Pioneer Groesbecks

GROESBECK, BOSWORTH, LAMBERT, ROWELL, CLAUSON, PETERS, ALLEN, BALL, SEARS, WOODRUFF, STILES, LORIMOR, SHADE, WEISSMAN, FENNER, HAMMANS, LONGSHORE, NORIN, BENEDICT, COMER, ALSTRAND, GORDON

Posted By: Ruth McDowell (email)
Date: 11/13/2010 at 14:35:40

Written by Susan Longshore Gibbs, printed "Union County History 1981"

Garrett and Mercy Bosworth Groesbeck came to New Hope Township, Union County, Iowa, in 1854, from West Point, Lee County, Iowa. Garrett had come to Iowa in the mid 1830’s and decided to move his family here. Mercy’s mother, Anna Ladd Bosworth, came with them. Mercy’s father, Dan Bosworth, had died at Ft. George, Upper Canada, in 1819.

The Groesbeck Family had come to Ohio from Schaghticok, N.Y. Garrett and Mercy were married April 1821, in Ohio, and live in Eagleville until 1838.

Garrett and Mercy’s children were: Adelia Lambert, Utah; Henry, Lorimor; Maria Rowell, Washington, Kansas; William, Lorimor; Amelia Clauson, Salem; Benjamin; Harriet Peters, Lorimor; Dan, Afton; and Cordelia Allen Ball, Lorimor.

This Groesbeck family arrived in New Hope Township, Union County during a rainy spell. They made camp high and dry east of Grand River in Section 18 on land which later Henry and wife Mary Sears, homesteaded and lived on for many years. Their Children who grew to maturity were Sam and Adelia. Sam married Kathryn Woodruff, Lorimor; their family was Clarence Harold, California; Edith Stiles, Sioux City; Maude, Moville; and Madge Lorimor, Oskaloosa; Delia married James Shade. Their children were Anna Weissman, Washington State; and True, Lorimor.

William chose land a short distance down the ridge toward Grand River in Section 19. In 1955 he went to Agency, Iowa, for his bride, Susan Fenner. They spent some forty years developing and faring this land. Their children were: Mercy Hammans, Lorimor; Adam, missionary in China; Walter, Afton; Ruth Longshore, Afton; Fred, Des Moines; William, Boone; daughters Amelia, Mary, Sarah and Anna died young.

Amelia married Moses Clauson and lived in Salem, Iowa.

Benjamin died age 9 years.

Harriet married Gerhard Peters, a Civil War Veteran. They and two of their three children lived in New Hope Township and died young. Son, Henry Peters Lived with his Uncle William.

Dan Van Ness (named for Garrett’s Mother) at the age of twelve had land just beyond Grand River in Dodge Township, Section 24, held for him by his older brothers. Fourteen years later Dan went to Agency for his bride, Sarah Fenner, sister of William’s wife. Their children were: Louise Norin, Ritzville, Washington; Herman, Afton; Arthur, Afton; and Benjamin, Afton.

In 1866 Cordelia married George Allen. Their children were: Minor, Plattsmouth, Nebraska; Mercy, Denver, Colorado; Mills, Plattsmouth; Ethel Alstrand, Omaha, Nebraska; Edith Gordon, Omaha; Mabel Comer, Shannon City; and Cora, Omaha. After the death of George Allen, Cordelia married George Ball.

Garrett was a millwright by trade. Locally one of the first grist mills he built was on Grand River on William’s farm on or near the line between New Hope and Dodge Townships.

True Pioneers they were! Born in New York State, they spent later childhood and early marriage in Ohio, and then sixteen years in Southeastern Iowa and Missouri and on to Union County in 1854 to establish homes, break sod, preach the Gospel, found a community, start a cemetery, create schools, construct mills, and build roads.