GROSS, Gottfried 1901-1981

GROSS, SPENGLER, THORNE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 6/19/2014 at 15:37:09

School Janitor Here For 37 Years Is Dead

Gottfried (Fred) Gross passed away Monday morning, March 23 at the Maple Manor Nursing Home in Aplington due to an apparent heart attack, reaching the age of 79 years, 4 months and 22 days. He had been a resident of the home since March 7.

Funeral services for Gottfried (Fred) Gross were held Wednesday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Wellsburg Reformed Church. Officiating was Pastor Roger Huitink.

Two duet numbers were sung by Pastor and Mrs. Roger Huitink. Marcella Neessen was organist. Mrs. Gesina Nederhoff and Mrs. Henrietta Riekena were flower attendants.

Pall bearers were Arnold Arends, Harris Peters, Edwin Stahl, Herman Stahl, Clarence Geerdes and Leonard Gelder.

The interment service was held in the Wellsburg Reformed Church cemetery.

Doyen Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He was born on October 31, 1901, in Freiburg, Germany, the son of Lucas and Katherine (Spengler) Gross and received his education in the schools there.

In 1923 he came to the United States and made his home in the Wellsburg area. On May 29, 1925, he was united in marriage to Caroline Thorne in Wellsburg by the Rev. William Landsiedel. Following their marriage they made their home in Wellsburg. This union was blessed with two daughters. Mrs. Gross passed away on January 6, 1970.

He was a long time member of the Wellsburg Reformed Church having joined by confession of faith on November 17, 1935. He served on the church consistory for four years and also was a member of the Men's Brotherhood.

After Fred came to the United States in 1923, he worked for Meint Tjaden for a short time and also did carpenter work with Dick Thorne. In 1929 he became the janitor for the Wellsburg School and held this job for 37 years, retiring in 1966. He also was the Wellsburg Reformed Church janitor for over 27 years. The Wellsburg Grade School built in 1960 was named in his honor being called the "Fred Gross Addition." He had the honor of being one of the Grand Marshals in the Wellsburg 1980 Centennial Parade.

Preceding him in death were: his parents, his wife, Caroline; one son in infancy; his son-in-law, Elmer Finke; three brothers and one sister.

Those left to mourn his passing are: his daughters, Mrs. Josephine Finke of Wellsburg; Katherine and her husband Harold Lindaman of Wellsburg; three grandchildren, Nancy, Vincent and Timothy Lindaman of Wellsburg; two sisters, Mrs. Marie Trescher and Mrs. Bertha Keller, both living in Germany; one sister-in-law, Mrs. Elizabeth Gross of Chicago and many other relatives and friends.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 2 April 1981, pg 15