John Groll Family

Research took the Groll family back to 1599, vital statistics were available only back to 1755. It is interesting to note that the name John or extractions of the name appear in almost every generation of Groll families.

Johann Jakel Groll was born in 1755, and died in 1823. His wife, Magdalene Deckert was born in 1756 and died in 1792. Both were born in GrossIngersheim, Germany. He was a citizen and a farmer.

Their son, John Jakeb Groll, born in 1783, died in 1848, and his wife, Dorothea Mack, born 1787, died 1846, were both born in Ingersheim, Germany. Dorothea for many years was an active midwife in the community.

Their son, Simon Johannes Groll was born in 1816, and died in 1885. His wife, Margarethe Friederike Eckert was born in 1819 and died in 1916. Both were born in Grobingersheim, Germany, in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg, and Simon's occupation was that of a farmer.

Simon Johannes and wife were married in 1841 and sailed in 1852, with their five children, in quest of religious freedom and adventure to the United States of America. All the children were born in Grobingersheim, Germany. The family settled in Marion Township, Henry County, and later moved to Pleasant Township, where they became citizens, purchased land from the government, cleared, improved, and homesteaded the land. Simon lived to be sixty-nine years of age and his widow lived to be ninety-six years of age.

According to the May 29, 1912 Holgate paper, Mrs. Fredericke Groll was the mother of J.C. Groll, a former county treasurer. He was a member of the 107th O.V.I., and fought at Gettysburg and other battles of the Civil War in the vicinity of Washington and Richmond.

Mrs. Groll was born in Germany in 1819, and her father, John Eckert, was a soldier under Napoleon in Russia.

Son, John Conrad Groll, in 1867, married Mary E. Yetter who was born in 1849 and died in 1931. She was the daughter of Jacob Yetter and Mary Hermann Yetter who emigrated to Ohio from Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1850. There were eight children in their family: John Jacob Groll, 1867?

1935; George C. Groll, 1869-1898; Julius D. Groll, 1871-1933; Henry J. Groll, 1873-1874; Amelia Groll Harrison, 1875-1943; Emma Groll Knapp, 18771938; Twins, Mary Groll, 1883-1883 and Martha Groll, 1883-, who now lives at the age of ninety-five years in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

The Groll family homesteaded in Flatrock Township and resided in a log house which had only a heavy curtain at the entrance. This house was on what is now State Route 108 near Holgate, Ohio. The house burned in 1882 and the family was housed in a residence in Holgate until a new house could be built. As the house burned, Grandma Groll went in and brought out the walnut dresser drawer containing all their valuables and this drawer is still in the possession of the family. The home site was moved to the present County Road 14 location, the barn was moved across School Creek in 1873 onto County Road 14 site and remains there today as a century building. The home was partially built in 1884 and rebuilt to the present building in 1906 when electricity was added. Great-Grandmother Groll told of the Indians helping themselves to home made bread when she put it on the window sill to cool, and the aroma floated through the air attracting the attention of the Indians.

J.C. Groll was a thrifty farmer and secured nearly a section of good fertile land. He was instrumental in the building of St. John Lutheran Church and provided the land upon which the present church stands. The church celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1975 and many of the Groll families in the area are faithful members of the church. Mr. Groll farmed this land until 1890 when he was elected county treasurer and served for two terms. At this time the family moved to Napoleon, Ohio.

John J. Groll married Mary E. Armbruster on August 21, 1890. Mary was the daughter of John and Mary Magdalene Moerder Armbruster who were farmers who homesteaded in Flatrock Township. Mary was born in 1866 and died in 1952.

John and Mary lived at the home- place until 1920 when they moved to Holgate and retired. Their five children were Martha Luella, 1891; Walter Conrad, 1894-1967; Robert William, 1895-1924; Raymond Christian, 1902?1953; and Josephine Marie, 1910. All were born at the Groll homestead.

Martha L. married Walter A. Amling on October 26, 1916. He was born in 1892 and died in 1944. He was a florist and roses were his specialty. They spent most of their lives in the Chicago area. Martha has resided in Fort Wayne, Indiana since 1963 and is an active member of Peace Lutheran Church there.

The three Amling children are Hal- lie, born 1917, a graduate of Augustana School of Nursing in Chicago, Aline M. Amling, born 1921, now lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after living twenty years in New York City. John W. Amling, was born in 1924, and lives in Pana, Illinois.

