Nine years before Bertha was born, the parents who raised her lived in Franklin county, Kansas on a large farm. William, her father, was born in Germany, and Cordelia, Bertha’s mother, was born in Pennsylvania. William’s brothers Peter and Anton farmed nearby.
Franklin County, Kansas, 1865
When trying to learn about Bertha, we discovered she was adopted. I wrote a post about Bertha and tried to fill in the puzzle. That post on Finding Merle, my original blog, is here:
If you think you can fill in the blanks, please let me know. The photo below is my grandfather Carl Joseph Geier and who we think is his mother, Bertha. I wish I could be certain.
The Malevolent Matriarch 