GrofBio

Sumbitted by Cliff Groff ([email protected])
FREDERICK GROF Frederick, the eldest son of Johannes and Johanna Graf, adopted the name Grof. He became a teacher at an early age being trained by Jost J. and Joseph J. Stutzman which was then considered equal to college training. During the civil war he became a member of Company B of the 54th regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers and participated in numerous battles including New Market, Piedmont, Snicker's Gap, Winchester and Lynchburg. He was taken prisoner at Paw Paw, West Virginia October 5, 1862, and spent two months in Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia before being paroled. He served from 1861 to 1863. After the war, he took partnership in the grocery business in Stoystown and also took charge of the Stoystown Public Schools where he continued as a teacher until 1878. While in Stoystown, he met and married Catherine Brubaker, direct descendant of Captain Phillip Cable, captain of Brothers Valley Co. Rangers during the Revolutionary war. In 1878 Frederick was offered the Democratic Nomination for State Senator and successfully won and served one term. After this, he returned to Meyersdale as principal and teacher. Except for a short time in Altoona in the Grocery business, he lived the remainder of his life in Meyersdale where he died of Brights Disease in 1896. SIMON GROF Simon was born about 1845. He married a woman whose given name was Merriam W. At the time of the 1870 census, Simon is living in Stoystown working as a shoemaker. Simon and Merriam have six children: Vivian May, Montgomery, Thaddeus, Flavius, Maggie Edna, and Laura. The 1876 Beer's Atlas shows his house at the upper end of the main street and what is presumed to be his shop down in the middle of town. Simon is known to have eventually settled in Pittsburgh. But little information is known of his life there. It is possible he lived in Confluence for some time since there is a Simon Groff listed as a past burgess of that boro.

Sumbitted by Cliff Groff
([email protected])

FREDERICK GROF
Frederick, the eldest son of Johannes and Johanna Graf, adopted the name Grof. He became a teacher at an early age being trained by Jost J. and Joseph J. Stutzman which was then considered equal to college training. During the civil war he became a member of Company B of the 54th regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers and participated in numerous battles including New Market, Piedmont, Snicker's Gap, Winchester and Lynchburg. He was taken prisoner at Paw Paw, West Virginia October 5, 1862, and spent two months in Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia before being paroled. He served from 1861 to 1863. After the war, he took partnership in the grocery business in Stoystown and also took charge of the Stoystown Public Schools where he continued as a teacher until 1878. While in Stoystown, he met and married Catherine Brubaker, direct descendant of Captain Phillip Cable, captain of Brothers Valley Co. Rangers during the Revolutionary war. In 1878 Frederick was offered the Democratic Nomination for State Senator and successfully won and served one term. After this, he returned to Meyersdale as principal and teacher. Except for a short time in Altoona in the Grocery business, he lived the remainder of his life in Meyersdale where he died of Brights Disease in 1896.

SIMON GROF
Simon was born about 1845. He married a woman whose given name was Merriam W. At the time of the 1870 census, Simon is living in Stoystown working as a shoemaker. Simon and Merriam have six children: Vivian May, Montgomery, Thaddeus, Flavius, Maggie Edna, and Laura. The 1876 Beer's Atlas shows his house at the upper end of the main street and what is presumed to be his shop down in the middle of town.

Simon is known to have eventually settled in Pittsburgh. But little information is known of his life there. It is possible he lived in Confluence for some time since there is a Simon Groff listed as a past burgess of that boro.