Marx, Michael 1854-1906 & Mary Block Family

MARX, BLOCK, REUTER, REMACLE

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/19/2026 at 18:19:19

Marx, Michael 1854-1906 and Mary Block Family

This biography of the Michael Marx family was taken from a family story in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church book of Granville Iowa pages143-144. It was further researched and composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

The full narrative including additions to the church book story were made from various sources including records from the web site www.iagenweb.org/sioux; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com records and ancestry’s public member trees, Find A Grave index, internet searches and various local archives. Additions by the submitter to the family story from St. Joseph’s book are noted in parenthesis ( ).

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may vary from one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source. Family data taken from ancestry.com public member trees is subject to the submitter of data to ancestry.com and was not fully verified by this submitter.

The Michael Marx Story from the St. Joseph’s church book page 143-144.

Michael Marx was born March 4, 1854 in Luxemburg, Europe. He was married to Mary block, also born in Luxemburg, on January 12. 1855. They came to the United States in 1883 and settled in Granville. Mrs. Marx’s family, the John Block’s, had come in 1880. Michael was the only one of his family to leave Luxemburg. He was a carpenter. The family’s two older children were born in Luxemburg and the rest in Granville. (This submitter did a BIOS on the John Block family on this web page.)

John Marx was born on November 23, 1880. When he was around nine he was struck by lightening in a building under construction to be used for a creamer. He had a complete recovery. He played with the Ringling Brothers Circus Band for one year. After completing a course in Dairy industry at Iowa State College, Ames, John operated creameries in Hospers, George and Rockwell City, Iowa and also one in Lismore, Minnesota. He married Dora Hildahl in Lismore, Minnesota on October 24, 1905. John died in Brandon, South Dakota on August 30, 1966 and is buried in Lismore, Minnesota. (Find a Grave lists children as Melvin Orval Marx 1907-2000, Beatrice May Marx 1909-1967, Verland Jerome Marx 1916-1951, and Dorothy Julaine Marx 1924-2013.)

Mat (Martin) Marx was born on February 24, 1882. He was married to Grace Bowers on August 18, 1920. Mat, a carpenter, lived almost all his life in Granville and built around a dozen homes in town in addition to many other homes and buildings in the area. He lived in the parental Marx home until his death on Jun 25, 1981 at the age of 99. He is buried in the Paullina cemetery. He was the oldest resident at the time of his death. (no children listed in Grace’s obit)

Theresa was born August 11, 1883. She worked in the Schwebach General Store in Granville for the Lincoln family in Alton, and Mrs. Nick Klein in Granville where she died on February 26. 1936 at the age of 53. She is buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery.

Mary was born May 31, 1885 and worked for the Vosburg family before her marriage to Fred Colling on February 26, 1908 at Remsen. They lived in rural Remsen and came to Granville in 1913. In 1942 they retired to town and she lived there until her death on February 24, 1965. The last six months she was cared for by her daughter, Catherine Haverkamp, in her home in Remsen. She is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. (See her obit on this web page)

Christina, born October 28, 1886, spent most of her life as a housekeeper. She was employed by Mrs. Walburga List and Mrs. Max Thorman of Granville, Tony Meis of Le Mars, Father Benjamin in Struble, Father Jerome Koening in Sutherland and Auburn, and Mr. and Mrs. Schissel in Cherokee. Christina made her home with Mrs. Cordelia DeRocher in Le Mars for twenty years and spent the remaining two and one half years at the Happy Siesta Nursing home in Remsen. She died there on February 24, 1985 at the age of 98. She is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. (See her obituary on this web page.)

Nick was born April 10, 1888. He was married to Marie Krahling on February 4, 1943 in Sheldon. They farmed near Ashton where he died on July 15, 1959. He is buried in Ashton, Zion Cemetery, Dale Township. (According to Find A Grave his children were – Donald M. Max 1916-1931, and Eleanor M. Marx Wilson 1918-2006.)

Josephine was born on October 13, 1890 and married John Bradley. They farmed at Shenandoah, Iowa where she died on July 28, 1968 ( from Find A Grave - buried Shenandoah, IA. Children Cathryn Bradley 1915-1972, Marx Francis Bradley 1924-2003, John H. Bradley 1926-1984.)

Henry was born May 31, 1894. He enlisted in the Marines on February 13, 1918 during World War 1. He was killed in action on November 10, 1918. The American Legion Post bears his name. A diary which he had kept during his service was found in a hay loft near Arlon, Belgium and given to an Iowa soldier during World War 11. It was finally traced back to the Marx family on 1963. After the death of Mat Marx in 1981 it was given to the youngest sister, Mrs. Anna Gaul of Hawarden. Henry was brought back for burial in 1920 or 1921 in St. Joseph cemetery. (See his obituary on this web page)

Mike Marx was born on June 11, 1896 and also served in World War I. After this return he went to Lewistown, Montana and moved to Portland, Oregon in 1920. Mike, a carpenter, died on November 15, 1966 and is buried in Portland.

Anna (C. Marx)was born on January 29, 1899 and was six months old when her mother died. She lived in the Willaim Jentges home. She married Ferd Gaul on November 22, 1921 and lived in Granville until 1935. They moved to Chatsworth and then to Hawarden where she died on June 30, 1985 and is buried there. (See her obit on this web page. Children were - Charles of Colorado Springs, CO, Milo of St. Paul, MM, Ray of Scranton, and James of Sergeant Bluff; three daughters, Penny Andriesen, Lois Heeren and Bernice Badel, all of Hawarden).

Mrs. Mars died on July 8, 1899 and Mr. Marx died on August 10, 1906. Both are buried in st. Joseph Cemetery.

( end of the story from the St. Joseph’s church book.)

RESEARCH Notes:
Michael Marx was born March 4, 1854 in Luxembourg, Europe. His parents were Peter Petrus Marx/Marks 1825-1903 and Anna Margaret Reuter 1829-1896 . He was married to Mary Block, also born in Luxembourg, on January 12. 1855 and died 13 Aug 1906 Granville, IA. They came to the United States in 1883 and settled in Granville. Mrs. Marx’s family, the John Block’s, had come in 1880. Michael was the only one of his family to leave Luxemburg. Michael Marx married Mary Block.

Mary Block was born in Luxembourg January 12, 1855 Harlange, Canton de Wiltz, Diekirch, Luxembourg died 8 July 1899 Sioux County IA buried in St. Josephs Cemetery Granville IA. Her parents were Johan ‘John’ Block 3 Nov 1823 Curre, de Wiltz, Diekirch, Luxembourg and died 10 Feb 1915 Hospers, Sioux, IA buried St. Joseph Cem Granville IA and Marie Francoise Remacle born 23 Feb 1836 Harlange, Canton de Wiltz, Diekirch, Luxembourg and died 29 Jun 1894 Granville IA buried St. Joseph’s cemetery. See the BIOS on this web page for the story of John Block and Marie Remacle. Their children are listed in the above story from the St. Joseph’s church book, with a few additions by the compiler.

If anyone has any early family stories to share along with this BIOS contact our page coordinator.

The photo of the Marx family is from the St. Joseph Church Book page 143.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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