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A documented family line

The Geiger Family of Buchanan County, Missouri

From Wurtemberg to St. Joseph: a surgeon and medical teacher · 3 people named in the record

Jacob Geiger was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1848, the youngest of five children of Anton and Mary Geiger; his father died in 1851. In 1857 he came to America with his widowed mother, a brother, and a sister and her husband, settling first in Champaign County, Illinois, and in 1858 in Brown County, Kansas, where his mother died that November. He came to St. Joseph as a boy, clerked in his brother's store, read medicine with Dr. Galen E. Bishop, and took his medical degree at Louisville. He taught surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, served as dean of the faculty until it took the Ensworth name in 1889, started the Medical Herald in 1887, and married Louise Kollatz that same year. Every fact below is cited to a public-domain Buchanan County history.

Where the family starts

Anton Geiger and Mary (Eberhart) Geigerthe earliest generation in the record
→2 generations
3 people

Most recent in our records

Charles G. Geigerborn 1865
At a glance

Generation by generation

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  1. Generation 1The immigrant parents
  2. Generation 2The surgeon
  3. Also in the county histories
1
Generation 1

The immigrant parents

Anton Geiger and Mary (Eberhart) Geiger

Parents of Dr. Jacob Geiger; known only from his sketches

  • Both natives of the same place in Wurtemberg, Germany, as their son; Anton died May 2, 1851, leaving a widow and five children1
  • The Daily News history calls Anton a real estate dealer and gives his wife's maiden name as Maria G. Eberhart2
  • In 1857 the widow came to America with Jacob, a daughter and her husband, and a son, landing at New York May 2; they settled in Champaign County, Illinois, moved to Brown County, Kansas, in 1858, and she died there that November1

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2
Generation 2

The surgeon

Dr. Jacob Geiger b. 1848

Surgeon and medical professor, St. Joseph

  • Born July 25, 1848, in Wurtemberg, Germany, the youngest child of Anton and Mary Geiger1
  • After his mother's death he came to St. Joseph with an older brother; in 1860 he followed his brother back to Illinois, helping him in summer so he could attend the Homer Seminary in winter1
  • Returned to St. Joseph in 1865, clerked in his brother's grocery, graduated from Bryant's business college in 1866 and worked as weighmaster in a pork packing house while reading medicine with Dr. Galen E. Bishop2
  • Attended lectures at the Medical University at Louisville in 1871 and received a diploma; held the chair of surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, organized in the fall of 1879; still unmarried in 1881. This history says the profession and people called him the leading surgeon in the Northwest1
  • Started the Medical Herald in 1887 and in 1890 helped organize the Marion Sims Medical College at St. Louis2
  • Married in 1887 Louise, daughter of William Kollatz, born at Atchison, Kansas. A Republican who served four years on the city council, a Mason and a Presbyterian2
Read the original 606-word biography

DR. JACOB GEIGER.

Jacob Geiger was born in Obernarie Province of Wurtemberg, Germany, July 25, 1848, and is the son of Anton and Mary Geiger, both natives of the same place. His father died May 2, 1851, leaving a widow and five children, of which the subject of our sketch is the youngest. In 1857, in company with his mother, his sister and her husband and brother, he emigrated to America, and on the 2d of May of that year landed at. New York. They first settled in Champaign County, Illinois. During his stay in Illinois, Jacob attended the country schools, and soon learned the English language perfectly. In 1858, they removed to Brown County, Kansas, where they purchased a farm. On the loth of November of the same year, Mrs. Geiger died, and the subject of our sketch, with an older brother, came to St. Joseph. In 1860, his brother and family having returned to Illinois, Jacob followed them, and during the summer months assisted his brother in order that he might go to the Homer Seminary in the winter. In 1865, he returned to St. Joseph, where he took a course in Bryant's Business College. While pursuing his studies he became acquainted with Dr. Bishop. At this time Mr. Geiger had a very delicate operation performed on his foot by Dr. Bishop, requiring much time and the greatest skill. This required him to be away from his studies much of the time, and after a year's continuance at the college he left and entered his brother's store. He early formed a desire to study medicine, and soon commenced the study with Dr. Bishop as preceptor, but being unable, both financially and physically, to devote his entire time to that study, he entered the drug store of Penick & Loving, where he remained nine months. During this time he did not cease his study of medicine, his only opportunity being the latter part of the evening, two o'clock in the morning often finding him at his books. After leaving the drug store, he resumed reading with Dr. Bishop, and at the same time getting considerable practice. He had by this time accumulated sufficient means to enable him to attend lectures at the Medical University at Louisville, Kentucky, where he went in 1871. Here he passed a successful examination and received a diploma. He then returned to St. Joseph and opened an office, and has succeeded in building up a large, successful and profitable practice. In the fall of 1879, the College of Physicians and Surgeons was organized, and Dr. Geiger was chosen to fill the chair of Professor of the Principle-and Practice of Surgery and Clinical Surgery, which he still holds. The Doctor possesses a talent for surgery, and has turned his attention almost exclusively to that branch. He has performed nearly all of the major operations in surgery, and the profession and people are a unit in giving to him the honor of being the leading surgeon in the Northwest. He has figured prominently in all of the medical organizations of the state; was one of the founders, and, for five years, the Secretary of the District Medical Society of Northwest Missouri; was Vice President of the State Medical Society of Missouri, and Secretary of the St. Joseph Medical Society, and is a member of the American Medical Association. The Doctor has been very successful, and has accumulated a large amount of city property, and has an elegant residence and office. Dr. Geiger has been favored in obtaining everything to make life happy, with the exception of a wife, he being yet unmarried.

As printed in the source1. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

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3
Others

Also in the county histories

Charles G. Geiger b. 1865

Physician.Jacob Geiger

  • Born in Champaign County, Illinois, in 1865; went to Kansas in 1869, grew up on a farm and attended the common schools2
  • Came to St. Joseph in 1886 and graduated from the St. Joseph Medical College, then took an honorary degree at the Ensworth2
  • Graduated with high honors from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and later attended lectures in Vienna2
Read the original 69-word biography (excerpt)

CHARLES G. GEIGER was born in Champaign County, Illinois in 1865; he went to Kansas in 1869, where he grew up on a farm and attended the common schools. In 1886 he came to St. Joseph and graduated from the St. Joseph Medical College, took an honorary degree at the Ensworth, then graduated with high honors from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and subsequently attended lectures in Vienna. Dr.

As printed in the source2. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

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Where the sources differ
Sources

Where every fact comes from

  1. The History of Buchanan County, Missouri (1881)
  2. The Daily News' History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. (1898)

All sources are public domain. Facts only. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

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