Home Builder John Gruman Dead; Was 80
TWO RIVERS -- John Gruman, 80, widely known retired home builder, whose firm he headed erected scores of dwellings in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa in the late twenties and early thirties, and who was a nephew of the late Joseph Koening, one of the founders of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, died early Sunday morning at his home on Rt. 2, Two Rivers, just north of the city.
Mr. Gruman, a former member of the City Council and a member of one of the earliest Two Rivers families, had been ailing with a heart condition for the past year. He had been about until three weeks ago when he last attended a rehearsal of the Freier Saengerbund at Manitowoc.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Klein & Stangel Inc., Funeral Home, Two Rivers, the Rev. Frederic Zarling officiating. Interment will be in Pioneers Rest Cemetery, Two Rivers.
John Gruman was born in the city of Two Rivers on Sept. 15, 1873, a son of the late John and Mary (Koenig) Gruman. Attending the local public schools he left the city as a young man and learned the carpentry trade at Indianapolis, Ind. Several years later he entered the building trade at Seattle, Wash., returning to his home in the early 1890’s.
In 1898 he left with a group of Two Rivers young men for the Yukon area in Alaska to prospect for gold. Returning from the Yukon three years later he moved with his family to Cavour, Forest Co., in 1915, where he operated a farm until about 1925. That year, his son, Harold Gruman, now a construction engineer for the Sinclair Oil company, living in Atlanta, Ga., joined his father in the operation of a home building firm in Milwaukee County. For nearly eight years the father and son built scores of homes in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
He retired from home building when the depression struck the nation and returned to Cavour where he resided until several years ago, when he and Mrs. Gruman returned to their native home here. Despite his advanced age he built a stone residence a mile north of the city where had lived in retirement since.
Surviving Mr. Gruman are his wife, the former Lena Sonntag, whom he married in Two Rivers in 1896, four daughters, Mrs. Esther Bull of Milwaukee, Mrs. Mildred Popp of Crandon, Mrs. Ruth Raasch of Wauwatosa and Miss Grace Gruman of Madison; three sons, Harold of Atlanta, Helmuth of Two Rivers, and John Gruman, Jr., of Tomah; three brothers, Albert of Laona, Wis., Fred of Cavour and Stephen Gruman of Two Rivers; 12 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
For many years Mr. Gruman retained his affiliation with the Freier-Saengerbund at Manitowoc. He also served as an alderman in the city’s Fourth Ward for a term in 1914. Friends may call at the funeral home until the times of services.
Published in The Manitowoc Herald Times, Manitowoc, Wis., 19 Apr. 1954, page 13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John died of arterio sclerosis due to myocardial degeneration; was buried there at Pioneers Rest Cemetery on 20 April 1954 [Manitowoc Co. VR, Births, vol. 4, p. 227; Manitowoc Co. VR, Deaths, vol. 47, p. 371; Two Rivers Bur. Rec. 636].
John married Carolina M. SONTAG, on 24 October 1896, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin [Manitowoc Co. Marriage Index, v. 6, p. 378; Her Obituary, Manitowoc Herald Times-Two Rivers Reporter, Fri. 28 February 1964, Page 3, Col. 3].
At Two Rivers, John and Carolina had 11 children; 3 of whom died as infants.
John and his family were enumerated in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin.
They removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by December 1926 [Obituary of his father]. They moved to Cavour, Wisconsin, in 1928 to farm.
John, Lena and their children Helmuth and Ruth were enumerated at Caswell, Forest Co., Wisconsin in 1930 where John and Helmuth were general farmers [1930 US Census, index, online].
John and Lena returned to Two Rivers, in 1947.
TWO RIVERS -- John Gruman, 80, widely known retired home builder, whose firm he headed erected scores of dwellings in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa in the late twenties and early thirties, and who was a nephew of the late Joseph Koening, one of the founders of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, died early Sunday morning at his home on Rt. 2, Two Rivers, just north of the city.
Mr. Gruman, a former member of the City Council and a member of one of the earliest Two Rivers families, had been ailing with a heart condition for the past year. He had been about until three weeks ago when he last attended a rehearsal of the Freier Saengerbund at Manitowoc.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Klein & Stangel Inc., Funeral Home, Two Rivers, the Rev. Frederic Zarling officiating. Interment will be in Pioneers Rest Cemetery, Two Rivers.
John Gruman was born in the city of Two Rivers on Sept. 15, 1873, a son of the late John and Mary (Koenig) Gruman. Attending the local public schools he left the city as a young man and learned the carpentry trade at Indianapolis, Ind. Several years later he entered the building trade at Seattle, Wash., returning to his home in the early 1890’s.
