Gross, Dominick Sr. (1823-1880)

GROSS

Posted By: Debra Scott Hierlmeier (email)
Date: 11/15/2008 at 18:45:06

Dominick Gross

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.212, Pleasant Twp.)
Dominick Gross, farmer, P. O. Avoca, was born in Alsace, France, April 21, 1848, son of Dominick and Mary Ann (Ledolph) Gross, also natives of Alsace, France, and parents of eight children, four boys and four girls. Dominick Gross - subject's father - who was by trade a cabinet-maker, was born in 1822, and died in Avoca, this county, November 20, 1880; his wife, who is still living in Pleasant Township, this county, was born in 1824. In 1853, subject came to the United States with his parents; landed at New Orleans, La., and thence went to Le Claire, Scott County, Iowa. He received a good education in the schools of Le Claire, Iowa, and began the business of life as a farmer, and has since pursued that occupation. He remained in Le Claire till 1870, then moved to Butler Township, Scott County, Iowa, and after remaining there two years, came to Pleasant Township May 7, 1872. Here he has bought eighty acres of wild land at $8.50 per acre, in 1871, and improved the place. In 1877, he built a one-story house, 16x22 feet, and in 1882 erected a new two-story dwelling, 16x28 feet, at a cost of $1,000. On his farm he has a grove of two acres of shade trees, consisting of maples, box-elders and cottonwoods, and has also an orchard containing eighty trees. In this township, April 17, 1877, he married Josephine Weiseman, born in Princeton, Scott Co., Iowa, October 22, 1858, daughter of John and Barbara (Goelf) Weiseman; he, a native of Bavaria, Germany; she, also a native of Germany, born July 24, 1832. By this union they have been blessed with three children - Mary, born April 24, 1879; George, born May 19, 1831, and Charley, born June 29, 1882. Mr, Gross has held the office of Constable in this township; he is a member of the Catholic Church; is a member of the A. H. T. S., and in politics is a Democrat.

From Pottawattamie county Iowa: A Collection of Historical Sketches and Family Histories, published in 1978 by Pottawatamie County History Book committee, printed in Dallas, TX by the Taylor Publishing Co.,p, 215

Dominick Gross, Sr
The head of the clan, Dominick Gross Sr. was born in 1822 in Gundelsheim near Colmar, Alsace Lorraine to Jean Urbain and Neine (Koelin) Gross. Married in 1846 to Mary Ann Littolff, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Goler) Ledolph.
Opportunites of America beckoned to the Grosses and 1853 they set sail on the George Hurlbut with three children, Dominick Jr, Frances, and John.
A fierce storm blew them off course, but they finally landed in New Orleans, LA and traveled on a river boat to Le Claire, Iowa. From former records it is surmised that the original name was De Grosse and subsequently changed upon migrating to America to Gross. The family moved to Avoca later and farmed south of town. George was born in 1867 and Delia (Kane), Helena (Dea) and Julia (Sister Mary Joseph) were born in Scott county, Ia.