Johann B. Grossmann, 1899 Biography

GROSSMANN, GRETEMANN, ZENGER

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 3/15/2006 at 00:28:41

I translated the following biography from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published in a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the paper on Friday, 20 September 1899. Information in brackets and notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Johann B. Grossmann

This man was born in Bogenstraus, Kingdom of Bavaria, on 26 July 1837. After leaving school, he took up farming. He became a soldier at age 21, and was honorably discharged after three years. As a reservist, he took part in the campaign of 1866 [the Austro-Prussian War], and in 1868 he immigrated with his brother Lorenz to the United States of North America and settled near St. Lucas, in Fayette County [Iowa]. On 5 April 1869, Mr. Grossmann married the widow Elisabeth Gretemann, who was the owner of a fine 80-acre farm. The couple lived there for 17 years, during which time they increased their real estate by 160 acres. On 23 September 1885, his wife died, and on 5 May 1886, Mr. Grossmann married again, to Anna Zenger. He sold his land in the fall of 1889, and the following spring he and his family moved to Pleasant Valley Township, Carroll County, where he purchased 139 acres of land. After four years, he again sold the property and moved with his family to the town of Carroll, where he purchased a fine home. The names of the children still living from the first marriage are: Johann, Maria, Katharina, Jakob, Franz, Bernhard, and Wilhelm Gretemann, and also from this marriage was a deceased son, George Grossmann [possibly should be George Gretemann]. The name of the child from the second marriage is Anna Katharina. Mr. Grossmann enjoys the respect of all his fellow-citizens.