A Lincoln Connection?

 In the Ogden Cemetery, near Paris in Edgar Co, Illinois, and just a few miles north of Marshall, are markers for several members of the Rhoads family, ancestors of Olive Geisert, wife of Adam Imle. In the cemetery lie Olive’s great great grandfather, Daniel Rhoads, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Her great great grandmother Elizabeth (Newman) Rhoads. Her great great uncle Newman Rhoads. Her cousins (first, second, third, and otherwise) Willington, Benjamin Tolbert, Daniel, Benjamin Rhoads. And also in Ogden Cemetery is a marker for Sarah (Hanks) Varrell, whose great granddaughter is believed to be Bessie Maude Hanks, who married Lawrence Willington Rhoads, Olive’s third cousin. Now that would not be anything special except that Sarah’s marker is inscribed 

SARAH HANKS
VARRELL
1786 - 1876
AUNT OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

 So, do we relatives of Adam and Olive Imle have a connection with Abraham, our sixteenth president? Disappointingly, we probably don’t. Though Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln, did have a sister Sarah, the two Sarahs are apparently not the same. The Sarah Hanks buried in Ogden was probably a daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Harper) Hanks and not of Lucy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother.

 The grave marker clearly states that Sarah was Abraham Lincoln’s Aunt. But on the marker is a plaque inscribed “DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.” The marker proclaiming the Lincoln relationship was erected by the DAR long after Sarah’s death, and we all know how reliable the DAR is. Often, not very. For more information on the extremely murky genealogy of Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln, I recommend Nancy Hanks, of Undistinguished Families, published 1959 by Adin Baber. You can see a free copy on Internet Archive. (As a side note: Adin Baber’s first cousin, three times removed, David Baber, married Elizabeth Tapscott, my third cousin, four times removed. This, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with the Hanks or Rhoads family.)

Me with Sarah’s replaced marker, back 
when I thought I was connected (2003).

Sarah’s original marker (Find A Grave).

Wanted, Imle and Geisert Photo Detectives

 

I’m looking for help from Imles and from Clark Co, Illinois, Geiserts. In 2003 I purchased a photo from a finder of lost photos in Vincennes, Indiana. He had purchased the photo from an antiques store in Terre Haute, Indiana. A very faint inscription in very large handwriting on the back read “Gottlob Imle.” It is likely that this photo belonged at one time to Gottleib (usual spelling) William Imle, son of Christoph Imle of Clark Co Illinois, and was scrapped, sold, or given away. Most of Gottleib’s adult life was living in Terre Haute. Here is a copy of the original photo, followed by an enhanced (MyHeritage) and edited (me) copy to give a sharpened version.

The following identifications are certain or nearly so: Comparison with other photos shows that this photo was taken in front of what was called the “big house,” where my great grandparents Christoph Frederick and Anna Maria (Reichert) Imle lived around the turn of the last century. In later years it became the property of Christoph and Anna’s son Christian Karl Imle (my uncle Chris), and the porch was eventually removed. In the exact center of the picture are my grandparents Olive Rachel Geisert and Adam Conrad Imle, both easily (to me) recognizable. Since they are in the middle of the photo, have no children with them, and Olive appears to be wearing a dress identical to that in her wedding photo, this picture was likely taken on or near their wedding day, 7 Mar 1906. Immediately behind Olive Geisert is her sister Minnie Geisert, who is easily recognizable. At the right of the photo standing on the porch are Anna Maria Reichert (just right of the porch support, with her hair parted exactly down the center) and to her left Christoph Frederick Imle (bulky man with a black beard).

From now on much is guesswork based on other photos and ages and sexes of children. The woman, man, and three children to the right of Olive and Adam could be the Frederick (Fred) Christian and Clara (Coldren) Imle family, who had three children in 1906—7-year old John, 5-year old Susan, and 2-year old Edgar. The woman strongly resembles Clara though the man lacks the mustache seen in some photos of Fred Imle. The man in the large hat and the woman standing at the back on the porch on the left are probably Edward Geisert and his wife, Maria Emmeline Rhoads. The couple is of the right age, the man sports a mustache as did Edward, and the woman bears a very strong resemblance to Maria seen in other photos. The couple to the far left with an infant are probably Gottlieb and Clara (Schroeder) Imle. Both (particularly the woman) bear strong resemblances to Gottlieb and Clara in other photos and, at the date of Adam and Olive’s wedding, they had a single child, Irma, a 7-month old infant. The man standing behind Anna Maria and Christoph strongly resembles Chris Imle.

