT 06360 ........................................................... Sued814@aol.com
RI..........Scott Bill Hirst, 20 Maple Court, Ashway, RI 02804-9630................................................................ (401) 377-4643
PA.........Jean Creznic, 120 Candlewood Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112.......................................................... (717) 545-1839
NJ.........Ginger August, 14 Hageman Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 gingeraugust@gmail.com.................. (609) 924-6391
REGION 2 (IN, WS, KY, MI, IL, and OH)
IN..........Leona Geer Wiseman, 633 N. Oakland, Mishawaka, IN 46544....................................................... (219) 255-0293
WI.........Currently no representative. Would you like to volunteer?............................................................... Vacant
KY.........Teresa M. Klaiber, c/o Deliverance Farm, 22937 Long Branch Rd., Rush KY 41168....................... tklaiber@wwd.net
MI..........Sandra Marsh, 2448 N. Sandstone Rd., Jackson, MI 49201 sandra.marsh521@gmail.com........ (517)750-4023
REGION 3 (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, AR, LA, and MS)
NC........Ann Blanton Howard, Box 475, Spindale, NC 28160....................................................................... (704) 287-1019
SC........William F. Geer, Jr. (Bill), 406 Skyview Drive, Clemson, SC 29631 geerb@bellsouth.net ............. (864) 654-4812
GA........Robert S. Geer, Jr., 4199 Poplar Hollow Court, Roswell, GA 30075 ............................................... (770) 645-9085
FL.........Jane Geer Hyer, 1008 Brandermill Dr., Cantonment, FL 32533 whyer@panhandle.rr.com............ (850) 937-0963
AL.........Fay Geer Elmore, 902 Westover Dr., Homewood, AL 35209........................................................... (none available)
REGION 4 (IA, MN, ND, SD, NE, CO, KS, and MO)
IA..........Ms. Anna Belle Wacker, 18468 352 Ave., Bellevue, IA 52031.......................................................... (319) 872-3681
MN........Marilyn Geer, 214 Dogwood St., NE, New London, MN 56273........................................................ (320) 354-4135
MN........Eulalie A. Geer, 3909 93rd Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443.......................................................... (701) 696-2418
SD........Louraine Hammell, 119 Dove Rd., Pierre, SD 57501....................................................................... (605) 224-6036
NE........Cheryl Beery, 1851 Brent Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68506......................................................................... (none available)
REGION 5 (OK, TX and NM)
NM........Mark Geer, 9920 Osuma Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111............................................................. (505) 294-4535
OK........Susan Clement Henson, 4014 NW 68th St, Okahoma City, OK 73116............................................ (918) 520-0626
REGION 6 (WA, OR, ID, WY, MT, HI and AK)
OR........Jim Toler, GeerCrest Farm, 12390 Sunnyview Rd. NE, Salem, OR 97301...................................... (503) 873-3406
WA........(Western WA) Donna Lea Gear Loper, 16021 NE 25th St., Vancouver, WA 98684......................... (360) 256-7239
WA........(Eastern WA) Nelson & Sarah Hall, 2450 NE 5th, East Wenatchee, WA 98002.............................. (509) 884-4461
ID..........Jeff & Debbie Geer, 10592 Silver Fox Dr., Boise, ID 83709............................................................. (208) 362-3074
REGION 7 (AZ, CA, NV, and UT ).
AZ.........Arlene Whitlatch, 13019 N 23 Pl., Phoenix, AZ 85022..................................................................... (602) 493-5177
CA.........(Fresno-South) Irving & Vi Miller, 2907 Berkeley St., Bakersfield, CA 93305...(805) 872-0460
REGION 8 (Canada) - Terri Kukla, P.O. Box 787, Denali Park, Alaska 99755 ............. lovesdenali@yahoo.com
Page 69
Trustees, Officers, and Region Map
Region 1 GFA Trustee:
Richard Radune
raradune@comcast.net
101 Hotchkiss Grove Rd., # 4
Branford, CT 06405-5414
(203) 483-5263
8
Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Australia,
Europe, Asia, South America
Sandra Marsh
sandra.marsh521@gmail.com
2448 N. Sandstone Road
Jackson, MI 49201
(517) 750-4023
Robert S. Geer, Jr.
bobgeerjr@mindspring.com.
