Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Grassle, Fred 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 9, 2007, 11:56 pm

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

FRED GRASSLE, of Joliet, was born in Herrenalb, near Stuttgart, the captial 
city of Wurtemberg, Germany, March 16, 1858, and was fifth in a family of 
twelve children, all but one of whom are still living, eight in Germany and 
four in the United States. His grandfather, Jacob Grassle, who took part in 
the march to Moscow in 1812, was a farmer by occupation and served as 
burgomaster or mayor of Herrenalb. Jacob Grassle, Jr., the father, was a 
commissioned officer in the German army and took part in the revolution of 
1848. Throughout his active life he engaged in the lumber business. He died in 
his native town when sixty-eight years of age. Since then his business has 
been conducted by three of his sons. He married Annie Keller, whose father, 
Fred Keller, was a blacksmith and veterinary surgeon and held the office of 
state veterinary; at the time of his death he was almost ninety-nine years of 
age. The Grassle family has long adhered to the Lutheran religion. For 
generations the burgomaster's office has been in the family, and the position 
is now held by a cousin of our subject. At fourteen years of age our subject 
was apprenticed to the baker's trade in Ober amt Neinberg, and after two years 
continued under instructions in Baden-Baden, Stuttgart, Strasburg and 
Weisbaden. In accordance with the national custom he entered the army on 
attaining manhood. For three years he was a member of the King's Guard. On 
being honorably discharged he came to America in 1881 and at once proceeded to 
Joliet, where three days after his arrival he secured employment as cook and 
baker at the Will County poor farm, where he cooked for as high as one hundred 
persons. Nine months later he left that place and became a confectioner in the 
employ of John Scheidt, with whom he remained for one year and two months. He 
then returned to the poor farm, where he was at the head of the cooking and 
baking department for five years and seven months, finally resigning to engage 
in business for himself. In 1887 he bought his present location on the corner 
of Bluff street and Western avenue, remodeling the building to suit the needs 
of the business, and he has since built up a large trade. He supplies Hotel 
Munroe, National Hotel and the principal cafes and restaurants in the city, 
besides which he ships to Mokena, Lock port and Wilmington. In point of years 
of business activity he is, with only one exception, the oldest baker in 
Joliet. Besides his business property he owns other city real estate and also 
has an eighty-acre farm in Wesley Township. July 11, 1882, Mr. Grassle married 
Miss Eugenia Kraft, who was born in Alsace, and came to America with her 
parents, Alois and Theresa (Gaber) Kraft, settling in Reading, Pa., where her 
father was a mason and bridge contractor. He was accidentally killed in a 
railroad catastrophe; his wife died in Joliet in 1897. They were the parents 
of six children, all but one of whom are still, living. Mr. and Mrs. Grassle 
have had five children, viz.: Mamie, Herman, Otto (who died at four years of 
age), Olga and Fred, Jr. Since 1891 Mr. Grassle has been chairman of the 
fourth ward Democratic committee. He has also been a member of the city, 
county and state committees. In the spring of 1899 Mayor Mount appointed him 
city sealer of weights and measures. Twice he has been chosen noble grand in 
William Tell Lodge No. 219, I. O. O. F., and he is also an officer in the 
sovereign grand lodge of Illinois. He is connected with the Modern Woodmen of 
America; the Joliet Sharpshooters' Association, in which he is a trustee; the 
Saengerbund; the Arbeiter, of which he is vice-president; and the Krieger 
Verein, in which he is treasurer. He is identified with the First German 
Lutheran Church of Joliet and serves the congregation as a trustee.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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