Perhaps you descendants of Christoph and Anna Maria Imle and/or of Edward and Maria (Rhoads) can confirm some of this. Or, better yet, can identify others. The old man with the white beard at the far right is particularly mysterious. He appears to be of an earlier generation.

Below are four enlarged segments of the photo from left to right. Like a jpg image of the original and enhanced/edited photos? Email me at  retapscott@comcast.net.

The Immigrants

In 1874, the SS W. A Scholten was put into service by the Netherlands American Steamship Company (later, the Holland-America Line) for regular mail and passenger service between Rotterdam and New York. The ship was a three-masted steamer, capable of traveling at 40 knots and carrying about 700 steerage passengers and 50 first and second-class passengers. The Scholten boasted the most modern conveniences—compartmentalized steerage, providing a little privacy, and two hospital wards, one for men and one for women.

For thirteen years, the Scholten transported (primarily) German emigrants to America. Then, on 19 Nov 1887, the ship left Rotterdam, heading for New York with 230 passengers and crew. At 11 pm that night, in a dense fog, the ship struck the English steamer Rosa Maria, ten miles off Dover. The Scholten sank within an hour with the loss of 150 lives. Many of the dead were German. No lives were lost on the Rosa Maria.

Six years earlier, the SS Scholten had sailed from Rotterdam, docking in New York on 15 Apr 1881. (16 Apr 1881, the date that the passenger list was signed, is often given as the arrival date; however, newspaper articles show that Apr 15 was the actual date.) Among the 707 passengers were a family of seven from Gündelbach, Frederick and Marie Imle and their five children (at that time), Marie, Fredrick, Christian, Gotllieb, and Adam. Had they been part of the 1887 voyage, this posting would likely not exist, nor would we.

 Imles on list of passengers docking in New York City, 16 Apr 1881 on the SS W. A. Scholten.

Adam Imle 100th Birthday

Elizabeth ('Liz") Smith, daughter of Edgar Imle and granddaughter of Fred Imle (and grandniece of Adam Imle), sent me a copy of the newspaper article (unknown newspaper, unknown date) about the 100th birthday of Adam Imle (2 Apr 1980).

ADAM IMLE OBSERVES 100^TH BIRTHDAY

In honor of their father and grandfather’s birthday, the following enjoyed dinner at the Colonial Kitchen on Sunday, March 30, Mrs. Mary Tapscott of Denver, Colorado,  Mr. & Mrs. John Tapscott of South Plainfield, N.J., Mr. & Mrs. James M. Tapscott and daughters, Kirsten and Andellyn of Perry Park, Colorado, Bob Tapscott and son, Michael of Albuquerque, N.M., Mr. & Mrs. Glen Imle II and Michelle & Jimmy of Waukegan, Ill., Mr. & Mrs. Charles Hartman & son, Peter of Land O Lakes, Wis., Mr. & Mrs. George Mobley & George II, Mr. & Mrs. James Goad, Michelle, & Jimmy, all of Terre haute, and Mr. & Mrs. Harold Imle.

In the afternoon, they met at the Burnsides Nursing Home where cake and punch were served to all and to the honored guest, Adam Imle, and Mr. Herman Imle, whose birthday was the previous week.

They were joined by Mr. & Mrs. Bob Dunlap, Mr. & Mrs. Dave Tennis and Calab and Keith Dunlap of Terre Haute, and Mr. & Mrs. Mark Dunlap of Paris, Ill. Several other relatives and friends called.

Mr. Imle was born in Gundelback [sic] Wurtemberg [sic], Germany April 2, 1880. He came with his parents, sister and three brothers to America. They landed in New York on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1881. From New York, they came to Illinois and settled in Darwin township, where he lived his entire life, until the last 10 years which he has spent in nursing homes.

He received greetings from many states of the Union, including one from President Carter, and Governor Thompson of Illinois.

A nephew, Ernest Imle, of Aldelphi [sic], Maryland, who had visited Germany in 1975, sent him pictures of the house where he and his sister and brothers were born. The grandson and great-grandson of the Mr. Schillinger's who bought the land and house and vineyards of his father, still operate it.