Person:Geike Wessels (1)

Copied from the Iroquois County Times:

July 1885 -- The burning of the first kiln of tile.

24 July 1886 -- Marriage licenses: Geike H. Wessels, 29, Crescent City and Johanna Osterberg, 21, Crescent City

March 1890 -- Born to Mr. and Mrs. Geike Wessels Sunday morning a boy. (comment: Adolf 3/8/1890 their second child)

1892 -- Under the management of G. H. Wessels the tile works has become a paying institution. The factory has been running day and night this winter and they cannot hardly supply the demand.

8 July 1891 (Copied from the newspaper Republican)

Crescent City Tile Works are under the Proprietorship of G. H. Wessels, an energetic German who has resided in the district over 22 years. A very superior quality of tile product is turned out, also machine brick. The works are fitted with all the latest and most modern machinery, run by a 45 horse engine and manned by a force of 11 men. The same power operates a custom grist mill for the convenience of supplying mean meal and feed to farming patrons.

Copied from the Iroquois County Times:

24 July 1899 -- G. H. Wessels, Proprietor of Crescent Tile & Brick Works, is furnishing brick for the new school House.

13 Nov 1899 -- G. H. Wessels has sold his brick & tile factory to a gentleman from Iowa.

[From Shanda' notes:]

Fact 1: Moved with 3rd wife Johanne to Stuttgart, Arkansas

Fact 2: April 20, 1990. Have copy of marriage certificate for Geike and Margaretha Frerichs, in Book B, p. 114, year 1883 (Marriage Books, Marriage License No. 3977.

Fact 3: April 19, 1991 -- Have copy of Geike and Johanne granting their property in Crescent City, Illinois to John Siems dated January 23, 1901.

Fact 4: 1991 -- Found newer affidavit and birth certificate of Frederick Hilgren Wessels signed and sworn by Johanna A. J. Wessels listed as stepmother, dated March 15, 1941. Her address was listed as 101 South Anna St., Stuttgart, Arkansas. Geike's occupation is listed as a farmer.

Fact 5: April 20, 1990 -- Geike also was a manufacturer and dealer in Tile and Brick. See SGJ's copy of a note she found written by Geike on the business stationery. This Tile factory located in Crescent City, IL (Iroquois County)

Obituary

Geike Harm Wessels

February 9, 1857 - January 24, 1927

Obituary

Geike Harm Wessels was born February 9, 1857 in Ardorf, Ostfriesland, Germany. His parents were Friedrich Janssen Wessels and Gesche Reinholz, the family immigrated to America in June 1869 bringing their four sons, Gerd, Jacob, Geike Harm and Thomas Tjarks with them.

Geike Married Lehna Lehnerts Grussing November 11,1880. Lena was born January 3, 1862 in Adams County, Illinois, her parents were Leenhert L Grussing and Gesche Janssen (kassen) Duis. On February 18, 1882 Lena gave birth to Magdalena (Lena) Gesina Margaret. Geike's wife, Lena died the following day, February 19, 1882, from childbirth complications. She is buried in Schwer Lutheran Cemetery, Schwer, Illinois. Friedrich Janssen and Gesche took Magdalena and raised her. According to the US Census of 1900 Friedrich Janssen and Gesche had one child named Lena living with them and was 18 years old.

On March 9, 1883 Geike married Gesche Margareta Frerichs. Gesche was born June 1,1860 in Werdum, Ostfriesland, Germany and her parents were Hillern Jacob Frerichs and Epke Pieper. On March 1, 1884 Gesche gave birth to a boy, Frederick Hilgren. The birth certificate of Frederick Hilgren had a notation that there was another child. So with these facts, there must have been twins. It is not known for sure if the other child was stillborn or lived a short time. Gesche Margareta evidently died giving birth. It is not known where she was buried.

On July 26, 1886 Geike married Johanna Osterberg. Johanna was born in Middels,

Ostfriesland, Germany. Geike and Johanna was blessed with six children while living in Illinois, Ollie, Charlotte (Lottie), Adolf, Alfred, Charlotte Katye) and Elmer, (Charlotte Lottie) died at age 5)

Friedrich Janssen and Sons built and operated a Tile and Brick manufacturing concern in Crescent and it is believed to have gone into operations about 1885. All of the sons worked at the factory until the factory was sold and the brothers went their separate ways. Newspaper research showed that Geike was manager for a time.

In 1899 The foundry was sold and Geike and family moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas in

1900. They lived in a house at 10th and Main Street. Two more children were born, Johanna Aremine and Oscar. Johanna Aremine only lived one year.

Geike started up a brick manufacturing business, which was located a few blocks east of 10th and Main. Sometime after that Geike borrowed money and purchased two farms, one which he and his family moved on, the other one Adolf farmed. Geike only lived on the farm a short time before he moved back into Stuttgart on 515 West Second Street. Geike became ill in the winter of 1926-27 and died January 24, 1927, in a Memphis, Tennessee hospital after he had surgery for gallstones.

TODO: Description: Edit lines of 2nd and 3rd wives Date: 28 FEB 2002 Status: OPEN Priority: 1

_FSFTID: LHD3-G9M

_AMTID: 250108267800:1030:113160583

1. ↑ Craig Bode: Place of Birth from family Genealogy: Ostfriesland, Niedersachsen, Germany
2. ↑ Died in the hospital.