13,610
edits
Changes
no edit summary
George Gruen and his wife [[Freda L. Malan Gruen]] were associated with the exclusive brethren in Illinois and Kansas.
=Family=
George was born on Nov. 29th, 1874 in Saline township, Madison County, [[Illinois]], which is today part of metropolitan St. Louis. Saline Township includes most of Grantfork, parts of Pierron, and the northern part of Highland, the latter of which is the origin of several exclusive brethren assemblies, of which there is no present meeting. However, one of the Highland meetings, a Grant meeting, merged with the Booth brethren, then in the 1940's with the Ames brethren, and there is a continued Ames meeting in nearby Edwardsville, in the same county. More related history to be found at [[Highland Meeting Room, IL]].
George's parents were John and Linoma Elizabeth (Lembach ) Gruen, and he was one of twelve children. ==Ancestry=====Father===John was born on Jan. 12, 1840 in Bad Kreuznach, West-Central Germany as Johann Grun, and died June 12, 1905 in Highland, Illinois. He married Elizabeth Lembach on July 17, 1862 at the home of his parents near Highland. He was the eldest of sixteen children. John's parents were Caspar Grun (b. 1817) and Susanna Lang Grun (d. 1887). Rev. Humphrey officiated John's funeral. The deputy coroner was Adolph Koch, and the jury that decided his cause of death (apoplexy) was comprised of: Emanuel Winter, W. Schwarz, F. Frederich, Charles Hoefle, F. Blumer and Charles Schwend. Unknown if any Brethren, but the Winter family has been in leadership within the present Highland assembly for many years. * Caspar's parents were Johann Peter Grun (1771-1839) and Susanna Elizabeth Graeff Grun (1779-1832). ** Johann Peter Grun was lived his entire life in Bretzenheim, Bad Kreuznach, Germany, and his parents were Johann Christoph Grun (1738-1809) and Christina Barbara Ellenberger Grun (d. 1793). ===Mother===Elizabeth was born Aug. 1, 1844 in Switzerland, and may have also been known as Linoma. Her family had emigrated to Highland, [[Illinois]] '''1845-1846'''. She died Aug. 12, 1918 in Christian County, Illinois. She was the daughter of John G. Lembach (b. 1808 Switz.), a farmer, and Elizabeth D. Lembach (b. 1809 Switz.). Elizabeth had three younger siblings, all born in Highland, IL: * Dora Lembach (b. 1846)* Charles Lembach (b. 1850 - d. 1887 Erie, Neosho County, KS)** m. Anna Muller (b. 1848 Smithton, MO - d. 1921 Neosho County, KS), dau. of Cord Muller (b. 1815 Fischerhude, Niedersachsen, Germany - d. 1888 Smithton, MO) & Gretje Muller (b. 1815 Wilstedt, Niedersachsen, Germany - d. 1870 St. Clair County, MO); * Anna Lembach (b. 1858) ==Siblings==* Mary Gruen* John Gruen* Louisa Gruen* Pauline Gruen* Charles Gruen* Edward Gruen* Emma. E. Gruen* Anna S. Gruen* Mathilda R. Gruen ==Marriage====Children== * Bertha Gruen married Alfred Baseler, a leading brother among the Kelly-Continental brethren (Reunited Brethren) who was instrumental in merging his group with the Glanton Brethren in the early 1970's. * Timothy G. Gruen (1914-1992) m. Lola Mae Cormack (1915-2004); served @ First Baptist of Dickinson County;** Donald C. Gruen (1949-1951)** Ronald Eugene Gruen (1947-'''2020''') m. Vicki L. Persinger; Three children;** T. Lee Gruen served as an elder 1970's-1980's at [[Grace and Truth Gospel Chapel, KS|Grace and Truth Gospel Chapel]], an open brethren assembly near Abilene, [[Kansas]], and in respected lay leadership at Community Bible Church of Abilene from the 1990's thru present day. Three children; 1st wife: Libby Wade (b. 1945 Great Bend, KS - d. 1990 Abilene, KS) who was also in fellowship at Grace and Truth.
=Later Years=
George's later years were spent in an area of Erie, [[Pennsylvania]] known as Harborcreek. He died at the age of 82 on Dec. 16, 1956 at the Heaster Convalescent Home in Conneautville, Crawford, [[Pennsylvania]], where he resided the final six months of his life.
==Frank B. Tompkinson==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_Township,_Madison_County,_Illinois Madison County wiki]
* [https://www.ancestry.com Ancestry.com]
* '''The Brethren Since 1870 and other Papers''' by W.R. Dronsfield. p. 32, etc.