Hallie Amling married Richard Shaw in 1847 and lives in Napoleon, Ohio. Richard was born in 1911. They have four children: Madaline J., born 1947, married Larry Wagner in 1969. Larry was born in 1940. They live in rural Defiance with daughter, Paula D. Wagner, born 1973; Ross W. Shaw was born in 1949 and is a graduate engineer of Valparaiso Indiana University, and lives in rural Napoleon and is employed in the Henry County engineers department. John R. Shaw, born 1952, is presently with Piedmont Airlines and lives in Lynchberg, Virginia. Charles R. Shaw, born 1954, married Mary McWilliams, born 1955, in 1976, and they live in St. Peters, Missouri.

John W. Amling married Ruth Romanger, born 1934, in 1956. John is a veteran of World War II and has been in the green house business since the war and they reside in Pana, Illinois. Their one son, Sam Amling, born 1961, is a high school student in Pana.

Walter C. Groll married Marie K. Uberig, born 1892 in Eichelberg, Germany, in 1916. Marie immigrated to America at the age of eleven and made her home with the George Cruey family who were farmers in Pleasant Township, until her marriage. Walter and Marie took up housekeeping and farming at the Groll farm one mile north of Holgate, where, after sixty- two years, Marie still resides. They had two daughters. Helen P., born 1917, married in 1948, Joseph Pickering, born 1912. Helen graduated from Bowling Green State University and recently retired after twenty-six years of teaching. Joseph was a clerk at General Motors for thirty-three years and is retired. They live in rural Defiance. They have three children: Lynette Pickering, born 1949, graduated from Bluffton College and teaches at Tiffin School of Northeast District, resides in Defiance; Kirk Pickering, born 1951, married in 1972 Mary Jo Gillispie, born 1951. He is employed at General Motors. They have one daughter, Adrianne, born 1975. Brian Pickering, born 1955, is a senior at Bowling Green State University majoring in journalism and communications.

Irma Jean Groll, born 1923, married in 1947 to Hal Elton, born 1923, and now lives in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Hal made the Air Force a career, achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel. He flew many missions in World War II and Vietnam. He is retired. One son, Kim, born 1947, lives in Montgomery, Alabama.

Robert W. Groll married Helen Huber, born 1898, in 1920 and took up residence at the homestead when John J. and Mary retired to Holgate. Four years later he died following abdominal surgery.

Raymond C. Groll, in 1926, married Celeste Wittman, born 1900, died 1958. In 1919, Raymond went to Pana, Illinois, where he worked in greenhouses and later became the proprietor and grew roses. They had two children. Robert George, born 1926, married Dorothy Hardy, born 1929. Robert continued in the greenhouse business in Pana and also has a farm in Flatrock Township, Henry County. They have six children: Robert H., born 1957; Mary C., born 1858; John R., born 1962; Thomas J., born 1963; David M., born 1965; and Stephen C., born 1967.

Mary Gretel Groll, born 1928, was married to Alban J. Schmidt in 1949. He is in the greenhouse business and grows roses. They reside in Berthoud, Colorado. They have seven children: John R., born 1951, lives in Denver, Colorado, and is interested in music; Robert J., born 1952, is an accountant with a restaurant chain, and married on December 17, 1977, and lives in Colorado; David A., born 1954, mar-- ried Debra Biggs in 1973 and lives in Boulder,Colorado; Susan C., born 1955, graduated from Colorado State University and is employed by a company that manages rodeos; Steven T., born 1957, has been working part-time in the greenhouses and going to school part-time; Mary Lisa, born 1961, is in Berthoud High School; Catherine L., born 1966, is a student at Berthoud School.

Josephine M. Groll married Thomas J. Rettig, born 1901, in 1943. She was a graduate of Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in the days when twenty hour duty was done and she assisted with surgery in Indiana towns where it was performed on dining room tables. Tom was a grocer in Holgate for twenty-seven years. Upon retiring they remodeled the old Groll homestead and moved there in 1967. Both are members of St. John Lutheran Church where they were baptized, confirmed and married.

They have two children. Philip N., born 1946, now lives in California. Mary Kay, born 1949, a graduate of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Illinois, teaches at St. John Lutheran School in Freedom Township, Henry County, Ohio. She coaches girls sports and her team won the 1978 girls basketball tournament of the Lutheran League of Northwestern Ohio.

Submitted by: Martha L. Amling and Josephine M. Rettig