According to the genealogy notebook of Gladys (Bittner) Korns of Southampton Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania, Aaron and Lavina (Bowman) Geiger had the following children:
My notes, and right now I don't know where they came from, say that Aaron Geiger was born circa 1830, and died April 23, 1899 at the age of 69, and his wife Lavina (Bowman) died Feb. 9, 1890 at the age of 50.
On July 19, 1998 Lester Korns of Southampton Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania told me that he was told that Ephriam Geiger's dad raised horses for sale and paid for his farm that way. Lester knew Ephriam, and recalled that one time when he was a boy Ephriam brought him a kitten.
Ephriam Geiger's obituary says that he was born on August 9th, 1859 on the farm adjacent to where he lived his married life. Ephriam's obituary also says that he was confirmed in the White Oak Lutheran church on June 10, 1876, and confirms that he had a sister Lucinda, and a sister Mrs. Mary Korns of Southampton Township.
I believe my ancestor Aaron Geiger is the William Aaron Geiger, born Nov. 4, 1829 to Richard and Mary Geiger, as recorded in the birth records of the Reichards/White Oak Church, Larimer Township, Somerset County, PA. According to the 1940 book "Pastors and People of Somerset Classis", William Aaron Geiger was baptized on July 18, 1830 at that church; this was on the first recorded list of baptisms there. The Church was known as Grace, White Oak, in 1940. The congregation apparently existed as early as 1819.
Aaron Geiger is included in the listing for the family of Richard Geiger in the 1850 census of Southampton township. (Larimer Township wasn't formed until 1854.)
The 1876 Beers atlas of Somerset County PA shows a W.A. Geiger in Larimer Township very near the farm that Ephriam Geiger bought on April 3, 1886 from Richard and Christian Mankamyer and their wives. (The scale of the map is such that locations can only be approximated.) This helps to support the idea that Ephriam's father, whom we know as Aaron Geiger, was named William Aaron Geiger. (Many people of that time went by their middle names.) I am personally familiar with the Ephriam Geiger farm, because my grandfather Irvin H. Dietle lived most of his married life there.
As can be seen on the 1880 draught of Ephriam Geiger's farm that is included in Appendix B page 15 of the 1996 book "Descendants of Johann Adam Dietel of 19th Century Somerset County, Pennsylvania", The land of "Aaron W. Geiger" is shown just above Ephriam's farm, the land "Formerly Richard Geiger" is shown just below (northwest of) Ephriam's farm, and the land of "George Geiger" is shown just to the right of Ephriam's farm.
I suspect that Lavina Bowman's parents were John Bauman and Elizabeth Marteeny because an anonymous paper in the Bauman file of the Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County PA titled "Bauman Family Ancestors" lists a child named Lavina who died in 1890, and this child is listed between children born in 1837 and 1846. That brackets our Lavina who would have been born circa 1840 based on the 50 year age at death in 1890 listed in the genealogy notebook of Gladys (Bittner) Korns.
In March of 1995 I received a letter from Peg Adams of New Carlisle, IN which stated "Re Bowman, Dolores Swaney sent me a chart on John and Elizabeth who did have a daughter named Lavina who married Aaron Geiger, Her source is The Bauman Family by Clara Edna Hoffman. You should also see 'Mongst the Hills of Somerset (pub by Somerset Co. Hist & Gen Soc.) I have a copy. Elizabeth Marteeny Bowman married 2) Jonathan Long who is in the Reiber info you sent me (Jon. bro to my ggg grandfather). Peg"
The November 1960 issue of the "Laurel Messenger" reports that a "book record of teachers monthly reports dated 1862 to 1868" indicates that Aaron Geiger visited the Sand Patch school in his capacity as a School Director.
Family photos:
L. Dietle
April, 2003
Updated May 2022
