Who is this? ---><--- Am I a Kreer?
Kreer

George Washington Kreer , according to his own account, was born March 18, 1857 in Philadelphia.  He never said much about his family history and his official documents offer no information. His marriage license lists his family as "none". His wife's information for his death certificate is family "unknown".By the year 1910 there are four and maybe five George W. Kreer/Krier/Krehers around Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Here are the clues we have gathered through documents, newspaper articles, and family:

        He claims to be born in Philadelphia, Pa. on 3/18/1857. We have no record.

        Burial records indicate he had a sister named Amanda Decoursey. Does anyone know Amanda K. Decoursey?  Amanda's death record lists mother as Margaret Camp and her father as ---- Krier,, her birthdate is in 1860. We believe she is the Amanda  Krier who married a Walter Coulten Decoursey (b. 1853)and had a son named Joseph Barnsley Decoursey. Could his original name be Krier or Camp?

     Another George Washington, born in 1831,  served in the civil war and we have seen a transcript of his diary. He wrote frequently to the Howell Tatem family and money was exchanged between them. Census records of 1860  have a young George Kreer living with a "Tatem" family residing in Philadelphia . Does anyone know the Howell Tatem family?

        Our George Washington Kreer claims to have been farmed out at a young age. Judging from his style of writing and children, he seems very well connected and educated . He says the farm was around Chester, PA. Looking at some historical accounts of Widener University of that area, we find that it was once a U.S. military school. Some of the relatives of his descendents are associated with this school. Was he in school instead of working? Who donated the land for the military school/Widener College?

    A newspaper article says that when his mom died, around 1873, he jumped on a train and enlisted in the army at age sixteen  in Philadelphia. Because he was underage, he used the alias James File.  Was this really an alias or his mother's maiden name or even family he worked for?
We have relatives named Giles, is this a clue?
        Newspaper references say he loved to discuss religion and quote biblical passages, certainly whoever raised him must have had some standard Christian rituals performed on him. We have found a record of our George Kreer being baptised at St. Patrick's church in Wilmington around 1890 at 30 years of age. What religion are his ancestors? He was married in a Methodist Episcopal Church. One of his sons is Catholic and has a daughter who became a nun of the Franciscan Order. A living Kreer who works in a London bank sent us an email saying that historically speaking, the Kreer family was catholic and escaped to France because of religious persecution in Germany. One family member reported that some members of the second generation refused to associate with others due to religious differences. Another family member said he was against the Catholic church. We have found historical Kreer records with the Episcopals, Quakers, Catholics, Methodist Episcopals, and the Evangelical Lutherns.

       According to pension records, Geo. W. Kreer served in the army as James File in the Indian War. He worked as a clerk for four years and in his fifth year he served active infantry duty with Custer at Little Big Horn. His army records were not officially corrected to his "proper name" until around 1916. His wife did receive the benefits for "George Washington Kreer". Our pension copies do not reveal the contents of that interview.  He claims in a newspaper article to be published in the Army/Navy Journal expressing his views on Custer. He applied for and received orphan benefits with one of the Dakota Odd Fellow's Lodges during the Indian Wars. Any helpful hints in obtaining any of these records?

        After the war, George married in Elkton, MD on March 25, 1880. His wife was Cornelia Robinson Ernest, born January 09, 1865 in Middletown, DE. This record comes from his pension record since the Methodist Episcopal parsonage lost these records in a fire. No luck obtaining a license or a certificate through Maryland archives.

        His occupation was primarily an insurance agent , but he says he also worked as a "copy agent". He was very interested in the Single Tax Movement, more specifically an 1890s Delaware election. It appears he may have been arrested during a rally. Delaware court archives for Kent county contain non indexed sentencing records.

       During 1882-1883 in the Wilmington, DE directory, two other Kreers appear with him. Francis Kreer is a painter.  John P. runs a business called John P. Kreer and Sons (shoemakers) and lives with our George at this time. He lists his father as John P. with his catholic baptism. Is this his father? They never appear on a census together. No Delaware record of John P. Kreer. We do have a John P. Ernest, curiously enough his wife's maiden surname, in New Castle whose will takes 30 years to probate. He told one family member he helped his father Peter out for the last 20 years of his life?

     After marrying, he resided in Wilmington, DE and visited St. Petersburg, FL. We have a copy of an older man playing with a dog that says St. Petersburg, Florida. We supposably have relatives in Florida. George Kreer III dies in Florida. Our GWK died December 12, 1941 in Wilmington, DE.

        George claims to have relatives that served in the revolutionary war for Pa. (Peter and his four sons, all volunteers, one of which Harry was a famous Captain killed in the war).  He says his relatives date back to Germantown under Pastorius in Pennsylvania.
 

        You can see his decendants in our family tree.
 

Any advise or help is gratefully accepted!