4199 Poplar Hollow Court,
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 645-9085
Officers of the Geer Family Association
President........................Eugene W. Geer, pansegene@yahoo.com
.......................................558 Beers Street, Hazlet, NJ 07730, (732) 264-3129
Vice President.................Judy Ewing, judy1@maine.rr.com
9 Bunker Hill Terrace, Scarborough, ME 04074,
(207) 221-0762
Secretary .......................Audrey Masalehdan, ajgeerm@gmail.com
.......................................315 So. Linden Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Treasurer........................Sandra Marsh, sandra.marsh521@gmail.com
.......................................2448 N. Sandstone Road, Jackson, MI 49201
Newsletter..................... Donna Lea Gear Loper, dloper3@comcast.net
Chairperson.................. 16021 N.E. 25th St., Vancouver, WA 98684, (360) 256-7239
Historian....................... Ginger M. August, gingeraugust@gmail.com
...................................... 14 Hageman Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540, (609) 924-6391
Archives Chairperson... Emily Gere, emily.gere@sbcglobal.net
...................................... 415 O’Keefe, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 329-1856
Sales Chairperson......... Audrey Masalehdan, ajgeerm@gmail.com
Registered Agent........... Ken Geer, elizabethgeer@sbcglobal.net
...................................... 23 Thomas Road, Ledyard, CT 06339, (860) 464-8657
Mark J. Geer
mjgeer@tds.net
216 Dogwood Street N.E.
New London, MN 56273
(320) 354-2067
Susan Clement Henson
susanhenson@hotmail.com
4014 NW 68th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
(918) 520-0626
Jim Toler
tolers@earthlink.net
GeerCrest Farm
12390 Sunnyview Rd. NE,
Salem, OR 97317
GFA Dues and Fees Schedule
Dues and printed newsletter with web access as well:
One Year.............................................................................$35
Two Years . ........................................................................$55
Three Years .......................................................................$85
Dues and electronic (web access) newsletter:
One Year ...........................................................................$25
Two Years . ........................................................................$40
Three Years .......................................................................$60
Life Membership: ....................................................................$350
(Starting at age 50 or greater)
Gift Membership: (1 year only, with paper)...............................$30
(Giftee not a current or past member of the GFA)
Cinda R. Jauregui
cindaj@cox.net
1852 Scenic View Place
Alpine, CA 91901-3947
(619) 445-7344
Terri Kukla
lovesdenali@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 787,
Denali Park, AK 99755
Page 70
The GFA General Store: Special Note - PayPal now on Web Site!
Annual Membership Dues covers July 1 through the following June 30. Includes three newsletters: Fall, Spring, & Summer issues, and electronic access to GFA digital resources via our Members Only Web site.
Sale Items and Fees (within USA). Pay Pal is available on the web site ( http://www.geerfamily.org/ )
With exception of newsletters, international orders will be charged additional applicable airmail rate.
College of Arms Report: .................................... A report on the Geer Crest to date. 11 Pages......................... Price: $2.00
1926 Geer Family Association Meeting and Membership List:........................................................................ Price: $1.00
Individual, Family Group and Pedigree ............ Blank forms for recording genealogical information:............... Price: free for $1.00 postage.
Geer Crest: A good Xerox color reproduction of the Geer Crest ( 8 1/2 x I I ),as seen on the cover of the 1991 supplement. Price: $3.00
Annotated Bibliography of Books on Geer People: Including books with chapters devoted to G/G/G people/places/events.
...............................................................Prepared by Ginger August. About 58 pages, updated annually. . ......... Price $15.00
Historical Sketch and Genealogy of George and Thomas Geer from 1621 to 1856: By James Geer, printed by Elibu Geer in 1856.
Hard Cover
Members................ $30 + $3.00 Postage & handling (p& h)*
Non-Members....... $55 + $3.00 p& h* (includes one year GFA membership)
Reprint of 1923 Geer Genealogy by Walter Geer: Hard, imprinted cover, hand bound.
The basis of current George and Thomas Geer descendants’ ID # system. 460 pgs, 32 photos.
Members................ $40 (Postage & handling included)*
Non-Members ...... $65 (Postage & handling and one year membership included)
Reprint of 1991 Supplement to ’23 Genealogy: 950 pages, complete indices of
George and Thomas descendants, w/ appendices.3 hole drilled, loose-leaf, coverless, shrink-wrapped.
