Altar Factory
Family patriarch Christian Gier planned the move to America but died suddenly. Widowed Gertrude Gier followed through with the moving plans with her six sons and came to Chillicothe around 1881 straight from Germany. One supposes they had family or friends here already. In 1888 John Gier married Caroline Bonderer and they had 10 children. (Read more about the Gier family.)
Courtesy of Vicki Breashears (and Dick Saale for putting me in touch with her!)
John Gier and some of his sons operated a church furniture and altar factory in Chillicothe on Ninth (now JFK) Street at Trenton Street. Their beautiful woodwork can be seen in St. Columban’s Catholic in Chillicothe, such as the altar to St. Joseph. They created the architectural drawings and built and carved the wood.
Made for Mildred Gier Saale by Vicki Breashears
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Made for Mildred Gier Saale by Vicki Breashears
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Below are two receipts in the Gier's handwriting for the Right Reverence Conrad in 1891 and 1892.
Courtesy of Vicki Breashears.
The Giers shipped their work as far away as Denver and even Oregon.
Courtesy of Vicki Breashears.
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Courtesy of Vicki Breashears.
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Pictured below from left to right: Englebert Gier, Dr. J.B. Smythe, Walter Baker, Emil Gier, John Gier, John Gilgie, Henry Gier, Aloysius/Alois GIer. Smythe’s sister married into the Meinershagen family. Walter Baker managed Chillicothe’s water plant; he had previously managed a plant for the Meinershagens in Kansas.
Courtesy of the Livingston Coutny Library Archives.
From Alois' descendant Frank Carr: Aloys was my great-grandfather. Aloys moved to Kansas City and died of pneumonia at age 51. His son, Joseph Flavian Gier (my grandfather) was also a carpenter and then contractor and built some of the great homes in Kansas City. He died in 1951 at age 63.
The map is where I believe their carpentry shop was located. I cannot figure out who lived in the house facing Vine Street. It was not John Gier, however.
