Garrett Seymour De Groff

Garrett Seymour De Groff, 1900 - 1966

Garrett Seymour De Groff was Tom's grandfather and is Darren and Hannah's great grand father.

Garrett was born on the 12th of October, 1900. His father, Garrett Staley De Groff died ten years later (21 February 1910). Garrett and his mother, Elsie Minkle, along with his siblings, Rachel and William lived with his paternal grandfather, William H. De Groff (who was widowed when his wife, Rachel, died in 1896). William De Groff's home can be seen in an 1868 map of Florida, just up the road from a home labeled I De Groff (William's father was Isaac.) Also on the map is a label "S Mill" - not sure if that means a home owned by a Mill family, or in fact, the De Groff family's mill.


Garrett clearly desired to be on his own; his mother died in 1919 and the next year, he is found in the 1920 census as a hired man - living with James and Adie Young of Florida, Montgomery County, New York. The Young's were dairy farmers; their farm was on Scotch Bush Road. The area appears to still be a working farm today.

It is likely that Garrett's desire to earn money and be on his own was tied to a neighborhood girl, who lived down the street from his grandfather. Katherine Young and her family (Edgar and Abbie) lived on Scotch Bush Road, near the De Groffs.  Katherine also appears (if I am reading census records correctly - to have been the sister of James Young.)

Seven years later, on April 5, 1927, Garrett married Katherine Brown Young, of Minaville. The couple was married at an evening wedding, at the home of Fred S. Simmon, the town minister. In attendance were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Sweet; a Howard Sweet also lived on Scotch Bush Road - next door to Katherine and I wonder if this is in fact the same Mr. Sweet.

At the time of his marriage - maybe when this smiling photo was taken - Garrett worked for the Amsterdam Lumber Company. Garrett and his bride settled into a home on Union Street (81 Union Street) and began their life together. The couple is found in this home in the 1930 census.

In 1934, the couple was blessed with a son; Garrett William De Groff. In 1941, the family is found in an Amsterdam City Directory at 19 Academy Street; Garrett is listed as an employee of the Amsterdam Lumber Company. In 1948, the Garrett S De Groff's have moved to 14 (also listed in some directories at 15) McClellan Avenue, in Amsterdam. The family moved one more time, to 105 Evelyn Avenue, -- Tom estimates this final move to occurred in 1952.

Garrett S died on February 8, 1966. He lived to see his son, Garrett, graduate from Columbia University and happily married to Anne Hoffman and to know 3 of his 4 grand children -- the three girls of Garrett and Anne.

Here, the research - at least that I've pieced together online - ends. My comments or thoughts as I have research Garrett's life - as documented -- is that he seems to have been a solitary individual -- his father died when he was young - he lived with his widowed grandfather and his siblings, along with his mother. He married a girl from down the street, after what was perhaps a long courtship? and had one son. He clearly had a tremendous work ethic - as he was employed by the same organization for so long. He looks confident and happy in the pictures I have shared. I can speak to the example his son set for anyone who knew him - and I suspect some of that is a reflection on Garrett Seymour De Groff.

I ask readers to add their stories -- what do you remember about Garrett Seymour De Groff?