Frederick Greif
Frederick Bernard William Greif, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising in Washington township, is a native of Germany, having been bom in Langwarden, Oldenburg, on the 6th of November, 1857.
His parents, Dietrick and Sophia Vocke, spent their entire lives in the fatherland, where the father was a farmer. In the family were seven children, but only four survive: William, now a farmer in Floresville, Texas; Frederick B. W., our subject; Mary, the wife of William Bruns, of Shiner, Texas; and Minnie, the wife of Bernard Meentzen, of Germany.
Mr. Greif of this review had his last name changed from Vocke to Greif after coming to this country by the court at Denison. He acquired his education in his native country, after which he engaged in farming there until 1887, when he decided to become a citizen of the United States. Upon his arrival in America he first located at Defiance, Shelby county, this state, where he worked as a farm hand for two years, after which he farmed as a renter and later came to Crawford county. He bought eighty acres of land in Denison township, upon which he resided for five years , and then sold and moved to one hundred and sixty acres on section 31 of the same township. After selling the latter place he bought eighty acres in Washington township, which he cultivated for two years. On disposing of it, he bought one hundred and twenty acres on sections 10 and 11, Washington township, where he is now engaged in general farming and stock-raising.
In 1882, five years before emigrating to the United States, Mr. Greif was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Janssen, also a native of Oldenburg, and they have become the parents of one child, Deitrich, who has never married and lives on a farm one mile north of the homestead. They also have adopted a child, Hattie May Steward, who is now attending school.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Greif are of the Lutheran faith, while politically he affiliates with the republican party. Although he has never aspired to public honors or the emoluments of office, Mr. Greif served two years as road supervisor. He is a thrifty, hard-working man, and by means of his energy and close application has met with a fair degree of success during his residence in this country.
Source: History of Crawford County, Iowa. Vol. II. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911.