Bio: Greve, John & Helen

Surnames: GREVE TIEDEMAN

----Source: ABBOTSFORD, WIS. CENTENNIAL BOOK - 1973

Greve, John & Helen

John Greve, who operated a general merchandise store in the early days, was born at Kiel, Wis., on July 7, 1854.

Following his marriage to Miss Helen Tiedeman, who was then living at Kiel, they moved to Lamont’s Mill, two and one-half miles south of Colby. Here he was employed by August Lamont, as sawyer, until 1883, when with his wife and children, Ronald and Cornelia, moved to Coolidge. He was employed for eight years by the Coolidge Lumber Company, before the family moved to Thorp, Clark Co.

On May 5, 1892, the family moved to Abbotsford, where he bought the farm structure on Main Street and a residence directly back, on Second Street, from John Pillon. These two properties were located south of the ANE tracks.

Here he engaged in a general merchandise store on the Main Street property, until July 1904. He then rented the building to Charles Davidson and Dr. Goetch, who put in a stock of drugs and continued to operate the drug store until the stock was destroyed by fire.

Mr. Greve then had a brick structure built on the lot, which had several tenants through the years, including Shed & Skeel General Store, Smith Clothiers, and Albert Stroota & Sons, who operated a hardware store for several years. Some time later, the Masonic Lodge moved into the second floor of the building.

Mr. Greve died in 1907. Mrs. Greve sold her home on Second Street to the Charles Brunner family. She and Cornelia moved their household furnishings to the first floor and made it their home for some time, until Mrs. Greve died, July 4, 1933, at Rib Lake. The building was sold to the Masonic Lodge and later the lodge rented the downstairs to Lowell Dorn, who stocked it with furniture and home furnishing merchandise.

John Greve was one of Abbotsford’s most loyal and enterprising citizens. He served on the village council since the town was incorporated, and was a member of that body at the time of his death, July 6, 1907.