DeGroot, Anna Maria

1895 - 1994  (98 years)    Has 12 ancestors and 2 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	DeGroot, Anna Maria
  Born	24 Aug 1895	Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA
  Gender	Female
  Biography	Bef 3 Jun 1994
  By Steve Turek; Anna Marie (christened as Maria Magdalena) DeGroot was born August 24, 1895 at 1356 Main Street in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At age 7 she started school at St. Willebrod's School where she loved Reading, Spelling and Arithmetic. She hated Grammar and was quite upset that in Arithmetic class that they never studied Algebra. A favorite memory Anna Marie had was of walking to school when a neighbor on his way to business school would stop and give her a ride on his ice/snow cutter. Her daily chore at home was cleaning and filling the coal lamps and lining them back up on the wooden shelf in the kitchen. She graduated from 8th grade, which ended her schooling as her parents thought that there was no reason for her to go on. Upsetting Anna Marie was the fact that her older brother Henry got to further his education by attending a business college. The first winter after she graduated Anna Marie, at age 16, went to a sewing school that was held in an "old maid's" home near St. Peter & Paul's church. There were six or seven in the class, and she stitched the blue silk dress that is in the photograph. The following year her expert sewing abilities got her hired at the Brown County Asylum that housed the TB and "mentally insane" patients. She repaired and sewed outfits, linens and even underwear. Quite often on her "ladies time off" or break time, she was called upon to help with the patients. Anna Marie was paid over $17 a month plus room and board which included working some Sundays. The meals were excellent as the asylum had their own cows, which meant fresh milk and butter. She was eventually put in charge but after working there for over a year, Anna Marie's mother made her quit. She was afraid with Anna Marie working among those "crazy people." At the age of 16, Anna Marie started dating a neighbor, Frank Turek. Living just two lots down from the Turek Brothers Meat Company, Anna Marie knew the Turek family well. In fact, when Anna Marie was a little girl she remembers walking old Grandmother Turek to the Christman-Cross Dry Goods Store on Main Street in Green Bay. For a short time Anna Marie's father owned a tavern. At age 12 Anna Marie would sell beer and help bartend, and it was there that she believes she first met Frank. On September 14, 1915 Frank Turek and Anna Marie DeGroot married. Early in their marriage they lived on Elm Street in Green Bay. But after about six weeks they moved out to the Turek farm on Cedar Creek Road now known as University Avenue. On November 26, 1919 their first child was born and they named her Elaine Anna Marie. James Francis was born eight years later on July 1, 1928. Anna Marie's first car was purchased in 1922. It was a Roadster that had curtains to put up if it rained. Following Elaine's birth they got Anna Marie's favorite car, a slate gray Coup. Frank would hold the baby while Anna Marie drove, as he wasn't interested in driving ever since they changed the design of the Model T. Anna Marie was an active member of St. Willebrord's Catholic Church, as well as the Women's Relief Corp. Her son Jim recalls her pounding on the piano as the women marched patriotically around the hall. They were active in planting geraniums on the graves for Memorial Day as well. She loved playing all kinds of cards, especially Bridge, and was excellent at crossword puzzles. Anna Marie was a fine piano player and would often sit down and perform "Midnight Fire Alarm" or "Moon Winks." Anna Marie's specialties in the kitchen included cherry tarts, cooked rice with raisins, homemade jams and jellies, and molasses popcorn balls for the Christmas season. Her husband Frank would help out in forming the popcorn balls as his hands were calloused from years of farm work. The Catholic Friday supper that Anna Marie prepared was scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and butter with a can of peas. Her son recalls her "grease bread" where she would soak bread in a pan of hot lard. Sadly, on December 26, 1958 Frank Turek died. Anna Marie lived alone at the Turek homestead on University Avenue (previously known as Cedar Creek Road as well as Willow Street) until the late 1970's. The land was sold to the state to make way for a widening and re-structuring of the road. Anna Marie relocated to a small white house at 1484 Mc McCormick Street in Green Bay in October of 1975. The cement silo of the Turek farm was still standing as of 2001. In her later years Anna Marie was moved to the Odd Fellows Rebekah Nursing Home. She was a resident there for several years. On May 8, 1994 she was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with pneumonia and a 102 degree temperature. Anna Marie DeGroot Turek died on June 3, 1994 at age 98. Her daughter Elaine Bellin, her son James Turek, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren survived her.
  Died	3 Jun 1994	Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA
  Notes	Had name as Maria Magdelena but DeGroot Family History lists her as Anna Marie.
  Person ID	I110297	1FamilyTree
  Last Modified	12 Oct 2015

  
  

  Father	DeGroot, John,   b. 12 Feb 1855, Harrison, Calumet, Wisconsin, USA ,   d. 10 Dec 1920  (Age 65 years)
  Mother	Roppel, Anna,   b. 26 Nov 1861, Montpelier, Kewaunee, Wisconsin, USA ,   d. 27 Jun 1947, Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 85 years)
  Family ID	F36245	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Turek, Frank Francis,   b. Bef 1897,   d. 26 Dec 1958  (Age ~ 62 years)
  Married	14 Sep 1915	Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA
  Children	1. Turek, Elaine Anna Maria   2. Turek, James Francis
  Last Modified	1 May 2010
  Family ID	F36235	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Load the map	Born - 24 Aug 1895 - Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA Married - 14 Sep 1915 - Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA Died - 3 Jun 1994 - Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set