Christina Martell

1861 - 1944  (82 years)

• Name	Christina Martell
  Born	12 Sep 1861	Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina
  Gender	Female
  Died	0Aug 1944	Eureka, Hutchinson County, South Dakota, USA
  Person ID	I104362	Suedpfalz
  Last Modified	13 Aug 2017

  
  

  Father	Georg Peter Martell,   b. 31 Oct 1834, Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina
  Mother	Barbara Weber,   b. 1837, Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina
  Married	11 Nov 1858	Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina
  Family ID	F46057	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Jakob Bender,   b. 8 Jan 1858, Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina ,   d. 16 Sep 1906, Eureka, Hutchinson County, South Dakota, USA  (Age 48 years)
  Married	24 Feb 1881	Odessa, Ukrayina
  Children	1. Johannes C. Bender,   b. 25 Nov 1881, Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina ,   d. 16 Sep 1937, Elgin, Grant County, North Dakota, USA  (Age 55 years)   2. Christina Bender,   b. 28 Aug 1884, Kassel, Odessa, Ukrayina ,   d. 17 Jun 1921, South Dakota, USA  (Age 36 years)   3. Katherine Bender,   b. 9 Apr 1886, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 21 Feb 1977  (Age 90 years)   4. Rosina Bender,   b. 1 Jan 1888, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 15 Nov 1973, Lemmon, Perkins County, South Dakota, USA  (Age 85 years)   5. August Bender,   b. 28 May 1889, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 22 Apr 1971, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA  (Age 81 years)   6. Lydia Bender,   b. 9 Nov 1891, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 25 Sep 1964, Edmunds County, South Dakota, USA  (Age 72 years)   7. Emma Bender,   b. 20 Dec 1893, Eureka, Hutchinson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 6 May 1977, Yakima, Yakima County, Washington, USA  (Age 83 years)   8. Julius Bender,   b. 9 Jan 1896, Eureka, Hutchinson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 13 Apr 1981, Yakima, Yakima County, Washington, USA  (Age 85 years)   9. Magdalena Bender,   b. 23 May 1900, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 13 Apr 2002, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA  (Age 101 years)   10. Albert J. Bender,   b. 13 Jan 1902, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 22 Sep 1991, Bowdle, Edmunds County, South Dakota, USA  (Age 89 years)   11. Emil Bender,   b. 2 Feb 1904, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 20 Jun 1980, Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, USA  (Age 76 years)   12. Hertha Bender,   b. 23 Apr 1906, Eureka, McPherson County, South Dakota, USA ,   d. 22 Feb 2002, Yakima, Yakima County, Washington, USA  (Age 95 years)
  Last Modified	1 May 2018
  Family ID	F46050	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Henry Gross
  Married	2 May 1914
  Last Modified	1 May 2018
  Family ID	F46056	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  http://www.genealogy.com/users/c/h/r/David-Alan-Christianson/FILE/0003text.txt MRS. CHRISTINA BENDER GROSS The following is the personal story of a courageous pioneer woman who came to Dakota Territory with her husband to find a home for themselves and their children. The story, appearing in the first person, was related by Mrs. Christina Bender Gross who was born in Kassel, Russia, in 1861. "My husband and I came to America from Russia in 1884. We came directly to Menno, South Dakota, arriving there on the 8th of October. There we remained for the winter. Deciding to go to the northern part of the state, we purchased live stock, chickens, and household supplies. On the 1st of April we took the train to Ipswich, shipping our two oxen, two cows, a few chickens, 500 pounds of flour, two hams, a small amount of sugar, and furniture, made by my husband. The articles of furniture possessed were one bed, one trunk, and perhaps the greatest necessity of all, a cradle. "At Ipswich, we hitched our oxen to a newly purchased wagon, and after loading our other property, started northward to McPherson County. We drove five miles the first day and spent the night with an American farmer who treated us very nicely. Our only difficulty remained in the fact that we did not speak the same language. They spoke no German, and we knew no English. They lived in a two-story house, and upon retiring, asked us to sleep in an upstairs room, but we were too frightened, having never even heard of sleeping upstairs, much less having the experience. Our kindly hosts, noting our consternation, allowed us to sleep in the downstairs bedroom. "The next morning we asked for the privilege of cooking our own breakfast, having some eggs from our chickens with us. However, the lady insisted upon our eating with them, and served us with pancakes and coffee. That was a real treat for we had never tasted pancakes before. The following summer we ate more pancakes than at any other time in our lives. "The second day we went as far as Long Lake. At nightfall we stopped at the home of Fred Bitner. Mr. Bitner was a German and Mrs. Bitner an English woman. They were disinclined to be bothered with us, but finally gave us a pile of hay to make a bed on the kitchen floor. We asked to make our own breakfasts in the morning, but they would not allow us to use their stove, so we were forced to go on our way with empty stomachs. "The third day we went only ten miles. This took us to the home of Jacob Meidinger. We stayed here until we found a homestead for ourselves which was located ten miles southeast of Eureka, on the Northwest Quarter of Section 24, Township 126, Range 72. "At that time we had only two children, John, who was three years of age, and Christina, who was eight months old. "After going to our homestead, our first task was to build a house. This house was 14 feet by 16 feet and was built in teepee style, requiring only half a day's work. It was built with a few boards, covered with sod. There we lived for six months. During those six months, we broke up about thirty acres of sod and seeded flax. We had a good crop, reaping 125 bushels of flax. This we hauled to Ipswich and received 70 cents per bushel. We thought ourselves very fortunate, and built a new sod house. It was 42 feet by 16 feet in dimensions, and had three rooms. This new house had windows in it, which were lacking in the old one. We lived in this home for nine years. At that time we built a house 26 feet by 28 feet in dimensions, having eight rooms. This house is still on the homestead today, and is owned by my son, August. "When we came to this country, we had $400 with which we had bought our farm and household equipment and paid our pre-emption claim. After taking up the homestead and timber quarter, we made good headway. We raised a large number of cattle, planted big crops and were successful. "We lived on our farm until 1914. My husband died in 1906, and I stayed on the farm with my children for the next eight years. Then, on May 2, 1914, I married Henry Gross, who lived seven miles southwest of Hillsview. There I lived four years, and in 1917 we moved to Eureka where we now reside. I am seventy-five years of age, and my husband is eighty-one. I have lived through many pleasant, and many unpleasant experiences. The times have changed greatly from pioneer days until the present, but I think these times are the most difficult. Yet, we can thank God that we have a home in which to live and enough to eat." The twelve children of Mrs. Gross's by her first marriage are: Emil, Eureka; August, Eureka; Mrs. Hertha Werre, Eureka; Albert, Eureka; John, Elgin, N. Dak.; Mrs. Kathrina Dittus, Elgin, N. Dak.; Mrs. Rosa Windmiller, Bentley, N. Dak.; Mrs. Lydia Mehlhaff, Hillsview, S. Dak.; Mrs. Emma Lapp, Eureka; Mrs. Magdalena Lapp, Eureka; Julius, Eureka; Mrs. Christina Preszler (deceased).