George Edward Gerner
*28 Mar 1845 Wadgassen, Saarlouis, Saarland, Germany
+ 9 Aug 1900 Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky, USA
oo 14 Oct 1882 Cecelia Rodricus, Sarregumines, Moselle, Lorraine, France
Photograph Debate
I have discovered 2 photographs that two different family lines believe is George Edward Gerner. The photo on the left was labeled "Joseph Edward Gerner" and was located in a Elmer Gerner photo album. The photo on the right was labeled "Edward Gerner" and in an Eicher family photo album.
Baptism and Birth
George Edward Gerner was born on 25 March 1845 in the municipality of Wadgassen. Wadgassen is long known its economy based on the glass industry. George Edward was baptized on 28 March 1845 at a Catholic Church in Wadgassen, Germany. Sponsors were Georgio Eduardo Schmitt of Sarregumines and Magdalana Gerner of Wadgassen. Record below obtained from LDS 0558648 Wadgassen Taufen 1823-1857
Marriage and Alsace-Lorraine
George Edward married Cecelia Rodricus on 14 Oct 1882 in current day Sarregumines, Moselle, Lorraine, France. Cecelia was born in Puttelange, Moselle, Lorraine and is the daughter of Nicholas Rodricus and Cecelia Bapst. George and Cecelia lived on the borders of France and Germany.
Alsace-Lorraine is area comprising the present French départements of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, Moselle. Alsace-Lorraine was the name given to the 5,067 square miles (13,123 square km) of territory that was ceded by France to Germany in 1871 after the Franco-German War (Franco-Prussian War). This territory was retroceded to France in 1919 after WWI and ceded again to Germany in 1940 during WWII and was again retroceded to France in 1945. During both world wars Lorraine suffered heavily.
Immigration and Early Years in America
George Edward and Cecelia immigrated to the US about 1884. They would have immigrated into a port near New York City. Evidence suggests that George’s mother Marie Victorie Schmitt probably traveled with them as her death record (1892) was found in the same Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Catholic Church records that George’s son, August baptism records were found. While in New York, 2 of their children Amelia and Cecelia were born.
By 1889 they moved to North Baltimore, Ohio where Joseph Edward and August Conrad were born. North Baltimore, Ohio seemed like a curious place to end up however in the timeframe (1889-1891) that George was in North Baltimore 2 glass factories had recently opened (1888), Zihlman Glass Company which opened on East Water Street and known for making 1000 drinking glasses daily and Enterprise Window Glass Company on Mitchell Road in Henry Township. The North Baltimore Bottle Blass Company also opened in the 1888-1889 timeframe. George was a known glass engraver and presumably worked in one of these locations.
In 1893 they were in Fairmont West Virginia, where Marie Wilhelmina was born. There was a bottle company in Fairmont, West Virginia in that time frame as well called Fairmont Bottle & Fruit Jar Co. Could George have worked there in 1893? By 1894 George and Cecelia settled in Newport, Kentucky, which is the location he would live until his death in 1900.
[1] https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/FairmontJohnsBrothers.pdf
[1] http://northbaltimorehistory.org/timeline-1886-1915.php
[2] http://www.fohbc.org/PDF_Files/NBaltGlassCo.pdf
[1] http://northbaltimorehistory.org/timeline-1886-1915.php
[1] http://www.fohbc.org/PDF_Files/NBaltGlassCo.pdf
[1] https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/FairmontJohnsBrothers.pdf
Occupation
George Edward, like many of his ancestors was a glass worker. Records note George was a dealer in Bar Room and Artistic Glassware; Artistic Class Engraver and Etcher; Fine Engraving and Etching for Advertising Purposes a Specialty. A death notice called him a genius that could engrave a person’s likeness on a glass tumbler while they waited.