In 1898 he left with a group of Two Rivers young men for the Yukon area in Alaska to prospect for gold. Returning from the Yukon three years later he moved with his family to Cavour, Forest Co., in 1915, where he operated a farm until about 1925. That year, his son, Harold Gruman, now a construction engineer for the Sinclair Oil company, living in Atlanta, Ga., joined his father in the operation of a home building firm in Milwaukee County. For nearly eight years the father and son built scores of homes in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
He retired from home building when the depression struck the nation and returned to Cavour where he resided until several years ago, when he and Mrs. Gruman returned to their native home here. Despite his advanced age he built a stone residence a mile north of the city where had lived in retirement since.
Surviving Mr. Gruman are his wife, the former Lena Sonntag, whom he married in Two Rivers in 1896, four daughters, Mrs. Esther Bull of Milwaukee, Mrs. Mildred Popp of Crandon, Mrs. Ruth Raasch of Wauwatosa and Miss Grace Gruman of Madison; three sons, Harold of Atlanta, Helmuth of Two Rivers, and John Gruman, Jr., of Tomah; three brothers, Albert of Laona, Wis., Fred of Cavour and Stephen Gruman of Two Rivers; 12 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
For many years Mr. Gruman retained his affiliation with the Freier-Saengerbund at Manitowoc. He also served as an alderman in the city’s Fourth Ward for a term in 1914. Friends may call at the funeral home until the times of services.
Published in The Manitowoc Herald Times, Manitowoc, Wis., 19 Apr. 1954, page 13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John died of arterio sclerosis due to myocardial degeneration; was buried there at Pioneers Rest Cemetery on 20 April 1954 [Manitowoc Co. VR, Births, vol. 4, p. 227; Manitowoc Co. VR, Deaths, vol. 47, p. 371; Two Rivers Bur. Rec. 636].
John married Carolina M. SONTAG, on 24 October 1896, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin [Manitowoc Co. Marriage Index, v. 6, p. 378; Her Obituary, Manitowoc Herald Times-Two Rivers Reporter, Fri. 28 February 1964, Page 3, Col. 3].
At Two Rivers, John and Carolina had 11 children; 3 of whom died as infants.
John and his family were enumerated in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin.
They removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by December 1926 [Obituary of his father]. They moved to Cavour, Wisconsin, in 1928 to farm.
John, Lena and their children Helmuth and Ruth were enumerated at Caswell, Forest Co., Wisconsin in 1930 where John and Helmuth were general farmers [1930 US Census, index, online].
John and Lena returned to Two Rivers, in 1947.
Home Builder John Gruman Dead; Was 80
TWO RIVERS -- John Gruman, 80, widely known retired home builder, whose firm he headed erected scores of dwellings in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa in the late twenties and early thirties, and who was a nephew of the late Joseph Koening, one of the founders of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, died early Sunday morning at his home on Rt. 2, Two Rivers, just north of the city.
Mr. Gruman, a former member of the City Council and a member of one of the earliest Two Rivers families, had been ailing with a heart condition for the past year. He had been about until three weeks ago when he last attended a rehearsal of the Freier Saengerbund at Manitowoc.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Klein & Stangel Inc., Funeral Home, Two Rivers, the Rev. Frederic Zarling officiating. Interment will be in Pioneers Rest Cemetery, Two Rivers.
John Gruman was born in the city of Two Rivers on Sept. 15, 1873, a son of the late John and Mary (Koenig) Gruman. Attending the local public schools he left the city as a young man and learned the carpentry trade at Indianapolis, Ind. Several years later he entered the building trade at Seattle, Wash., returning to his home in the early 1890’s.
In 1898 he left with a group of Two Rivers young men for the Yukon area in Alaska to prospect for gold. Returning from the Yukon three years later he moved with his family to Cavour, Forest Co., in 1915, where he operated a farm until about 1925. That year, his son, Harold Gruman, now a construction engineer for the Sinclair Oil company, living in Atlanta, Ga., joined his father in the operation of a home building firm in Milwaukee County. For nearly eight years the father and son built scores of homes in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
He retired from home building when the depression struck the nation and returned to Cavour where he resided until several years ago, when he and Mrs. Gruman returned to their native home here. Despite his advanced age he built a stone residence a mile north of the city where had lived in retirement since.
Surviving Mr. Gruman are his wife, the former Lena Sonntag, whom he married in Two Rivers in 1896, four daughters, Mrs. Esther Bull of Milwaukee, Mrs. Mildred Popp of Crandon, Mrs. Ruth Raasch of Wauwatosa and Miss Grace Gruman of Madison; three sons, Harold of Atlanta, Helmuth of Two Rivers, and John Gruman, Jr., of Tomah; three brothers, Albert of Laona, Wis., Fred of Cavour and Stephen Gruman of Two Rivers; 12 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
For many years Mr. Gruman retained his affiliation with the Freier-Saengerbund at Manitowoc. He also served as an alderman in the city’s Fourth Ward for a term in 1914. Friends may call at the funeral home until the times of services.
