THE KIGER KOUNTER NEWSLETTER
Selected Articles from Past Issues

From Volume 3, Issue 1, The Kiger Kounter:

The Geigers of Berwangen, Northern Kraichgau, Germany
compiled by Joan M. Young

     Paul Geiger, for whom Geigertown in Robeson Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania was named, was the son of Paul Geiger (1698-1754), and his wife Elizabeth Höbeling (daughter of Paul Höbeling, wagonmaker) of Berwangen, Northern Kraichgau, Germany.

1. Elizabeth Geiger, born 1720.
2. Margaret Geiger, born 1722 (died young).
3. Johann Paul Geiger, born 15 November 1723  (to Pennsylvania in 1749 on the "Fane").  See entry below.
4. Maria Margaret Geiger, born 1726.
5. Johannes Geiger, born 11 September 1727 (to Pennsylvania 1751 on the "Billander Elizabeth").
    See entry below.
6. Johann Peter Geiger, born 1729.
7. Susanna Geiger, born 1731 (died young).
8. Conrad Geiger, born 1733.
9. Eva Geiger, born 1736.
10. Susanna Geiger, born 1738.

1. Paul Geiger, born 25 May 1751 (died young).  He can be found in the New Hanover Lutheran Church records.
2. Maria Elizabeth Geiger, born 7 August 1753, died 28 July 1823, who married 5 May 1777 John Binder/Penter.
3. Anna Catharine Geiger, born 13 July 1756, and baptized at New Hanover Lutheran Church, died 1 September 1797, married 1778 Peter Wamsher.
4. Schoena "Jane" Elizabeth Geiger, born 5 September 1758, died 15 October 1834 married John Ammon.
5. Jacob Geiger, born 31 March 1761, died 30 September 1826, married first 12 September 1786 Christianna Kerst and second Mary (maiden name unknown).  He was the administrator of his father's will proved 20 August 1798.
6. Maria Margaret Geiger, born 20 September 1763, died 20 November 1832, married Michael Croll (Grauel).
7. & 8. son and daughter who both died young
 9. Paul Geiger, born 29 December 1768, died 24 October 1823

Maria Eva Geiger's will written 23 June 1800 and proved 18 May 1801 names Paul, Jacob, and "the 4 girls."

     Paul Geiger, son of Paul, the immigrant, married 1 January 1791 Sarah Sens/Sands at Schwartzwald Reformed Church, Reading, Pennsylvania, daughter of John Sands and his wife Hannah Trump.

1. Hannah Geiger, born 13 January 1792, died 7 November 1793--Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading.
2. Paul Geiger, born 27 August 1793 (baptized Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading), died 8 August 1863, married Hannah Sands, who died 19 February 1847.
3. Michael Geiger, born 7 March 1795 (baptized at Schwartzwald Reformed Church), died 6 December 1852, married first Elizabeth Sheeler and second a Miss Ammon.
4. Johannes Geiger, born 15 January 1797 (baptized at Schwartzwald Reformed Church where he is listed merely as "son" on the baptismal record), died 8 August  1865, married Hannah Hoffman/Hufman.
5. Jacob Geiger, born 1 August 1799, died 24 February 1876 in Union Township, married 25 December 1821 Susanna Sheeler.
6. Peter Geiger, born 2 June 1801, died 11 February 1884, married 11 February 1826 Ann Hoffman.
7. James Geiger, born 26 October 1803, died 31 July 1884, married Mary Ammon (who married first John Marquard).
 8. Patsy Elizabeth Geiger, born 25 July 1805, died 3 March 1862, married first William Sheeler, and second Samuel Polsgrove.
9. Elijah Geiger, born 4 November 1807, died 5 March 1881, married first Sarah Sheeler, and second Christine Zerr.
10. Sarah Geiger, born 4 September 1809, died 24 September 1880, married John Care.
11. Isaac Geiger, born 3 December 1811, died 20 March 1883, married 13 December 1832 Sarah Care.
12. Joseph Geiger, born 9 November 1816, died 7 February 1886, married first Susanna Zerr, and second Mary Zerr.

1. Johann Georg Geiger, born 19 October 1787 (baptized Schwartzwald Reformed Church), died 1 May 1847, married 4 June 1811 Catharine Frey.
2. Mary Geiger, born 24 March 1789, died April 25 1852, married George Zerr.
3. John Geiger,* born 14 March 1791, died before 1826 in Danville, NY, married Mary (maiden name unknown).
4. Paul Geiger,* born 19 April 1793, died 26 July 1864, married first 1 February 1819 Nancy/Ann Umstead, and second Elizabeth Wamsher.
5. Catharine Geiger, born about 1795, married William Kerlin.
     *Shown as Gayer in the baptismal records of New Hanover Lutheran Church.

     Johannes Geiger, "son of Paul of Germany" (and younger brother to Paul above), married Anna/Johanna Cuntzin, widow, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 5 July 1752 (Pastor Wagener).  Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, records, page 381, show John Geiger, servant, took communion 15 October 1751 with Pastor Wagener.  It should be noted that, although this list is not alphabetical, John is listed with Wilhelm and Eva Barbara Geiger of the Christian Geiger family (discussed in Vol. 1, issue 4, and Vol. 2, issue 1, of this newsletter) also of Lancaster County.

