John H. Grimm

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

John H. Grimm

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

For nearly a quarter of a century John H. GRIMM has been most successfully engaged in the dry goods business at Dover, where his birth occurred May 5, 1864. He is a son of Joseph and Anna (HANNAKA) GRIMM, both of whom came to America from Germany in early youth. The father was a gardener by occupation and he spent the major portion of his active career in Morris county, New Jersey, where he met and married his wife. He was called from the scene of his mortal endeavors when about sixty years of age , and his devoted wife passed away ten years later; they are buried in the cemetery at Dover. They were the parents of one son and three daughters, namely:

John H.;
Mary, wife of Thomas H. MALONEY;
Louise, wife of John BROOKS;
Anna, wife of James GROGAN.

In his youth John H. GRIMM was afforded the educational advantages of both the common and parochial schools of his native place. At the age of fourteen years he began to work as a clerk for Henry HEIMANS at Dover, and remained in the latter’s store for a period of three and a half years, at the end of which time he entered the employ of M. H. DICKERSON, who conducted a large dry goods establishment in Dover. He continued as a clerk for Mr. DICKERSON for the ensuing seven years, and in May, 1889, having an aptitude for general merchandising, he opened a dry goods store of his own on Sussex street in this city. With the passage of time his business has grown to one of extensive proportions and while he has in many ways enlarged and improved his original store, his headquarters are still in the same building in which he first located. He carries a large line of commodities and also handles fancy dry goods. As a result of his long and varied experience in this line of enterprise, Mr. GRIMM is recognized as one of the foremost merchants in Dover. He is a capable business man and as such commands a large patronage. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and for a number of years he was a member of the local board of health. In religious matters he upholds the tenets of the Catholic church, and fraternally he is affiliated with K. of C. and with the C. B. L.

In 1888 Mr. GRIMM married Mary O’GRADY, a native of Morris county, New Jersey, daughter of Michael and Bridget (COSTELLO) O’GRADY, both of whom are deceased. Mr. O’GRADY worked in the Morris county mines during many years of his life but prior to his demise he lived in retirement. He and his wife had the following children:

John A.;
Dr. Thomas F.;
James, a miner by occupation;
Hannah, wife of Bernard JOHNSON;
Margaret, wife of Samuel GROVES.
Mr. and Mrs. GRIMM have one daughter, Loretta, who is a popular and successful teacher in the public schools formerly of Naughright, now of Denville.

The GRIMM family have an attractive home in Dover and it may be said concerning them that the list of their personal friends is coincident with that of their acquaintances.

This biography was transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003).