Hi,
You may want to contact a cousin of mine who is a Gesbeck and is involved with researching that family as well. His name is Howard S. Gesbeck, Jr. and he lives in Madison, WI. If you are interested in having his e-mail address, please contact me directly and I will give you his e-mail address that way rather than broadcast it to the world on this message board in the event that he would not want it so publicly displayed. I'm sure he'd be happy to hear from you, if the two of you are not in touch already. Feel free to tell him that I referred you. You can e-mail me at:
FamilyTresearch@hotmail.com I'll tell you briefly what I know about their Gesbeck line. Howard can confirm or corect this information when you contact him.
Howard and his two sisters are descended from a Franklin H. Gesbeck who was born in Mecklenburg, Germany in 1820, and who married a Marie/Mariah, also native to Mecklenburg. They had (at least) 2 children as follows:
1. William L. Gesbeck (b. 15 Aug 1871), who wife is unknown to me
2. Charles Henry Gesbeck (dates unknown), who married twice, but I do not know the name of either wife. I think this is your line. If I'm right, then he had Edward Gesbeck with his first wife, and Edward married an Ida; Charles then married again and had a Carl and Leroy Gesbeck, Leroy marrying Edith.
My cousin Howard is descended from the William L. Gesbeck line, and I have no more information on the Charles Henry Gesbeck line other than the above.
William L. Gesbeck married and had one son, Harry Sylvester Gesbeck, who was born 19 Dec 1894. Harry Gesbeck married a Hazel (maiden name unknown) and they had Howard Sprague Gesbeck, Sr. who was born 12 Jul 1916 in Kenosha, Kenosha Co., WI and who died 24 Jan 1982 in the same location. Howard S. Gesbeck, Sr. married my cousin Joan Caroline Schutz on 31 Aug 1940. She still lives there. Howard and Joan (Schutz) Gesbeck had 3 children: Linda, Carol, and Howard S. Gesbeck, Jr. To preserve the security of the living I have not given dates however once you contact Howard he may give them to you if he so desires.
I hope that the two of you ultimately connect. It looks like you may have a common ancestor in Franklin H. Gesbeck, and that your great-grandfathers may have been brothers. OF course this is speculatory on my part.
Take care,
Stephanie Sampson
Los Angeles, CA