Person:Johann Geibel (1)

"HENRY" was a tragic figure. He was probably born in WALDGREHWEILER or other nearby village in the PALATINATE. Five of his six children were born in Waldgrehweiler. Waldgrehweiler is a tiny village, located about a dozen miles north of the city of Kaiserslautern.

In circa 1853 Henry and his wife, plus perhaps two children, and three grandchildren, migrated to America. Passenger lists have not been found (as of 2012). It would seem that they went directly to Wabash County, Indiana. The family probably settled near the future village of Urbana, where daughters Barbara (Keafaber) and Christina (Maurer) had already been living with their husbands and children. Sadly, Henry did not have much time to enjoy his grandchildren, as he died about a year after his arrival, at about age 62. The circumstances of his death seem to be unknown today. The death date on his tombstone is prior to the organization of the St. Peter's Cemetery, where he is buried (therefore his name does not appear in the index).

Prior to Henry and Elisabetha's migration to America it would seem three of their daughters preceeded them. Daughter Christina was living in Tuscarawas County, Ohio prior to 1842, when she married Frederick Maurer, Sr., who was also born at Waldgrehweiler. Her sister, Barbara, shows up in Tuscarawas County records in 1845. She married Adam Keafaber there in 1848. Sister Elizabeth seems to have migrated to the US in 1851.

Henry and Elisabetha were not the last of their family to migrate. Daughter Katharina did not migrate to America until 1861, along with her husband John Baumbauer, and at least four of their children, who were born before coming to America. There is a Frederick Geibel (died 1855, 1 year old) buried at the Lint-Fiat Cemetery in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, but there is no known connection to Henry.

Other WALDGREHWEILER associated families were: Baumbauer, Beamer, Glasser, Henry (Heinrich), Hilebrand (spelled many ways), Maurer, Mohr, Regula, Schlemmer, and Schroeder. Probably more!

Below are pictures of Henry's tombstone, and a 1963 picture of the Urbana Cemetery.

--White Creek 18:24, 21 July 2012 (EDT)

Note map below which shows where the Pfalz region is.

--White Creek 21:02, 25 April 2017 (UTC)

HENRY GEIBEL tombstone at Urbana

URBANA CEMETERY in 1963

MAP: RHEIN-PFALZ

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 "Gemeinde Waldgrehweiler".

   1976 letter says he was born between 1789 and 1792. The German language letter says that the surnames of Geibel, Henrich, Keafaber, and Maurer no longer exist in the village.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Tombstone.