Kroetch Family History & Genealogy

Kathy has lived in San Jose California for the majority of her life, having spent a few years in various places in Washington State. She was married once to Leo Pinna and they had one child Daniel Joseph Pinna. Kathy worked on and off at the Valley Medical Center, as did her sister Pam Marks and mother Marian Joyce Benning, but has spent the majority of her career as a spiritual counselor and adviser for over 40 years having assisted thousands of individuals in their quest for realization. Kathy is cofounder and Content & Community Manager of AncientFaces.

Frank Kroetch was one of four siblings and was born to Dorothy Elaine (Ferguson) Kroetch and Hollis "Joe" Joseph Kroetch. As far as I know (grandson), Frank and his brother & two sisters had a bit of a rough childhood, having been separated into different groups living with various family members. He was one of the youngest to serve on the USS Killen for the U.S Navy in World War II. In fact, he lived his entire life thinking he was the youngest crew mate on the ship (he lied about his age to serve in WW2), but found out in the late 1990's at a Killen shipmates reunion in San Francisco that one lad had him beat by a handful of days. He married Marian "Joyce" Benning and had two children Kathy Pinna and Pamela Marks. He later married Carol (Antonsen) Kroetch and they raised John Kroetch. He was a very smart man (with an IQ that tested between 165 and 185) and good looking - charismatic! He was a life-long entrepreneur starting numerous businesses in various industries after attending the University of Washington and graduating from San Jose State University. He lived in both California (where his daughters were born) and Washington (where he was born and died). Frank was never baptized (as far as his child Kathy knows) and has no burial site. He was cremated and his ashes distributed between his wife and two daughters. He was quite a human being and we all miss him every day.

If I had to describe Pam I'd say she is funny, artistic, and loves all aspects of family history and genealogy. Wife to Neil Marks, mother to Layne Jacobs, she has lived most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area - particularly in Santa Cruz and Willow Glen. She has researched her family's genealogy (and many of her friends!) going back hundreds of years. Loves to travel to locations that have to do with her roots.

Joyce Vandever (as she was known in her later years) was a loving mother of two daughters Kathleen Rae (Kroetch) Pinna & Pam (Kroetch) Marks who she had with Frank Kroetch, and grandma to two grandchildren Daniel J Pinna & Layne. Joyce had a half-sister, Lois (Benning) Ewen, the product of her father's first marriage. She also had a step-brother, Charles Henry Barrett Jr., from her mother's second marriage to Charles Henry 'Heinie' Barrett Sr. She had many friends and relatives in California, Washington state, England and Wales. Her best childhood and lifelong closest friend was Beverly Clarice (Washington) Scoffone in Monte Sereno California. Joyce loved being a grandmother and spent countless weekends with her grandchildren. She lived in the California Hawaiian mobile home park at 3637 Snell Ave in San Jose for many years when it was an adult community. To hear Joyce describe herself see Joyce Vandever In Her Own Words

Nellie was my great-grandmother and she was a spitfire! A strong woman who made her way in the world working as a seamstress (on the Barbary Coast in San Francisco - sewing for the prostitutes and pimps!), a maid, a hotel manager, and finally the owner of a hotel in Seattle Washington. Her first marriage was to my great-grandfather, JB Kroetch. Rumor has it that she had a couple of other husbands (I know of a man whose surname was "McKenzie”) and then finally, the only great-grandfather I knew - David Shirley Abbott (who went by Shirley). They were married until she died. His profession was gambling - and he was very good at it. He did work in the Merchant Marines for several years but he said (and I believe him!) that was just so that he could win the wages of the other men on the trip home. He and Grandma Nell were a pair - she didn't allow drinking or smoking in her house and he adored her. She always wore dresses (usually satin, with several petticoats), even at home, and a fur (mink) coat when she went out. She made good bread but boy, could she over-cook a roast! Since she grew up on a farm in Kansas, she followed the customs she knew - dinner was at noon, the main meal of the day, and supper (in the evening) was a light meal. She sewed clothes for my sister and me until she died and made "smoking jackets" for her grandsons. (Following the Victorian fashion, she made them multi-colored and of silk - a patchwork construction. My Dad - her grandson - said wearing it outside when we lived on Bird Ave in San Jose CA, traffic would stop!) She also crocheted/tatted - she made a tablecloth for both of her grandsons and their wives. I still have both of them. She loved arts and crafts. Remember "Popsicle" lamps? She made those - and she used "paint by numbers" kits to make art for the walls. (This was in the 60s - Grandpa Shirley also brought home velvet paintings when he went on trips in the Merchants.) And she made leather purses for my sister and me - still have my purse too. You should have seen their house! It was very large for the time and it was filled with her finished projects and his memorabilia from his travels. Also, they kept a lot of cash (from his gambling - although he had stocks too) in the house, hidden in various places. So when they bought a car - always a Lincoln - the salesman would deliver the car to their house and they would give him cash for the full price. What a treat to have both of them as great-grandparents and how blessed were we to know them all of the time we were growing up.