Members................ $35 (Postage & handling included)
Non-Members....... $60 (Postage & handling and one year membership included)
A Second Supplement to the 1923 Geer Genealogy (CD-ROM Only): Full text search of George and Thomas descendants.
Members................ $35 (Postage & handling included)
Non-Members....... $60 (Postage & handling and one year membership included)
USE THIS FORM TO ORDER ANY OF THE ABOVE ITEMS (Postage & handling included for each item, unless otherwise noted).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Amount Enclosed (Payable to Geer Family Association)
Note: Minimum purchase for Non-Members is $20.00
Send Completed Form and GFA Check to: Sandra Marsh, GFA
Treas., 2448 N. Sandstone Road, Jackson, MI 49201
Name: Address:
City/St/Zip:
Email and/or Phone number where we may contact you with any questions:
Qty
Price Ea. =
Sub- total__
____
Check yrs
$__________
____
Check yrs
$__________
____
$350.00
$__________
____
$2.00 ea
$__________
____
$1.00 ea $__________
____
$1.00 ea $__________
____
$15.00 ea
$__________
____
$33.00 ea
$__________
____
$58.00 ea
$__________
____
$3.00 ea $__________
____
$40.00 ea
$__________
____
$65.00 ea
$__________
____
$35.00 ea
$__________
____
$60.00 ea
$__________
____
$35.00 ea
$__________
____
$60.00 ea
$__________
____
$30.00 ea
$__________
Grand Total: $ ____________
Item Description
Dues and Web Newsletter @ __One Year ($25) __Two Years ($40) __Three Years ($60)
Dues and Print Newsletter @ __One Year ($35) __Two Years ($55) __Three Years ($85)
Life Membership @ $350 per person (eligible for 50 yrs. and older )
College of Arms Report @ $2.00 ea.
1926 Geer Assoc. Meeting & List @ $1.00 ea.
Individual, Family Group & Pedigree @ $1.00 ea. Members only
Annotated Bibliography @ $15.00 ea.
Hist. Sketch & Genealogy of G. & T. Geer @ $33.00 ea.
Hist. Sketch & Genealogy of G. & T. Geer @ $58.00 ea., includes 1yr. New Membership
Color Copy of Geer Crest @ $3.00 ea.
Reprint: 1923 Genealogy by Walter Geer @ $40.00 ea. (Members price)
Reprint: 1923 Genealogy by Walter Geer @ $65.00 ea, includes 1yr. New Membership
Reprint of 1991 Supplement @ $35.00 ea, (Members price)
Reprint of 1991 Supplement @ $60.00 ea, includes 1yr. Membership for Non-Members
CDROM 2nd Supplement to the 1923 Geer Genealogy @ $35.00 ea, (Members price)
CDROM 2nd Suppl. to the 1923 @ $60.00 ea, includes 1yr. Membership for Non-Members
Special Gift Membership @ $30.00 for one year given by paid Members
If more than one Gift Membership is to be given, please attach a separate sheet with
additional names/addresses.
Page 71
Audrey Masalehdan
Presorted Standard
US POSTAGE
PA I D
PERMIT NO. 37
Willimantic, CT 06226
Geer Family Association
315 So. Linden Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Address Service Requested
DATED MATERIAL
Geer Place Name
THE GEER FAMILY
ASSOCIATION
President:
Eugene W. Geer
558 Beers Street
Hazlet, NJ 07730
Newsletter
Chair:
Donna Lea Gear Loper
16021 NE 25th Street
Vancouver, WA 98684
The Geer Family Association (GFA)
Newsletter is published three times per
year in the months of February, June and
October.
Used with permission - Photo by Mikkel Elbech <http://www.
flickr.com/photos/mikkelelbech/> - photographer. Source: flickr
Albers Turns Into Geer
Albers and Geer is the same road with two different names. It
runs between Oakdale and Turlock in California’s Central Valley.
See reference to Geer Road in song: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
mikkelelbech/4202227843/
Page 72
Permissions: Permission to use data
found in the Geer Family Newsletter is
granted to those wishing to further their
own genealogical quest. Reproductions
of the GFA Newsletter in whole or part
is forbidden without written permission
(and is never permitted for commercial
purposes). Address requests for permission to the Association President
shown above.
Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved The Geer Family Association.

Vol 28-No3-Summer

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