William Geers was born in Belleview, St Claire County, Illinois, May 10, 1855, son of Thomas and Anna (Gobbert) Geers and died December 10, 1915. He lived in Illinois until 1876 when he moved with his parents to Saunders County, Nebraska.
William married Melvina
Mable Eyer in Saunders County, December 4, 1878, daughter of Alfed and Mary
Ann (Deck) Eyer. She passed away
March 30, 1932. William and Melvina
are buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery north of Orchard. Her father served in the Civil War. They were the parents of twelve children,
four of whom died in infancy. In 1882
they moved to the homestead northeast of Orchard. Their children attended the Pleasant Valley school. The Geers family moved to a farm near
Neligh for a few years and then moved back to Orchard area. William and Melvina operated the Cottage
House, a small hotel in Orchard. William’s health prevented him from working so he returned to the
farm. His son, Clarence and wife,
Margaret, ran the hotel. After the
death of Mr. Geers, son Harry ran the farm and made a home for his mother as
long as she lived. William and
Melvina children were: Bertha Ellen
(1879-1976) married to Philo Grove (1876-1944), three children: Edwin (1881-1933) married Blanche Brown
(1886-1968); Nora (1885-1957) married Leonard Barton (1879-1966), four children;
Clarence (1890-1958) married Margaret Brown (1890-1977), one child; Jesse Philo
born August 16, 1892 and died January 18, 1912; Winnie (1894-1984) married
Truman Kirby (188201964), one child; Harry born August 30, 1896 and died June
26, 1966; Minnie (1897-1983) married M. Robert Watson (1895-1968), six
children.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in July 2007