George Grieser

As printed in 1908

GEORGE GRIESER, a prosperous farmer living on a farm of eighty-three and one-half acres in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio, was l)orn November 8, 1844, in Hessen, Darmstadt, Germany, and is a son of John and Maria (Gearon) Grieser, both of whom died in that country, he at the age of fifty-four years, and she at seventy years. The father followed farming throughout life. They had eight children, as follows: Mark, deceased; John; Margaretta, deceased, who was the wife of John Domesberger; Philip; George; Gertrude, who is the wife of Jacob Gearon; Adam; and Gerhardt. The four youngest of the family came to America, but not at the same time. Mrs. Gearon being the first and George the next to come across the ocean.

George Grieser was reared on a farm in his native province, and there received an excellent education in the public schools. In May, 1872, he left home for America and reached Fort Wayne, Indiana, just three weeks later, to the hour. Crossing on the same steamer was his bride-to-be, Elizabeth Stineman, who came from the same neighborhood, and upon arriving at the home of her brother, in Fort Wayne, they were married. Two weeks later they moved to Clark County, Ohio, where his sister, Mrs. Gearon, lived, and there he worked in a stone quarry for five years. He then rented a farm of 110 acres in German Township, of Samuel Nesser, which he operated for four years, and later, the Henry Snyder place of 200 acres, near Enon, for two years. He next rented 110 acres of Gen. Rust, in Northampton Township, for four years, after which he was again located on the Nessler place for three years. He then conducted the Anna Schooley farm of 160 acres for four years, after which he purchased his present farm of eighty-three acres, on which stands a large brick house. He subsequently added more land and erected good substantial farm buildings. He put up a commodious farm-house containing six large rooms, in which he now lives, and rents the brick residence. He has followed farming and stock-raising in a general way, and has been very successful.

It was in June, 1872, that Mr. Grieser and Elizabeth Stineman were married. She is a daughter of Adam and Eve Elizabeth (Klinger) Stineman, who followed their children to America from Germany, late in life. Mr. Stineman died in Indiana and his wife died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grieser. They were the parents of eight children: Adam, who crossed the Atlantic in 1860, being the first of the family to come to America; Peter, who lives in Germany; Eve Elizabeth; Catherine, who is the wife of Jacob Bowers; John, who died in Indiana; Agnes, who is the wife of Charles Helms; and two who died in childhood.

George Grieser and his estimable wife have also had eight children, namely: Catherine, who died April 20, 1908, was the wife of Adam German, and had three children, Effie, Lena, and Edna; Agnes, who died in 1904, aged twenty-nine years, was the wife of Philip Roder, and left three children, George, Nellie and Florence; John, who married Iva Boyers, has a son, Ralph; Adam, who married Julia Florey, has one child; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Elliott Neese, lives in the State of Washing-ton; Effie, who is the wife of William Parks has two children, Alfred and Edward; George, who is employed as a bookkeeper at Springfield, Ohio, and Margaret, who died in 1906, aged eighteen years. Mr. Grieser is a Republican in politics. Religiously he is a member of St. John's Lutheran Church at Springfield, Ohio.

Mr. Grieser has made his way in the world through hard and persistent effort, assisted only by his faithful wife. Coming to this country with little means, a foreigner, unused to Americans and American methods, it was an uphill fight from the first. Meeting adversity with a brave front, he struggled on until now he is reckoned one of the substantial men of his home community.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.