Published in The Manitowoc Herald Times, Manitowoc, Wis., 19 Apr. 1954, page 13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John died of arterio sclerosis due to myocardial degeneration; was buried there at Pioneers Rest Cemetery on 20 April 1954 [Manitowoc Co. VR, Births, vol. 4, p. 227; Manitowoc Co. VR, Deaths, vol. 47, p. 371; Two Rivers Bur. Rec. 636].
John married Carolina M. SONTAG, on 24 October 1896, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin [Manitowoc Co. Marriage Index, v. 6, p. 378; Her Obituary, Manitowoc Herald Times-Two Rivers Reporter, Fri. 28 February 1964, Page 3, Col. 3].
At Two Rivers, John and Carolina had 11 children; 3 of whom died as infants.
John and his family were enumerated in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin.
They removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by December 1926 [Obituary of his father]. They moved to Cavour, Wisconsin, in 1928 to farm.
John, Lena and their children Helmuth and Ruth were enumerated at Caswell, Forest Co., Wisconsin in 1930 where John and Helmuth were general farmers [1930 US Census, index, online].
John and Lena returned to Two Rivers, in 1947.
TWO RIVERS -- John Gruman, 80, widely known retired home builder, whose firm he headed erected scores of dwellings in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa in the late twenties and early thirties, and who was a nephew of the late Joseph Koening, one of the founders of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, died early Sunday morning at his home on Rt. 2, Two Rivers, just north of the city.
Mr. Gruman, a former member of the City Council and a member of one of the earliest Two Rivers families, had been ailing with a heart condition for the past year. He had been about until three weeks ago when he last attended a rehearsal of the Freier Saengerbund at Manitowoc.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Klein & Stangel Inc., Funeral Home, Two Rivers, the Rev. Frederic Zarling officiating. Interment will be in Pioneers Rest Cemetery, Two Rivers.
John Gruman was born in the city of Two Rivers on Sept. 15, 1873, a son of the late John and Mary (Koenig) Gruman. Attending the local public schools he left the city as a young man and learned the carpentry trade at Indianapolis, Ind. Several years later he entered the building trade at Seattle, Wash., returning to his home in the early 1890’s.
In 1898 he left with a group of Two Rivers young men for the Yukon area in Alaska to prospect for gold. Returning from the Yukon three years later he moved with his family to Cavour, Forest Co., in 1915, where he operated a farm until about 1925. That year, his son, Harold Gruman, now a construction engineer for the Sinclair Oil company, living in Atlanta, Ga., joined his father in the operation of a home building firm in Milwaukee County. For nearly eight years the father and son built scores of homes in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
He retired from home building when the depression struck the nation and returned to Cavour where he resided until several years ago, when he and Mrs. Gruman returned to their native home here. Despite his advanced age he built a stone residence a mile north of the city where had lived in retirement since.
Surviving Mr. Gruman are his wife, the former Lena Sonntag, whom he married in Two Rivers in 1896, four daughters, Mrs. Esther Bull of Milwaukee, Mrs. Mildred Popp of Crandon, Mrs. Ruth Raasch of Wauwatosa and Miss Grace Gruman of Madison; three sons, Harold of Atlanta, Helmuth of Two Rivers, and John Gruman, Jr., of Tomah; three brothers, Albert of Laona, Wis., Fred of Cavour and Stephen Gruman of Two Rivers; 12 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
For many years Mr. Gruman retained his affiliation with the Freier-Saengerbund at Manitowoc. He also served as an alderman in the city’s Fourth Ward for a term in 1914. Friends may call at the funeral home until the times of services.
Published in The Manitowoc Herald Times, Manitowoc, Wis., 19 Apr. 1954, page 13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John died of arterio sclerosis due to myocardial degeneration; was buried there at Pioneers Rest Cemetery on 20 April 1954 [Manitowoc Co. VR, Births, vol. 4, p. 227; Manitowoc Co. VR, Deaths, vol. 47, p. 371; Two Rivers Bur. Rec. 636].
John married Carolina M. SONTAG, on 24 October 1896, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin [Manitowoc Co. Marriage Index, v. 6, p. 378; Her Obituary, Manitowoc Herald Times-Two Rivers Reporter, Fri. 28 February 1964, Page 3, Col. 3].
At Two Rivers, John and Carolina had 11 children; 3 of whom died as infants.
John and his family were enumerated in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin.
They removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by December 1926 [Obituary of his father]. They moved to Cavour, Wisconsin, in 1928 to farm.
John, Lena and their children Helmuth and Ruth were enumerated at Caswell, Forest Co., Wisconsin in 1930 where John and Helmuth were general farmers [1930 US Census, index, online].
John and Lena returned to Two Rivers, in 1947.
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
