Fred Gerner married Elvira Bartley on July 24, 1872, in Sugar Creek, Venango County, Pennsylvania. He is a mystery man before that date. I have suggestions from family about his siblings and their names; about where his parents lived; about their city of origin in Germany; and about their church affiliation and burial location in Butler County, Pennsylvania. None of those suggestions have been specific (or accurate) enough to lead me to pre-1872 records of Fred.
Fred is my great-grandfather. This is the line that connects us: me -> Lee Doyle -> Beulah Mae Gerner -> Fred Gerner. Since Fred's daughter, Brendice, recorded today as his birthday - September 29, 1848 - I'm remembering and celebrating him today.
Happy Birthday, Grampa Fred! I hope you are joyfully surrounded by family today. (And if you could please send some help to find more information about your family of birth, I'd be so very grateful. Thank you.)
Below are transcriptions of census records in which I find him and his family. He and Elvira had 16 children.
1880 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Putnam County, Scott District, S.D. 1, E.D. 112, Printed Page 75, Written Page 19, lines 35-42, Dwelling #13, Family #13, 9 June 1880
Gerner, Fred, white, male, 32 years, married, farmer, [check mark in months unemployed this year], born Germany, parents born Germany
------- Elvira, white, female, 29 years, wife, married, keeping house, born Pennsylvania, parents born Pennsylvania
------- Ida A, white, female, 7 years, daughter, born Pennsylvania, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Alozo [sic], white, male, 5 years, son, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Alphonzo, white, male, 5 years, son, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Lana E, white, female, 3 years, daughter, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Edward G., white, male, 2 years, son, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Della Va, white, female, 1 year, daughter, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna
1900 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler, Parker Township, S.D. 19, E.D. 86, Printed Page 214A, Written Page 6, Lines 21-33, Dwelling #104, Family #104, 9 Jun 1900. Reference #21, GSU film 1241387, Image #0043 at www.familysearch.org
Gerner, Frederick, head, white, male, born Sep 1848, 51 years, married 28 years, born Germany, parents born Germany, [immigration information blank], farmer, can read & write, speaks English, owns farm, no mortgage, #59 of farm schedule
------- Alvira [sic], wife, white, female, born May 1854, 46 years, married 28 years, mother of 16 children, 14 living, born Penna, parents born Penna, can read & write, speaks English
------- Afolzo [sic] F., son, white, male, born Jul 1874, 25 years, single, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna, oil pumper, can read & write, speaks English
------- Edward G., son, white, male, born Jul 1877, 22 years, single, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna, oil pumper, can read & write, speaks English
------- Della V., daughter, white, female, born Feb 1879, 21 years, single, born West Virginia, can read & write, speaks English
------- Alma L., daughter, white, female, born Jan 1881, 19 years, single, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna, can read & write, speaks English
------- John N., son, white, male, born Nov 1883, 16 years, single, born West Virginia, father born Germany, mother born Penna, on farm, can read & write, speaks English
------- Bessie L., daughter, white, female, born June 1884, 15 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, in school 7 months, can read & write, speaks English
------- Mable L., daughter, white, female, born May 1886, 14 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, in school 7 months, can read & write, speaks English
------- Bula M., daughter, white, female, born Sep 1888, 11 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, in school 7 months, can read & write, speaks English
------- Warren F., son, white, male, born Jul 1890, 9 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, in school 7 months, can read & write, speaks English
------- Brendice C., daughter, white, female, born Oct 1895, 4 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna
------- Paul V., son, white, male, born Apr 1898, 2 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna
1910 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Mercer County, Fairview Township, Old Meadville Pike, E.D. 145, Sheet No. 114B, lines 77-84, 6 May 1910
Gerner, Fred, head, male, white, 61 years, married 37 years, born Germany, parents born Germany, immigrated in 1855, speaks English, farmer, can read, write, owns farm, no mortgage, 79 of farm schedule
------- Elvira, wife, female, 55 years, married 37 years, mother of 16 children, 13 still alive, born Penna, parents born Penna, no trade, can read and write
------- Leota, daughter, female, white, 25 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, milliner, millinery store, working on own account, can read and write
------- Beulah, daughter, female, white, 21 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, milliner, millinery store, working on own account, can read and write
------- Warren, son, male, white, 19 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, farming, works on own account, can read and write
------- Brendice, daughter, female, white, 14 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, can read and write, in school
------- Paul, son, male, white, 12 years, single, born Penna, father born Germany, mother born Penna, can read and write, in school
Heffer [?] Luseal, granddaughter, female, white, 6 years, single, born Ohio, parents born Pennsylvania
1920 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler County, Bruin Borough, S.D. 19, E.D. 4, Sheet 3B, Lines 68-69, Dwelling 61, Family 61, 19 January 1920
Gerner, Fred K, head, owns home free of mortgage, male, white, 71 years, married, un [in boxes for year of immigration & naturalized or alien], can read & write, born Germany, parents born Germany, speaks English, laborer, oil well
------- Elvira, wife, female, white, 65 years, can read & write, born Pennsylvania, parents born Penna, speaks English, no occupation
Nancy.
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"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers...." Malachi 4:6
Once you start to dig up your roots there is no stopping as they reach far and wide. It is fun and interesting to learn about the ancestors, sometimes also frustrating. Happy birthday to Fred your great-grand pop. He was born on the same day as I 91 years earlier.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Titania! I hope it was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading this post and was nodding in empathy.
ReplyDeleteMy gr-gr-grandfather Amos DeHart suddenly appears in the 1850 census as a 30 year old man along with 17 year old Caroline DeHart (They share a household, but their relationship is not stated in census - 1st wife? Younger sister? I don't know). By the next census there is no trace of Caroline DeHart (did she die or marry or move?) and Amos is married to Lovina DeHart. Prior to 1850, was Amos a local? Who were his parents? Did he have siblings? I wish he'd tell me! Stubborn old clammed-up dead guy! Yeeesh!
I'm chuckling at your comment, Karen. Don't we wish they could speak from the grave?! It's so hard to search the ladies, too. If Caroline was a sister and married, it will be hard to find her. If she died with the last name DeHart, it might be a little easier. Well, perhaps he'll turn up one of these days...
ReplyDelete