1. Johannes Geiger, born 2 December 1753.
2. Eva Magdalena Geiger, born 5 August 1756, married John Buck/Buch.
3. Anna Maria Geiger, twin, born 31 August 1759, married Robert Sands.
4. Elizabeth Geiger, twin, born 31 August 1759, unmarried as of 10 July 1787. She may well be the Elizabeth Geyer who married John Gerlach at St. James Episcopal Church on 1 June 1788.
5. Georg Geiger, born 26 October 1762, married Elizabeth Pullinger at St. James Episcopal Church, City of Lancaster on 19 June 1787.

     The will of his son Georg was written 1 September 1817, and proved 26 January 1827.  The will lists only Johannes' wife Elizabeth.

     In addition to Paul and Johannes other Geigers emigrated to Pennsylvania from Berwangen and are a part of the same Geiger family.  They are:

     Johann Jacob Geiger, Jr., son of Johann Jacob Geiger, Sr., who was the eldest son of Johann Conradt Geiger. He has been proven to be the first cousin of Paul and Johannes above (Paul, father of Johann Paul and Johannes above, was the third son of Johann Conradt Geiger).  Johann Jacob Geiger, Jr., was born 24 March 1720 in Berwangen and emigrated to America between 1738 and 1743.  This Jacob is almost certainly the Jacob Geiger who appears in the records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, along with his wife Catharina.

1. Johann Georg Geiger, born 10 April 1748.  The sponsors at his baptism were George and Catharina Endter.
2. Jacob Geiger, born 27 November 1751.  Georg Geiger (see entry below) and Mary Marg. Schlauchin "for whom her mother stood" were the sponsors at this baptism.
3. Andreas Geiger born 7 December 1753.  The sponsors at his baptism were Andreas Mely and Maria Elisabet, his wife.
 
Johann Paul Geiger, born 1 January 1714, and his sister Anna Geiger born 8 October 1715, in Berwangen both emigrated to America.  They were the children of Georg Conrad Geiger, Jr., son of George Conrad Geiger, Sr. It is known that Johann Paul was in Pennsylvania by 1737 arriving on the "Samuel."  Whether Anna accompanied him at that time is not known for certain.   Johann Paul Geiger married Barbara Däschlerin.

1. Anna Meyer Geiger, baptized 23 March 1746.
2. Henrich Geiger, born 6 June 1748.
3. Christina Sophia Geiger, born 21 June 1749.
4. Georg David Geiger, born 11 August 1750.
 
     Buried 8 October 1764 Anna Barbara Stern/Sterner who married first Johann Paul Geiger, and second Georg Stern/Sterner (the second marriage was performed at Germantown Reformed Church on 16 February 1764).
 
     George Geiger, born 27 November 1728 in Berwangen, son of Johann Paul Geiger and wife Eva Maria emigrated to America in 1749 on the "Fane" along with Paul Geiger of Geigertown, Berks County, discussed above.  According to "Heritage of Rowan County, North Carolina"  George lived until early in 1793 in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and at that time removed to Rowan County.  I have since disproved the theory that the George who migrated to North Carolina is this George Geiger.  It is likely that this George Geiger remained in Lancaster County. George married Catharina Elizabetha and the couple had the following children whose baptisms are recorded at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Trinity Lutheran records, page 34,  indicate that Georg Geiger is the "recently arrived servant of Jacob Dannbach."  That entry was recorded in 1750.
 
1. Maria Elizabetha Geiger, born 25 November 1753, and married Captain Martin Weybright III at St. James Episcopal Church, Lancaster, on 16 April 1786.  Of interest is the fact that Martin Weybright III's parents were Martin Weybright II and his second wife Elizabeth (nee Müller) Geyer.  Elizabeth Müller's first husband John Henry Geyer is listed in the records of the First Reformed Church, Lancaster, as John Henry Geiger.  This incorrect spelling of his name on the baptismal record of his son George Henry Geyer in 1742 resulted in much confusion for Geiger researchers who mistakenly believed him to be their ancestor.
2. Mary Margaret Geiger for whom no baptismal record has been found.  However, there is a death record showing that she died at one year of age on 20 September 1757.
3. Johan Nicolaus Geiger, born 2 July 1758.
4. Anna Catharina Geiger, born 21 December 1760.
5. Anna Christina Geiger, born 21 April 1763.
 
     An item of interest sent to me by Barbara Campbell, which she found in a scrapbook at Berks County Historical Society, is an undated newspaper clipping about a speech given by Geiger family historian, S.F. Bair, at a meeting of the Geiger Family Association.  S.F. Bair's interest concerned the Geigers of Ittlingen, Germany which is very near to Berwangen, and he had the following comments about Paul Geiger of Geigertown:  "John Paul Geiger, of Geigertown, Pa., was the forefather of many of the Geiger relatives living in Reading and vicinity.  He came here from Berwagen (sic), Helmstadt, Germany, about 1749.  He was born Nov. 15, 1723.  He was about six years younger than Anthony Geiger, oldest son of Valentine Geiger, who had been born in Germany and who at the time of Paul's arrival lived in Douglass township, Berks county, and who owned land along the Schuylkill River in Robeson township, Berks county.  Anthony's brother, Christopher, two years younger, was prospering as an innkeeper in Robeson township, where he lived many years at a place now called Gibraltar.  Therefore, it is reasonable to conjecture that these two sons of Valentine Geiger may have influenced John Paul Geiger to come to America and settle near them.  Possibly Paul may have been their cousin.  Some future family historian may settle this matter."
 
This matter still has not been resolved, but the lingering question about a connection between these two prominent Geiger families is still on our minds.  Perhaps our generation of Geiger family researchers will soon be able to answer the question once and for all.