Elaine Marguerite Kroetch was adopted by the Bell family when her mother died (she was age 8). Since her younger sister was also adopted (by the Dahlquist family) and her brothers Fred (who lived with his Aunt Wea) and Frank (who lived for a time with his Aunt Thelma) were sent to live with family, even at the young age of 8 Elaine insisted that she and her siblings see each other often. And they did. They always told stories of the mischief they got into as kids. As a result, they were close all of their lives and so were their children ("the cousins"). Although only Frank and Elaine lived in Washington state as adults (Norma lived in San Diego and Fred lived in Dayton Ohio), they spoke on the phone often and visited often. Fred died first (lung cancer), then Frank (cardiac arrest), then Norma, then Elaine. Although her mother's family didn't like our grandfather and therefore obtained an order from a (family friend) judge to keep him from the children, they did see my grandfather as adults. My dad (Frank) and Fred saw him often. The girls still held a grudge against him.

Hollis Joseph "Joe" Kroetch was born January 1, 1903, in Harrison, Idaho. Hollis was the son of John Baptist Henry Kroetch and Hellen Isabella ‘Nell’ Steeples. His parents met and eventually married at John’s mothers home in the little city of Plainville, Kansas. A day after their wedding, the couple moved to Nebraska for a short time, then settled in Harrison, Idaho where John helped establish a family lumber business. Hollis had one older sibling, Juanita Josephine Kroetch, born in 1901, also in Harrison, Idaho. Hollis’ parents divorced when he was 5, and Nell and her two children moved back to Plainville, Kansas where both children entered school while they lived with Nell’s mother and step-father. Nell’s mother, Mary Ann Morrison Steeples Burns, and her step-father, Sam Burns, ran a small hotel in Plainville. Living near the Plainville Catholic Church was Hollis’ paternal grandmother, Angeline Chartrand Kroetsch. During his school years, Hollis often appeared in the local newspaper, the Plainville Times: Plainville Times, June 15, 1911: "Childrens Day Exercises.....there were 7 in the exercises and little Hollis Kroetch the premier boy singer of the burg went to front in this as he always does in similar exercises..." July 20, 1911, Plainville Times: "...Mrs. Nell Kroetch and children Hollis and Juanita will leave for Portland, Oregon this evening..." Plainville Times Date: May 23, 1912 Hollis did a recitation for the Decoration Day Program sponsored by the GAR Plainville Times May 29, 1913 Decoration Day Program at M. E. Church....Recitation by Hollis Kroetch from "An American Exile..." Plainville Times, July 30, 1914 " Mrs. S.W. Burns and grandson Hollis left Tuesday night for Loveland, Colorado to visit her son George Burns and daughter Mrs. James Chamberlain and families. Mr. Burns will join them later." 1915 Kansas State Census Name: Halles Krotch (incorrect name....) Census Date: 1915 Residence County: Rooks Residence State: Kansas Locality: Plainville Birth Location: Idaho Family Number: 5 Line: 16 Roll: ks1915_208 Living in household: G.S. Burns 70 M.A. Burns 57 (grandmother) Krutch, Hollis '9' (age incorrect-should be 12 years old..Sam's age reported incorrectly also, as age 80, when it should be '70'). Hollis was attending school, per the census records. At the time the 1915 Kansas census was taken, Hollis' mother Nellie was living in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor Co., Wash and was married to a Chester McKenzie.... Per Plainville Times, September 9, 1915: "Mr. and Mrs. G.S. Burns, Charles Holland and Hollis Kroetch were expected to start for home in their ford Monday...." Per Plainville Times, July 6, 1916 "Hollis Kroetch has accepted a position at the Plainville Pharmacy..." Per Plainville Times, July 13, 1916 "Mrs. G.S. Burns and grandson Hollis Kroetch expect to leave next week for an extended visit at Garden City, Kansas, and Loveland, Colorado." Per Plainville Times, Nov. 23, 1916 "Reading : An Imaginary Invalid Hollis Kroetch, Sophomore" during a school program... Plainville Times Date: August 2, 1917 "Mrs. M.A. Burns, Mrs. H.A. Cool, Mrs. J.C. MacKenzie, and Hollis Kroetch spent Friday at the Ed Richardson home in Zurich." Plainville Times Date: August 9, 1917 "Mrs. J.C. Mackenzie, who has been visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.S. Burns and other relatives, left Tuesday night for her home in Portland, Oregon, Her son Hollis Kroetch, who has made his home with his grandparents for several years, accompanied her to make his home. They will visit relatives in Loveland, Colorado, on their way. Per Plainville Times, October 24, 1918: "Hollis J. Kroetch, USS Oregon, San Francisco, Calif care PM" Plainville Times, January 16, 1919 Hollis listed on the Honor Roll for Plainville High School, Plainville, KS...most likely for the 1918 school year In the 1930 census, he was listed as living in Neeson, Grays Harbor, WA, with his family: wife Dorothy and children Elaine, Fred, Frank, and Juanita. He said he was a "bucker(?)" in a logging camp.

