GROTH, John F. 1858-1919
GROTH, TREICHEL, TESCH, PAGEL, FREESE, BALDNER, BEHL
Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 8/6/2010 at 00:22:07
John F. Groth came to Mitchell County in 1874 at the age of sixteen. His parents, William and Caroline Goetch Groth came to the United States from Germany in 1852, along with their seven children. They settled in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. At first they lived in a log cabin with a dirt floor and a fireplace for cooking. Mr. Groth bought an ox team, and made a sleigh with wooden runners. He also made a wagon with wooden axles and wheels sawed from a large tree. This was the first wagon in the section and was often borrowed by the neighbors. The Indians were near, but the family was never bothered by them and often the Indians gave them meat. It was here that John, the youngest was born in 1858.
Land was cleared, buildings erected and many improvements made. They were members of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church, which Mr. Groth helped organize.
Following their father's death, John and his mother went to Cresco, Iowa to live. Two of John's sisters had married and were living there.
After coming to St. Ansgar, John worked for farmers in the area.
In 1883 he was married to Hanna Treichel and they farmed first near Mitchell and later in the Otranto area.
They were the parents of ten children: Mathilda Tesch, Ida Pagel, Minnie Freese, Augusta Baldner, Henry Groth, August Groth, Robert Groth, Ervin Groth, and Rosaline Behl.
John Groth died June 21, 1919 following a fall from the windmill he was oiling and Hanna died August 29, 1947. One daughter, Minnie Freese, is a resident of Faith Home in Osage at the present time.
Several other descendants, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren are present day residents of Mitchell County
[Written by Elsie Rachut -- published in "Mitchell County History", 1989, page 294]
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NOTE: His memorial page on www.findagrave.com gives his date of birth as July 2, 1858. Burial was at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, St. Ansgar.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Photo from "Mitchell County History", 1989, page 294]
Mitchell Biographies maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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