52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #23 John Grossmick

John Grossmick

John was born on 22 July 1870 in Stockton Twp., Camden Co.,  New Jersey to Frederick and Maria Grossmick.  The 1880 census still lists their residence in Stockton. Gopsill's Philadelphia City Directory showed John and his brother Henry running a wine business in Philadelphia. They reportedly ran a bar on John or Johnson St. in Philadelphia, PA. On 27 Sept 1893 John married Stella M Van Doren in Camden, NJ. In 1900 they lived on Main St. in Cramer Hill, Camden City, Camden Co., NJ. At this time John was a day laborer. They had several children by this time, Lester, Clara, and Florence.  In 1910 he was an oil wagon driver for the Electric Light Oil Co. and they lived at 924 N. 26^th St., in Camden. There had been a fire at the oil company on 1 May 1901. John was seriously burned about the head, face and hands and was taken to Cooper Hospital when he tried to stop the progress of the fire. They had moved to 1032 N. 25^th St. by 1930. At this time he was a laborer in the ship yard. John died on 15 Mar 1926 in Cooper Hospital, Camden. He was buried in New Camden Cemetery.

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #20 John Wiedrich

John Wiedrich

I have a picture of my great grandparents John H. and Sarah Wiedrich on the wall in my living room. I

John and Sarah Wiedrich

love that picture because they look like such a cute couple and full of mischievous fun. I was fortunate that I knew Sarah since she lived to be 100-yrs-old, but John died before I was born.

He was born 14 Sept 1857 in Stafford, Genesee Co., NY to Henry and Margaret Elizabeth (Ditman) Wiedrich. HIs parents were born in Alsace and Prussia making him a first generation American. By 1860 the family lived in Elba where he attended school. By 1875 he had moved to Pembroke and back to Elba by the 1880 census.

On 8 Mar 1896 he married Sarah Angeline (Corsett) Walworth, a widow who had a farm in Pembroke. In 1910 they left the farm and went to live in Batavia, NY. There he worked as a fireman and woodworker for the Wiand Plow farm implement factory. At times he served as a constable and inspector of elections.

During the difficult 1930s depression years he would often cut firewood with his son Edward, my grandfather. I often heard the story of how my grandfather would often tell him to stop wearing a baggy old sweater when they cut but he wouldn’t listen. Then one day when they were out in the woods his sweater caught in the chain saw and it cut his arm almost entirely off. My grandfather used a belt to make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and get him to the hospital. The arm couldn’t be saved. After that he was very resourceful strapping whatever tool he needed to use to his arm stump and completing the task.

He died on 2 Jun 1942 and was buried in Maple Lawn Cemetery in Elba, NY. He and Sarah had seven children, Edward, Lydia, Helen, Chester, Bertha, James and John.

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