Three generations of CFD FFs with the same name

 

A note was recently shared with Firegeezer.com by Thomas Parquette from Branson, Missouri. He kindly allowed us to publish it here, and I'm grateful for his contribution.

Hi ‘Geezer’,

I thought you might find this story interesting. The photo was taken around 1885 and shows Engine Company 11 of the Chicago Fire Department. The newspaper that published it 40 years later in 1925 is an obscure fire-related publication, which adds a unique touch to the history behind the image.

The second man from the left in the photo is my great-grandfather, George Geis. He died in the line of duty around 1902 when a wall collapsed during a fire. His father, also named George Geis, was one of the original firefighters with the Chicago Fire Department and lost his life during the Great Chicago Fire in the 1870s.

George Geis, the son of the man in the photo, was my grandfather. He was a firefighter who lived through the transition from horse-drawn engines to motorized units. He was part of the final call for Buck, Beauty & Dan—the last horse-drawn fire team in Chicago. (I also have a photo of that moment.) Tragically, he was critically injured when a drunk driver crashed into the hook and ladder truck he was driving as the tiller operator. He passed away from his injuries in the early 1930s and never received any compensation from the city—back then, the union was still in its infancy, and protections were just beginning to take shape.

All three men—my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father—were career firefighters. They all shared the same name, differing only by their middle initials. Each of them died in the line of duty or as a result of it. All were members of the Chicago Fire Department.

My uncle, Stephen Geis, later became the Chief of the Downers Grove Fire Department in the 1950s, and his son, my cousin, is also a full-time firefighter today.

I thought you might enjoy learning about this family legacy. I’d like to thank the Fire Museum of Chicago for their incredible help in researching and verifying the details of this history. This photo comes from their archives, and I’m glad they’re preserving such important moments in firefighting history.

Keep up the excellent work on your site. Your writing is engaging, informative, and has a great sense of humor. It’s always a pleasure to read.

Best regards,
Thomas Parquette
Branson, Missouri

 

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