Biography - Frank Grosenheider
FRANK GROSENHEIDER, an extensive farmer of South Litchfield Township, Montgomery County, was born in the kingdom of Prussia in 1843. His father, Henry Grosenheider, died when he was but five years old, and thus he was early in life thrown upon his own resources, without the aid of a father's counsel and sympathy. He was one of eight children, four of whom were sons and four daughters. Of these, the following survive: Frank, Henry, Harman; Minnie, a widow, residing in Macoupin County; Annie, the wife of Harman Polman, of Macoupin County; and Laura, the widow of William Claycamp, of South Litchfield Township.
In his native land our subject attended school until he was fourteen years of age, at which time, in 1857, he emigrated to America and settled in Montgomery County, where he obtained work on a farm at a salary of $7 per month. The first $50 that he earned he sent back to the Old Country to bring his mother across the ocean. She spent her last years here and died in 1873, at the age of seventy-three years. Our subject was married in 1863 to Miss Lizzie Ernst, who was a native of the same county as himself. About the time of his marriage he purchased his first eighty acres of land (which are now included in his present large farm), and to the original purchase he added from time to time as opportunity was given him, until he now owns three hundred and twenty acres, all under a high state of cultivation. He has embellished the place with fine buildings, and has there all the modern improvements of a model farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Grosenheider are the parents of eight children, as follows: Minnie, the wife of John Prongie, a farmer in this locality; August, who assists his father on the home farm, and is an energetic and popular young man; Emma, Mrs. Henry Eickmire, who died in the spring of 1892; William, Annie, Sopha, Frankie and Alvina, who are at home, and are receiving good educations. In politics, Mr. Grosenheider is a Republican, and for many years served as Road Commissioner, also filled the position of School Director for seven years. He and his family are members of the Lutheran Church, in which they are active workers.
Extracted 10 Jan 2017 by Norma Hass from 1892 Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery and Bond Counties, Illinois, pages 430-433.