Dorothy's father was George W. Ferguson and her mother was Nancy Marguerite (Boggs) Ferguson, both of whom were born in Kentucky and moved to Whatcom County, Washington circa 1900.

Juanita Josephine Kroetch was born May 15, 1901 in Harrison, Idaho to John Baptist Henry Kroetch and Hellen Isabelle 'Nellie' Steeples.

Uncle Fred was an interesting person : born in Washington, he was "adopted" by his Aunt Wea in Whatcom county - his mother's eldest sister -after his mother died. When he was a teenager, and his father remarried, he showed up at his father's house in West Seattle. His stepmother didn't know that her husband had any children (he had 4 - and a few years ago - due to DNA - we found out that there was a 5th half-sibling, conceived between marriages). When Uncle Fred called up his younger brother (my father) and said "I have a good thing going here. Join me", my father showed up. That was too much for the step-mother, their father took them to sign up for the Navy (per their stepmother). It was WW2, their dad signed them up (they were young teens) and they joined and served as teens for most of WW2 After WW2, Dad got a college degree (he hadn't finished high school) and Uncle Fred got a Masters in Math. He spent most of his career (I believe) working in the aeronautics industry. His sister (my aunt) used to joke that she was the only one without a degree or more. That was quite an accomplishment in the 40's and 50's. Uncle Fred loved to joke around. For instance, he said "how am I" when he greeted you. Truthfully, I didn't like that - I was too serious.

Carol Marie Antonson was born to Harold Joseph Antonson (1909-1988) and Marguerite Elizabeth Keenan (1906-1955), and had three brothers: Harold Hugh (born 1938), George Alfred (1939-2018), and Hugh James Antonson (1944-2016). She married John R. Izzie Sr. (born 1938) on January 1960 in Manalapan, Monmouth New Jersey, and they had a son John Hugh Kroetch. Carol and John Izzie Sr. later divorced, and she married Frank Kroetch on December 28th 1968 in Kootenai Idaho.

Norma was adopted when she was 3 years old by the Dahlquist family but she always saw her sister and brothers. The siblings were close all of their lives.

Marian Kathleen Delores (Holmes) Kroetch was born on April 21, 1929 at Montreal, in Quebec, Canada, and died at age 66 years old on September 5, 1995. Marian Kroetch was buried at Resthaven Memorial Gardens, in Frederick, Maryland United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Marian Kathleen Delores "Dee" (Holmes) Kroetch.

Calistus Aloysius Kroetch of Spokane, Spokane County, Washington was born on August 8, 1890 in Missouri, United States, and died at age 77 years old in December 1967 in Spokane, WA. Calistus Kroetch was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, in Spokane.

Joseph Jacob Kroetch of Harrison, Kootenai County, Idaho United States was born on March 2, 1881 in Ontario, Canada, and died at age 80 years old on January 3, 1962 at Benewah Community Hospital, in Saint Maries, Benewah County, Idaho United States.

Helene Clair (Crane) Kroetch of Mercer Island, King County, Washington was born in February 1885 in Salem, Oregon United States, and died at age 88 years old on December 15, 1973 in Spokane, Spokane County, WA. Helene Kroetch was buried at St Thomas Cemetery 115 S 23rd St, in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, ID.

Margaret Angeline (Kroetch) Gray was born on October 2, 1882 in Kagawong, Manitoulin District County, ON Canada, and died at age 91 years old on May 6, 1974 in Cloverdale, Sonoma County, California United States. Margaret Gray was buried at Oak Mound Cemetery, 601 Piper St, in Healdsburg. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Margaret Angeline (Kroetsch) Gray.

Wendy Lee (Kroetch) Rafferty was born on April 25 in Sparks, Washoe County, Nevada United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Wendy Lee "Brandi" Kroetch Rafferty.

John Baptiste Henry Kroetch was born to Joseph Jacob Kroetch (1849-1897) and Angeline (Chartrand) Kroetch (1853-1943), and had siblings Joseph John Kroetch (1872-1872), Angeline (1873-1873), Rosabel Orilla (Kroetch) Connolly (1876-1970), Albert Aloysius Kroetch (1878-1939), Mary Josephine (Kroetch) Melius (1879-1953), Joseph Jacob Kroetch (1881-1962), Margaret Angeline (Kroetch) Gray (1882-1974), Elizabeth Ann Kroetsch (1884-1985), Lawrence Francis Kroetch (1887-1973), Frederick Martin Kroetch (1889-1970), and Leo Victor Kroetch (1894-1958). John was married Hellen Isabell 'Nell' Steeples (1879-1968) on January 9th 1901 and they had children Juanita Josephine (Kroetch) Maxwell Bailey (1901-1935) and Hollis Joseph Kroetsch (1903-1979). John and Nell got divorced in September 1909, and he later married Sarah 'Sadie' Elizabeth (Quick) Kroetch (1876-1953) on January 21st 1913 and they had a child Mildred Marguerite Kroetch (1914-1992).

Lawrence Francis Kroetch of Spokane, Spokane County, Washington was born on March 9, 1887, and died at age 86 years old in July 1973.