Groff family

Originating in Bäretswil, Switzerland, the Groff family became during the early seventeenth century one of the founding families of both the United States and what was later to become Canada. The original German spellings of the family name are "Graf" as well as "Graff" and the Zürich line, known in the area since the early 1300's, are a branch of the ancient rabbinical Graff family. Forced to convert to Catholicism in the early 1300's they became Anabaptists in 1560 and migrated from Switzerland to the area around Sinsheim, Germany around 1651.

The Groff family has largely remained an East Coast family found both on the United States and Canadian sides of the border. A large number of notable Groffs have migrated back and forth between the two countries during the past two hundred years. The recognized seat of the U.S. Groff family is the area of southeastern Pennsylvania. In Canada the Groff family is best known in the area around Markham, Ontario. In both countries, the family has often comprised a formidable political and economic power and was instrumental in the founding of the Mennonite Church Canada.

Family tree

The following is an approximate tree of some of the members of the Groff family:
*Jacob Groff (1751-1824), was a prominent Pennsylvania Revolutionary War soldier of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
**Ulysses Grant Groff (1865-1950), was a noted philanthropist who donated tracts of land to Amherst College and the City of Amherst, Massachusetts
****Charles Wister Groff (1898-1987), a renowned real estate developer and philanthropist

Ancestors

Hans Groff

Hans Groff (1661–1746) founder of Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was the uncle of the father of Jacob Groff. He is believed to be the oldest known member of the Groff family in North America and the holder of the title Baron von Welden of Grafenwald Castle near Bäretswil, Switzerland.

External links for Hans Groff:
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=0EwOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA237 "A Biographical History of Lancaster County" (1872) by Alex. Harris pg. 237-239]
* [http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/lancaster/famhist/graf0001.txt Hans Graf Family descendants]

Connections to other prominent families

de Beauvoir / Beaver family connections

Susan Beaver (1826-1908) married John Groff (1819-1885) on October 11, 1848 and had eleven children, among them Ulysses Grant Groff.

Eisenhower family connections

Hans Peter Isenhower (1716-1795) married Elizabeth Graf (granddaughter of Michael Groff) in 1770.