Elisabetha Grenz

Elizabeth Grenz Maier Walker

Two months after the Grenz Family arrived in America, 19 year old Elizabetha Grenz married Jacob Maier on March 4, 1906 at Herried, SD. Jacob Maier had homesteaded southeast of Herried, so he took has Bride to her new home on the Dakota Prairie. Jacob & Elizabetha sold the land in 1910 & and moved tot he Hazelton area. the farm was located in the Prairie View Township. during the time they were on the farm their home was damaged by fire. Jacob, who was a good carpenter and handyman, built a wood frame house. they had the house moved to Hazelton in the fall of 1921. the following is an excerpt from the Emmons County Republican Free Press Newspaper:

"Jacob Mayer is preparing to move his home to Hazelton. His Brother-in-law Godrey Grenz will assist him using a 8 horse power steam engine for power."

Jacob & Elizabetha had 8 children. Edward was born at the homestead in Campbell County, SD. He died at 10 years of age and is buried in the Gimbel Cemetery west of Hazelton. Philip and Magdalena were born in Herried, SD. Philip died in 1985 at Napa, CA. Magdalena died in 1967 and is buried in the Hazelton Cemetery. Jake, =Amelia, Gottlieb, Reinie, and John were born in Emmons County, ND. Amelia died in infancy and is buried in the Gimbel Elementary. Jake died in 1986 and is buried in Park River, ND. Reinie died in 1978 and is buried in the Hazelton Cemetery. Gottlieb and his wife Edna live at Streeter, ND. John and his wife Faye live at Grand Forks. ND.

Jacob Maier returned to Herried in the winter of 1922. On Feb 19, 1922, Jacob died of pneumonia which set in after he was hit in the chest by a wagon tongue.

Elizabetha continued to live in Hazelton and raised her children there. The children left home at a young age to work for to her family members or other farmers in the area. Gottlieb remembers the Sunday afternoon gatherings at a neighbor's farm while he was living and working for his sister and brother-in-law, Art & Maggie Humann. The afternoon was spent playing baseball and other games.

Elizabetha married John Walker on Oct 5, 1939. They moved to Missoula, Mt. in 1949, so John could take a job with the railroad. They enjoyed gardening and the yard was full of flowers. In 1965 they moved to the Strasburg Nursing Home. John Walker died in 1967. Elizabetha died at the age of 92 in 1978.

Elizabetha never learned to speak English. The older grandchildren learned to speak German but the younger ones never did. many conversations between Grandmother Lizzy and the younger members of the family consisted of one or two words of English and a lot of sign language. Granma's gold pierce earrings always were a fascination because at that time not very many women had their ears pierced. many years later when ear piercing became fashionable we realized that our Grandmother was fashionable before her time. It was always a teat to watch her wash her long gray hair. After it was dry she would roll it into a "bun" on top of her head and secure it with long bone hair pins.

Written by grand daughter Esther Humann Huber - Read at the 1992 Grenz Reunion

Following are articles from the Emmons County Republican Newspaper

May 18, 1921 - Southwest Hazelton News:

Jacob Mayer is preparing to move his home to Hazelton. His brother-in-law, Godfrey Grenz will assist him, using an eight-horse power steam engine for power.

February 16, 1922 - Hazelton Doings:

Jake Mayer, who went to Herreid 2 weeks ago, became suddenly ill. He wired for his wife and she left for Herreid Wednesday.

February 23, 1922 - Southwest Hazelton News:

Henry Will is a visitor at Herreid to see his brother-in-law Jake Maier, who is seriously ill.

March 2, 1922 - Hazelton Doings:

Jake Mayer of Hazelton passed away at Herreid on Feb. 21. They intended to bury him at Hazelton but, as the trains are snowbound, they laid him at rest at Herreid.

March 9, 1922 - Southwest Hazelton News:

Many friends of Jacob Mayer will be sorry to hear of his death at Herreid where he had been at work for some time. Mr. Mayer was injured in an automobile accident last fall and had not fully recovered when he took the smallpox. While still weak from the disease, he took cold and suffered a relapse. He leaves his wife and 5 children.

Elisabeth Grenz

Mrs. Elizabeth Walker was born Dec. 1 1886, in Gueldendorf, Russia to Gottlieb and Christina Hogue. She was one of 10 children, six brothers and three sisters . In 1905 she came to the U.S. with her parents who settled near Mound City SD.

Feb 23, 1906, she was united in holy matrimony to Jacob Maier at Mound City, SD. Together they homesteaded 11 miles SW of Hazelton. Their home was blessed with seven children, six sons and one daughter. In 1021 they left the farm, moving into Hazelton. About a year later her husband passed away, On Oct 5, 1939, she married John Walker at Hazelton. In 1949 they moved to Missoula, MT, and in 1962, back to Hazelton. In October of1965 they moved to the Strasburg Home. Mr. Walker passed away may 24, 1967; Mrs. Walker on March 6, 1978. Preceding her in death are her parents, three brothers (John, Gottlieb and Phillip), two sons and a daughter. She leaves three brothers, Godfrey, Jake and Christ, and three sisters, Sophia, Frieda and Christina, and four sons, Jake, John, Phillip, and Gottlieb.

History of Hazelton, ND, 75th Anniv. 1978, Page 75

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Buried at Linton, North Dakota

Elisabeth

Elizabetha gave birth to her last child, John, on 20 March, 1922, just a month after Jacob's death.

Elizabeth managed to raise her children until her youngest son, John, was 17.

At that time, she was married to John Walker, a widower with 11 children. They were married on 5 Oct., 1939 at Hazelton, ND. They moved to Missoula, Montana in 1949 and lived there until 1962. At that time, they moved back to Hazelton. In their later years, they both lived at the Strasburg Nursing Home.

When John Walker died in May, 19678, he was buried next to his first wife, Lydia Maier, at the Temvik Cemetery.

Elizabeth is buried at the Hazelton City Cemetery