I have finally found the elusive Frank Edward Smith, estranged husband of Jean Louise Baron Smith and estranged father to Marie, Patricia and Eileen Smith .
Frank Edward Smith was born February 27, 1893 in Humboldt, Iowa to Hiram Gregg Smith and Julia Geeslin Smith.
Hiram Gregg Smith was born in New York State circa 1864 to Caroline E. and Benjamin H. Smith. He was one of 10 children. Somewhere between 1873 and 1878, the family picked up and moved out to the Humboldt, Iowa area.
On December 17, 1884, Hiram Gregg Smith married Julia Geeslin in Rutland, Iowa. There first child, Caroline (Carrie) was born shortly thereafter sometime in 1885. Their second child, Leta Ethel Smith was born May 30, 1887. Following Leta was John William Smith on August 3, 1889. Benjamin H Smith was then born sometime in 1891 followed by Franklin (Frank) Edward Smith on February 27, 1893. The sixth and final child, Sumner (or Summer) Smith was born sometime in 1896.
After the major “Smith” family break through earlier today, I came across a very interesting geneaology query posted on July 14, 2001 at the genealogy.com Smith surname forum:
I am looking for any information on Hiram Gregg Smith. He died sometime before 1913 in Iowa and was married to Julia Ann Geesline in 1884 in Humboldt Co., Iowa. They are reported to have had at least 5 known children including my great-grandmother Leta Ethel Smith. E-mail me directly. Shawn Butler
I was very excited. I finally found another Smith relative. Shawn had actually posted another similar query at the Ancestry.com forums on March 9, 2001.
Looking for any information on Julia Ann Geesline born in Johnson Co. 5 DEC 1868 and later married Hiram Gregg Smith
The bad news is that the email address attached to his postings is no longer valid. Unfortunately there are just too many Shawn Butlers out there to try to find him without more info.
For the last several months I have been researching Frank E Smith, Colleen’s great grandfather. Having access to limited online resources, it was difficult to find any information beyond Census Records. But with the Census info I had and the help of Martha Schmitdt of the Humbolt Genealogy Society, I have finally discovered some concrete information about the Elusive man who abandoned his family back in the 1930’s.
Today, Martha wrote the following email to me:
“Hi,I checked birth, marriage & death records at the Court House yesterday. Hiram Gregg Smith and Julia Ann Geeslin were married 17 Dec. 1884 at Rutland, Iowa.The births of Leta Ethel (30 May 1887), John William ( 3 Aug. 1889), and Franklin Edward ( 27 Feb. 1893) are at the Court House. The family was living in Weaver Township where Gregg was a farmer. His parents were nearby.In 1895 they were living in Gilmore City as were his parents. The humboldt newspapers are digitized which means there is a name index. In 1898 there was something in the South Weaver column about Gregg Smith as a former resident being in Fort Dodge. In 1903 he visited someone in Gilmore City.I didn’t find any deaths on the death index at the court house. I checked 3 cemeteries: one in Weaver Twp., one at Gilmore City and one at Humboldt. I didn’t find any Smiths from these families. There is a Sumner Smith at Humboldt, but he was much older than yours.If you want copies of the court house records, I can hand copy them for nothing. A genie copy is $5 a piece.Martha”
SOURCE: Cecelia Hone and Edward L Kear Marriage Certificate obtained from the Westchester County Archives.
Cecelia L Hone, of 37 Orchard Street in Mount Vernon, was born in Rye, NY on September 16, 1900 and was a bookkeeper when she decided to marry Edward L Kear. She was 31 years old. This was her second marriage. Her first husband died. Her parents were John Hone and Mary Buckley, both of Ireland.
Edward Kear was living at 1565 E. 28th Street in Brooklyn at the time and was an Architectural Draftsman. Edward’s parents were john Kear and Mary Day, both born in the the United States.
Cecelia’s brother, Victor J Hone and Mabel R Cashion were the Best Man and Maid of Honor. Victor was living at 16 Devonia Avenue in Mount Vernon.
The couple was married in Mount Vernon of February 13, 1933.
Here is a video tribute to Samantha Yerks and the rest of her class.
Congratulations to Samantha Jean Yerks, class valediction for the Port Chester High School class of 2009. She graduated on Saturday, June 27, 2009. We are all VERY proud of her! Here is a short photo/video tribute to her.
When I first started doing my genealogy research, I learned that my great, great grandfather, Henry Lewis, married a woman named “Anna Roche”. In fact, my great aunt, Grace Lewis” gave me the first first insight into a family that I had only heard of by name.
“Anna Roche was born in Brooklyn, but her mother came from Dublin, Ireland, where she was educated to become a doctor at the University there. If it was not that she was your great, great grandmother, we would not be writing this today. Your grandfather (Thomas) was about 4 pounds when he was born and she kept them alive in a little cigar box in the back of one of those old-fashioned coal stove’s. She kept him for one year, until he was a very strong baby.
Your great great grandmother had other children besides Anna Roche. She had Rose, Anna and another daughter and a son. I do know the boy moved to Cleveland Ohio and had seven sons. Rose married a man named Booth and had no children. Rose moved to Port Chester after her husband died and lived with one of her sisters who married a man named Gackstetter. They had David, Walter, John, Harold and Mabel. They were the ones I visited for many years and enjoyed very much. At one time Mabel and I, and one of her brothers came to visit you at your home in Larchmont. That it that is what you remember. No one in the family kept up with them but myself and now I have not heard from them in years. The other sister, Anna, lived up in Port Chester too, and had six girls and one boy. Their name was Hickey, bur all are married with different names. At one time they had a family gathering and there were 15 members of the family. Many more did not come. I do not know anything more about them today.”