The family of Anthony Geiger 1776-1836

 My final post on the Geiger families is for that of Anthony Geiger, who was born in 1776 in Frederick, Maryland, and died in Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana. He is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Schultz Geiger, who had moved to Berkeley County, (West) Virginia.  There he married Mary Kirk, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (maiden name still a mystery) Kirk in 1797.  The couple spent the first years of their marriage near Martinsburg, West Virginia, but went to Licking County, Ohio, by 1807, where they spent most of their married life.  Mary died there in 1832 and Anthony went to Whitley County, Indiana, along with several of his children.  In Ohio, Anthony had been a soldier of the War of 1812, so he would have had stories to tell.  (Mary would have had other stories, as she would have been at home with young children when Anthony was away.)

Anthony and Mary had at least 11 children, and all but one of them lived to adulthood, so there are a lot of grandchildren.  It's likely that at least some of the grandchildren served in the Civil War, but I have not researched their military histories.  That's a task for another year or another researcher.  

Joseph was the first born, in 1798. He married Mary Albery or Alberry, the daughter of John and Mary Myer Albery.  Their large family includes Eliza, William, Joseph, Noah, Peter, Martha, George, Thomas, Dora, Harvey, Richard, Nancy, Margaret, Anthony, Elizabeth, and John.  (It's possible that this list is a bit overenthusiastic, as only some of these names are found on census records.)  Joseph died in 1869 in Franklin County, Ohio, where he had lived most of his married life.

Sarah was born in 1799 and died in 1876 in Licking County, Ohio.  She married William Rhodes, the son of John and Anne Catherine Pitzer Rhodes.  Their children are Anthony, John, Joseph, Willim, Philip, Sarah, Pitzer, Rachel, Henry, Mary Ann, and George.  

Elizabeth was born in 1801 and died in 1874 in Smith Township, Whitley County, Indiana.  She married George Harter, Jr., the son of George and (possibly) Elizabeth Harter.  Their children are John, Mary, Henry, Anthony, Elizabeth, and Sarah Jane. 

John was born in 1803 and died in 1881 in Jay County, Indiana.  He married Ruth Kelso, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Davisson Kelso.  Their children are Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, John, Abraham and William.  

Jacob was the last child born in West Virginia, in 1805.  He died in Licking County, Ohio in 1872.  His wife is Elizabeth Albery or Alberry, the sister of the Mary Albery who married Joseph Geiger (above), and the daughter of John and Mary Myer Alberry.   Their children are James, Perry, Alvah, Minerva, Sarah, Stephen, and an infant who lived just a short time.  He is buried at the Jersey Universalist Church cemetery, but I don't know whether this was also his religious affiliation. 

Ann was the first child born in Licking County, Ohio, in May of 1807.  Sometime between 1805 and Ann's birth, the family had made the move but sadly, Ann lived for only a little over 2 years, dying in 1809.  The good news is that this appears to be the only child of Anthony and Mary who did not live to adulthood.

Margaret was born next, in 1809.  She died in 1875 at Jacksontown, Licking County, Ohio.  She married Reuben Gilliland, the son of David and Anna Bailey Gilliland.  Their children are Mary Ann, Martha, Harriet, Rebecca, Ambrose, Valentine, and John.  

Mary Ann was born in 1811 and died in 1883 in Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana.  She first married John Parks, the son of James and Sarah (possibly Hanes but not proven) Parks.  Their children are Sarah, Joseph, Adaline, and another Sarah.  After John's death, she married Abraham Maxwell, the son of William and Laura (maiden name not found) Maxwell.  Their children are John, William, Adam, Pauline, Jacob, George, and Addison.  

Anthony was born next, in 1813.  By this time, there are several Anthony Geigers to try to sort out, and some trees on line make no sense.  I believe he was married twice, both times in Whitley County, Indiana.  The Anthony Geiger who married in 1855 in Franklin County, Ohio is a different person, possibly the son of Joseph (above) but definitely not our guy who stayed in one place, until he didn't.  Our Anthony died in 1883 in Derby, Sedgwick County, Kansas.  He gets the prize in this family for having traveled the farthest from "home" of any of this generation.  His first wife is Mary Miller, the daughter of John and Susannah Berlett Miller.  Their children are Jacob, Malinda, Nathan, Mariah, Daniel (some show David but I think it's Daniel), Addison, Clarissa, and Hannah.  After Mary's Death, he married Sarah McNeal, the daughter of John and Sarah Childs McNeal.  They had at least two children, George and Hannah.  

Thomas was born in 1814 and died in 1886 in Noble County, Indiana.  It appears that his residence was not far from the Whitley County Geigers, just across the county line.  He married Mary Jane McGuire, the daughter of John and Mary O'Brien McGuire.  Their children are Henry, Mary, George, Ann, John, Thomas, Alfred, Carissa, and William.  

And finally (or not?) Daniel was born in 1816 and died in 1870 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married Julia Ann Darnell (also seen as Dornell), who is not yet further identified.  Their children are Mary, Naarcissus, Elizabeth (twice), William, James, Edward, John, Huldah, and Abraham.  

The Geigers appear to be a close family, with their main locations in this generation in either Licking County, Ohio, or Whitley County, Indiana, with a couple of outliers.  The males were mostly a little old for the Civil War, but some of the grandsons were likely involved.  Anthony was born during the Revolutionary War and may well have seen or at least been aware of some of the fights with natives during his early childhood.  He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and this family would have been aware of, if not involved in, the Mexican-American conflicts of the 1840s.  A lot happened during Anthony's lifetime, and particularly with this generation.  We honor them.