Bell Family History

Other Family Lines

Mary (Croteau) and John Blair

Rose (Blair) Bell’s parents, Mary (Croteau) and John Blair, were born in French Canada (most likely the province of Quebec).

Further research needs to be done to determine when they immigrated to Minnesota, where the family lived in French Canada, when they arrived there, and where they lived prior to French Canada.

Blair Family Name:

The name Blair is of Scottish origin. It is also a prominent surname in Ireland.
Irish Blairs are primarily descended from Scots who settled in Northern Ireland in earlier centuries. Many moved on to the U.S. and the British Commonwealth, where they are found today, and were known as Scotch-Irish.
The Blair surname is of great antiquity, first appearing in Scotland in the 12th and early 13th centuries. The "word" Blair is strongly believed to be territorial in origin, being derived from the Gaelic "Blar" which signifies a field clear of woods or a battlefield.
For further information see: http://blairsociety.org/history.htm

Croteau Family Name:

The Croteau name is French in origin.
The majority of all Croteau / Crotteau descendants in Canada and the USA have come from a Vincent Croteau (b:1647) who was born in St. Martin de Veules, Archdiocese of Rouen, Normandy, France. He immigrated to New France, (Upper Canada) now Quebec, Canada in 1665 or 1666. He resided in the village of Cap-Rouge, St. Foy, Sillery, Quebec and St. Antoine de Tilly, Quebec.
The surname CROTEAU appears to be locational in origin, and is believed to be associated with the French, meaning, “one who came from, or lived near a slope or a small hill.” Other interpretations have been derived from those have "tended to the graveyards” in France. The majority of the family are farmers or worked in the lumber industry in some capacity. Many ancestors are poor and did not have a full education until the early 1900's.
For further information see: http://ca.geocities.com/pdcroteau/history.htm

Theresa (Gritz) and John Gromotka

Mabel (Gromotka) Bell’s parents, Theresa (Gritz) and John Gromotka were both born in Minnesota.

Her grandparents on both the Gromotka and Gritz side were born in German Poland, between 1826 and 1832 (Gromotka) and 1843-47 (Gritz). Both emmigrated from German Poland between 1874 and 1880. According to rootsweb.com, “In 1864, Poland was non-existent as a country. The territory that was once known as Poland was controlled by Prussia, East Prussia, Russia and Hungary.”

Map showing Poland’s modern day borders overlaid on 1864 map.

Source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~atpc/heritage/history/historic-geography.html#regions

The census records for our Gromotka and Gritz ancestors say they were from German Poland or from Germany. The early immigrant's native language was Polish. It is not clear from what part of Poland or German Poland they immigrated, but since they noted Germany it is most likely that part of Poland currently part of Germany or previously part of Prussia. Further research is required.

In researching Polish ancestors it is important to understand what the boundaries of Poland were at a given period in time. Poland's geography has been redefined many times. Unless you understand these basic changes, it can be confusing to understand why your Polish ancestors who immigrated to another country would declare their country as; Germany, Prussia, East Prussia, Russia, Austria or Hungary. Our ancestors’ answers were politically correct, but it did not necessarily reveal their ethnic origin. They were of Polish descent, but they were caught up in the boundary changes associated with Poland's political history. They lived in an area that was not longer under Poland's control. In certain periods of history, Poland didn't even exist as a country.

Source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~atpc/heritage/history/historic-geography.html#regions

Mabel (Gromotka) Bell’s parents, Theresa (Gritz) and John Gromotka were both born in Minnesota.

The Gromotka name may be spelled: GROMOTKA, GROMATKA, GROMOKTA, GROMOTHA. Some close relations use the spelling GROMATKA and others use GROMOTKA. If one searches for these names in Polish genealogical sites, one finds this name in the region of Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia), so it is possible that our ancestors also came from this region. For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Silesia

John Gromotka’s parents, Joseph and Katherine, were born and married in German Poland. Their first two children, Ignatius (born about 1867) and Joseph (born about 1872) were born in German Poland. Their third son, John (Mabel’s father), was born in Minnesota in 1876. The family emigrated from German Poland in 1874, via Pennsylvania. Joseph and Katherine appear in the 1900 and 1910 census in Marysville, Wright County, MN.

Following is a modern map of Minnesota showing the location of Wright County:

Source: www.google.com

Following is a modern map of Wright County showing Maryvilles Township:

Source: http://www.co.wright.mn.us/map.htm

Following is a modern day map of the township of Marysvilles in Wright County, MN:

Source:

http://www.herald-journal.com/montrosewaverly/graphics/woodland-mary.twp.pdf

Theresa Gritz’s parents, Paul and Julia, were born and married in German Poland. They emigrated from German Poland in 1880. Theresa (Mabel’s mother) was born in Minnesota in 1880. The family appears in the 1900 census in Marysville, Wright County, MN.

In 1900, at the age of about 23, John Gromotka was working as a Section Foremen for the railroad in Williston, Williams County, ND. He appears in the 1900 Census in North Dakota. He probably moved to this area with his older brother, Joseph, who also worked for the railroad.

1899: Wedding photo

Front: Joseph and Francis Gromotka (the bride and groom)

Back: John Gromotka (father of Mabel, brother of Joseph)

Source: www.google.com

In about 1903, at the age of about 28, John Gromotka married Theresa Gritz (about 24 years old).

John and Theresa

Theresa was from Marysville, Wright County, MN, the same area where John’s older brother Ignatius Gromotka was living. John and Theresa probably met in Marysville when John was there visiting family. Since John already had a job with the railroad in North Dakota, he and Theresa returned there to live. Between 1903 and 1915 they had four children, Edward, George, Mabel and Alice. Mabel was born 7 Dec 1907 in North Dakota, possibly in Williston, Williams County, ND.

About 1910-1915: Mabel, Edward, George

Not pictured: Alice

Between 1907 and 1910, John and Theresa decided to return to Minnesota where John bought a farm. In 1910 the family appears in the census in Marysville, Wright County, MN.

In March 1919, Theresa (Gritz) Gromotka died from a burst appendix. Not long afterwards John married Martha (Prausa) who was originally from Milladore, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. They had an additional four children, bringing John’s total number of children to eight: Richard, Marguerite, Mary, Josephine.

John, Martha and their family appear in the 1920 and 1930 census records in Marysville, Wright County, MN.

John died in 1947 and Martha died in 1972. After John’s death, Martha lived for a time with her family in Milladore, WI, and often traveled to visit her children in Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN.

For family photos, see: http://dahlheimer-bebeau.com/Photowebsites/BellGromotkaGritz/