1. The first of the Geers family to reside in Roane County was WILLIAM STEPHEN1 GEERS, son of Thomas Geers of Prince Edward County, Virginia. W. S. Geers was born in 1816 in Virginia, and moved to Roane County some time before August 31, 1848, the date he married MARTHA ELIZABETH WILEY, daughter of HENRY HOWARD WILEY and MARY BURKE BUCHANAN BOYD. Mary Boyd’s great-great-grandfather was James Patton, who was instrumental in settling areas of Virginia west of the Appalachian Mountains from 1738 to 1755.
See Photo and history of their house
Children of WILLIAM GEERS and MARTHA WILEY are:
i. LUCY2 GEERS, m. Dr. JOSEPH WALKER.
They had no children of their own, but raised Lucy’s niece and nephew, Alice Chapman Geers and Alga Cutler Geers, the children of William Henry Geers, after their mother died. They first lived on Main Street in Oliver Springs in a house adjoining John Vann's home, but later built a home on the corner of Walker Street and Kingston Avenue which later became the home of Mrs. Grace Deaderick. Dr. Joseph Walker was a graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School. Source: The Story of Oliver Springs, TN and Its People, p. 118.
2. ii. M. ELLA GEERS.
3. iii. WILLIAM HENRY GEERS, b. August 16, 1849, Post Oak Springs, Roane County, Tennessee; d. May 20, 1903, New Orleans, Louisiana.
4. iv. MARY ALICE GEERS, b. 1851; d. 1910.
5. v. ELIZABETH M. GEERS, b. 1853.
2. M. ELLA2 GEERS (WILLIAM STEPHEN1). She married ANDREW JACKSON "Jack" QUEENER. 2. M. ELLA2 GEERS (WILLIAM STEPHEN1). She married ANDREW JACKSON "Jack" QUEENER.
Jack and Ella first lived in the house later known as the "Uncle" Paul Deblieux place, but later lived in the Geers' brick home on Main Street.
Andrew Jackson 'Jack' Queener of Anderson County operated a coal mine, a grocery store, served as County Court Clerk of Anderson County (1878-1882), and served as Postmaster of the Oliver Springs Post Office from 1897 until 1905. He was master of Omega Lodge No. 536 F. and A.M., and is generally considered to be one of the best Mayors ever to serve in Oliver Springs. He was a man of solid character. Source: The Story of Oliver Springs, TN and Its People by Snyder E. Roberts, p. 118-119
Children of M. GEERS and ANDREW QUEENER are:
i. OLIVER3 QUEENER.
6. ii. IDA QUEENER.
iii. MATTIE QUEENER, m. CLYDE TEAGARDEN.
iv. JESSIE QUEENER, m. HUGH KINKAID.
3. WILLIAM HENRY2 GEERS (WILLIAM STEPHEN1) was born August 16, 1849 in Post Oak Springs, Roane County, Tennessee, and died May 20, 1903 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He married (1) MARY PHILA "MAMIE" CUTLER July 20, 1874 in Clinton, Tennessee. Mary P. Cutler descended from James and Anna Cutler, who came to Massachusetts from England in 1634. She died in 1877 in Coal Creek, shortly after her second child was born. He married (2) NETTIE THOMAS April 24, 1889.
Children of WILLIAM GEERS and MARY CUTLER are:
i. ALGA CUTLER3 GEERS, b. April 26, 1875, Coal Creek, Anderson County, Tennessee; d. October 17, 1946, Albany, Georgia. Alga C. Geers never married. Worked at the Southern Railway Depot in Oliver Springs, TN
7. ii. ALICE CHAPMAN GEERS, b. November 29, 1876, Coal Creek, Anderson County, Tennessee; d. October 27, 1973, Forsyth, Georgia.
4. MARY ALICE2 GEERS (WILLIAM STEPHEN1) was born 1851, and died 1910. She married JOHN HALTMAN DENTON (1838-1917) in 1869.
They built and lived in the house on Spring Street later known as the Dr. J. J. Waller homeplace. John was a teacher and preacher. John and Mary Alice Denton are buried in the Oliver Springs Cemetery. Source: The Story of Oliver Springs, TN and Its People, by Snyder E. Roberts, p. 119
Children of MARY GEERS and JOHN DENTON are:
i. BERTHA3 DENTON.
ii. WILL DENTON, m. FREDDIE SIENKNECHT.
iii. MELLIE E. DENTON, b. 1873; d. 1957.
iv. JOHN C. DENTON, b. 1880; d. 1959.
v. IDELETTE DENTON, b. 1896; d. 1948; m. WALTER BLEVINS, 1906.
5. ELIZABETH M.2 GEERS (WILLIAM STEPHEN1) was born 1853. She married (1) CHARLES C. CHAPMAN. She married (2) ? JAY Abt. 1885.
Child of ELIZABETH GEERS and CHARLES CHAPMAN is:
8. i. GRACE3 CHAPMAN.
Generation No. 3
6. IDA3 QUEENER (M. ELLA2 GEERS, WILLIAM STEPHEN1). She married SAMUEL TAYLOR KEEBLER.
"They lived on Spring Street and had one daughter, Eloise, now in Talladega, Alabama." Source: The Story of Oliver Springs, TN and Its People by Snyder E. Roberts, p. 119
Child of IDA QUEENER and SAMUEL KEEBLER is:
i. ELOISE4 KEEBLER.
7. ALICE CHAPMAN3 GEERS (WILLIAM HENRY2, WILLIAM STEPHEN1) was born November 29, 1876 in Coal Creek, Anderson County, Tennessee, and died October 27, 1973 in Forsyth, Georgia. She married WILLIAM MORGAN PRYSE June 20, 1900 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Children of ALICE GEERS and WILLIAM PRYSE are:
i. WILLIAM GEERS4 PRYSE, b. March 22, 1901, Knoxville, Tennessee; d. December 21, 1960, Albany, Georgia; m. MILDRED IVES BELCHER, February 19, 1937, Sylvester, Georgia.
ii. THORNTON MARVIN PRYSE, b. October 12, 1903, Knoxville, Tennessee; d. May 31, 1926, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
iii. KENNETH PRYSE, b. August 08, 1906, Albany, Georgia; d. March 03, 1986, Forsyth, Georgia; m. ROSA CLARE MCGEE, June 21, 1941, Forsyth, Gerogia.
iv. PAUL CUTLER PRYSE, b. May 30, 1909, Albany, Georgia; d. January 1976, Gainesville, Florida; m. WILLIS HARRIS GAMMAGE.
v. HENRY MCINTOSH PRYSE, b. February 11, 1912, Albany, Georgia; m. MARGARET ANN GILMER, June 20, 1941, Albany, Georgia.
For additional information on the descendants of Alice Geers and William Pryse, contact Tony Pryse (pryse@biochem.wustl.edu).
8. GRACE3 CHAPMAN (ELIZABETH M.2 GEERS, WILLIAM STEPHEN1). She married SAMUEL MARTIN.
Grace worked in the Oliver Springs Post Office and Queener's Store. Souce: The Story of Oliver Springs, TN and Its People, p. 118.
Child of GRACE CHAPMAN and SAMUEL MARTIN is:
i. MILDRED4 MARTIN, m. S. J. PATTERSON.
Mildred was a supervisor in the Knox County Schools.