The GROH Family

The GROH Famly. Two typewritten pages (incomplete) document found in the possessions of my mother Ruby (Anderson) Klamm. Origin unknown. 

During the 1840s. Christoph Groh (b. 1796-d. January 5, 1853), his brother Peter Groh III (b. 1786), and their families over the course of several years immigrated to America from their place of birth Rheingoenheim, Bavaria then under the rule of King Maximilian. Christoph and Peter III were the sons and grandsons of Peter Groh II (b, 1753) and Peter Groh I (b. 1723)  farmers from Rheingoenheim.  They first settled near Parkville, Missouri along the Clay and Platte County line. In 1844, they founded the St. Peter's German Evangelical Church there which lists as charter members Adam Renner, Henry Burixter, Henry Hartman, Fred Hartman, Valentine Filger, Henry Groh, Peter Groh, Daniel Groh, P. Klamm, S. Klanm, together with the wives of all these. Christoph and his son Johann Peter left Rheirgoenheim March 6, 1842 for America. Upon arriving in the Missouri River Valley near Parkville, they discovered that it resembled the valley of the Rhein they had just left.  They soon set about building comfortable homes followed by church and school.. Unfortunately the summer of 1844 was harsh on farmers in the rich bottom lands because both the Kansas and Missouri Rivers flooded. This was followed by much suffering because of malaria and typhoid. In spite of these difficulties, most remained in the Parkville area leaving only when problems over slavery arose in 1854 locating in Buchanan and Atchison counties in Missouri and Doniphan and Leavenworth counties in Kansas.

Peter Groh III married Maria Elizabetha Traenckler. To them were born nine children. Christopher (b. April 22, 1805), Phillip H., Henry, Anna Barbara (b. August 27, 1813), Maria Elizabeth (b. March 12, 1815), Peter IV (b. March 20, 1817), Jacob (b. January 19, 1820), George W. (b. 1822), and Michael (b. July 6, 1831). Germany was reorganised many times in the late 18th and early 19th centuries reducing 300 small principalities to 39 larger ones only four of which were self governing. The remaining 35 were ruled by kings or princes under their own laws. An indication of this is that Rheingoenheim and neighboring Neuhofen within a few years time were under German rule, then French, and German again.  It was considered at one time part of Bavaria, Pfalz, Koenigreich, later Baden, and today Reinland-Pfalz. In 1813, the birth certificate of Anna Barbara was in French. Later ones were in German. On March 6, 1836, Anne Barbara Groh married Joseph Michaei Kirschner (b. December 20, 1808) son of Wilhelm and Katharine Reichart Kirschner. Or December 15 1842, Joseph left for America. The following April 15 Anna Barbara and her youngest brother Michael secured his birth certificate in Neuhofen to depart for America to join the rest of the family. Anna Barbara and Joseph Kirschner lived in St. Joseph, Missouri most of their married lives. She is buried in the King Hill Cemetery. Her brother Phillip became a minister in Leavenworth. County Kansas.

Christoph married Katherine Elizabetha Becker. It is not known for certain how many children was born to then. Christoph lived only ten years in his new homeland and is buried in a small neglected Clay County cemetery along with a Jacob and Peter Groh, Klamms, and other friends and family members from the town of their birth. Their first born was Johann Peter (b. April 15. 1820- D. August 2, 1881). He married Anna Catherine Bolinger (b. April 14. 1829 -d. September 23, 1885) of Scotch ancestry on June 8, 1848 registered in Platte County Missouri. In 1856 after the birth of the first 3 of their ten children, they moved to Nebraska City where their fourth child, Jacob, was born. The following year they settled on one section of prime bottom ground near Wathena, Kansas just vest of St. Joseph. According to the 1865 agriculture census, Peter made 360 gallons of wine and sold ties to the railroad which borders his then heavily wooded land. Today decendants of Peter and his son Jacob still farm this land which grows 10,000 apple trees under the Valley Pride trademark as well as land south of St. Joseph or old 371 highway previously known as the Connett Orchard.

Peter died after only a five-day illness and was attended by his nephew Dr. Peter J. Kirschner, city physician of St. Joseph. Over 400 friends and relatives attended his buriel the first in Belmont Cemetery. His children were: Mary Francis Fetter (b. September, 1849), Adam (b. October 13, 1851 -d. July 31, 1929) married Elizabeth Stuart, Elizabeth Groh (b. February 22, 1854 -d. 1862) m Jacob (b. May 11, 1856 -d. April 16, 1911) married Sarah Jane Stuart, Lucinda Jane Miller (b. October 2, 1858 -d.February 26, 1885), Peter Joseph (b. February 8, 1861 -d. October 10, 1930) married first Clara Freda Ritschard and later Ethel, Charles (b. February 1, 1863 -d. January 11, 1920) married Bertha McPherson, Nancy Ellen