S03EP01 - 'The Benefactor' with Denise Geelhart

05/03/22 • 50 min

In this first episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist and fellow podcaster Denise Geelhart. He'll find out how she got hooked on family history, how she researches her American and German roots, and balances that with researching the family history of the perpetrators and victims of true crime for her Murderous Roots podcast.
Life Story: Joseph Haberstroh
Denise has chosen her German 3x Gt Grandfather, Joseph Haberstroh, who was born near Frieberg im Breisgau, in Baden, Germany in 1843. However, along with his parents and siblings, he left Germany during the 1848 Revolution, travelled to France, and then emigrated to the USA, where they arrived after many months (including a birth of another sibling) in 1850.
Joining his uncles, Joseph and his family were able to start life a-fresh in their new adoptive homeland. After a few years serving in the American Civil War, Joseph married and raised his own family. The family's success enabled Joseph to make a donation to the Lutheran church in which he married his wife Elizabeth, and the bell still rings out to the residents of St. Louis today.
Joseph's ability to start from scratch and build up wealth and property, earned him a legacy that still bears his name today, and it's something that Denise and her family are immensely proud of.... particularly an unusual family recipe for a 'German Christmas Cake'.
The Brick Wall: Nancy Romines
One of Denise's 2x Great Grandmothers - Nancy Romines - is her research brick wall.
Nancy was born in Tennessee, USA on 11th August 1851, possibly in Putnam County. Whilst Denise knows mostly about what became of her, she has no clear evidence of her origins.
Information that Denise has previously received, stated that a Thomas Romines and Phoebe were her parents, but she has since discovered this cannot be correct, because according to a probate record, Thomas Romines died in 1835 - 16 years before Nancy's birth.

Was Nancy her real name?
Was Nancy a child of Isaac or George Romines?
What's the link between Nancy and Thomas senior, which the DNA seems to show?

If you think that you can help Denise with a clue or research idea, then you can contact at on Twitter at @Jayhawkmommy, via the email address Denise gives in the episode, or alternatively over at the MurderousRoots.com website. You can also just head over to our show contact form, and we'll pass your message on to her.
In the meantime, Denise is curious of Andrew's offer of help to solve her brick wall, but she's concerned about its safety...
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Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode One:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Denise Geelhart - Guest

Show notes

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Was Nancy her real name?
Was Nancy a child of Isaac or George Romines?
What's the link between Nancy and Thomas senior, which the DNA seems to show?

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Denise Geelhart - Guest

Show notes

Support the show

Previous Episode

Series Three Trailer

We're excited to announce that Series Three of The Family Histories Podcast is ready, and once again host and family historian Andrew Martin will be meeting 7 more genealogy-addicted guests, will be hearing about the lives of 7 more fascinating relatives, and there's 7 more annoying research brick walls that we'll be asking for your help to solve.
We're also excited to announce the guests too - Chris Paton, Helen Parker-Drabble, David Mendoza, Jill Ball, Yetunde Abiola, and Sheldon K. Goodman, and we'll be starting with Denise Geelhart on 3rd May 2022.
Don't forget to subscribe (it's free!) on your podcast platform of choice, and then you'll get each episode as soon as it's released.
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Episode Credits
Series Three, Trailer:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Show notes and more: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Support the show

Next Episode

S03EP02 - 'The Trapped' with Chris Paton

In this second episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, and genealogy tutor - Chris Paton, and finds out how he got hooked on family history, and what it's like to research family history in Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. He asks Chris about his tutoring work with genealogy course provider Pharos, and his former television producer career with the BBC.
Life Story - Jessie MacFarlane
Chris has chosen his Great Grandmother Jessie Paton (born Jessie MacFarlane) from Inverness, Scotland. After marrying David Paton in 1889, the newly-weds moved to Brussels in Belgium where David managed two shoe shops for Glasgow shoe manufacturer R & J Dick Ltd. When the First World War broke out, German soldiers occupied Belgium, and following David's sudden death, Jessie is left alone with their children - trapped in war.
This is a story of his Great Grandmother's bravery and determination to survive and get home, told through a collection of letters Chris found in The National Archives.
The Brick Wall - Thomas Graham
Chris has chosen his 3x Great Grandfather Thomas Graham of County Armagh, who was born in 1820/1821 in what is now Northern Ireland. Having discovered his origins, Chris just can't find the date and place for his death.
Thomas is living as a 60yr old Clerk in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England with his wife Eliza at the time of the 1881 census, but after attending a wedding in 1881, that's it! Eliza appears listed as a widow in Belfast in 1901, but what happened to Thomas?

When did Thomas Graham die?
Where did Thomas Graham die?
Will the Poor Law records of Barrow-in-Furness hold a clue?

If you think you can help Chris with solving his research brick wall, then drop him a message at his website Scotland's Greatest Story, or simply head to familyhistoriespodcast.com and use our contact form - we'll pass the message on to him.
In the meantime, Chris is keen for Andrew's help, but he's curious of what awaits in the garage...

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Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Two