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KARL AUGUSTUS GROTEFEND born 15 APR 1824 in Munden, Hanover, Germany; married Shasta Co Oct 3, 1854 Miss Amelia Zumdahl, born Bavaria Jan 20, 1832.

His mother was Johanne Christine Marie (Pfeifer) Grotefend. His brother, who August was often confused with, was Charles Grotefend (born 1829 Missouri), also a resident of Shasta City and miner.

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Children, all native Californians born in Shasta City:

1. SARAH GROTEFEND born Calif Oct 4, 1855; died Shasta Co July 1, 1939.

2. FRED GROTEFEND born Calif Feb 18, 1857; died Siskiyou Co Feb 18, 1933.
married Shasta Co April 14, 1886 Elizabeth J. Eaton born Calif 1866

3. AUGUSTUS 'GUS' GROTEFEND Jr. born Calif Dec 6, 1859; died Shasta Co Feb 13, 1922.

4. ELIZABETH 'EMILIE' GROTEFEND born Shasta Co Oct 18, 1860; died Shasta Co Jan 31, 1926.

5. ANNETTE 'NETTIE' GROTEFEND born Shasta Co Jan 26, 1863; died Shasta Co May 13, 1950.
married Shasta Co June 1, 1887 Louis H C Prehn born New York August 9, 1850; died Shasta Co Oct 14, 1890

?? JAMES GROTEFEND born Shasta Co abt 1865; died Shasta Co at a young age. Nothing is written about him. His mother shares his grave at Shasta Union Cemetery.

6. Dr. GEORGE A GROTEFEND born Calif March 28, 1869; died Redding, Shasta Co May 11, 1951.
married, divorced, no children.
His wealth funds a present day scholarship program named in his honor.

7. CHARLES WILLIAM GROTEFEND born Calif Dec 24, 1872; died Shasta Co Mar 21, 1932.

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Pioneer gold miner
-- and proprietor in Shasta City of the St. Charles Hotel, a three-story building formerly built across from the present day Shasta Courthouse Museum.

He came to Shasta City as a goldminer in 1849 and struck it rich in Schaffer's Gulch, banking the sum of $18,000. He used part of his money to purchase the St. Charles Hotel with his partner Robert Crenshaw for $2,000. He also purchased the adjoining lot on the hill behind the hotel where he built a two-room cabin for his mother and a stairway leading from it to the hotel. That stairway was known as Grotefend's Alley. The wooden hotel burned to the ground in the fire of 1853; while the cabin survived. Grotefend built next a mercantile business, A. Grotefend & Co.

Forestier's note: Grotefends Alley is not on any present day map of Old Shasta. Trinity Alley is the only street adjoining the property where the hotel used to sit. The cabin and stairway are also gone.

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1881 Shasta County Directory
Grotefend, A. & Co. - gen mdse [Sha]
Grotefend, A. - A. Grotefend & Co. [Sha]
Grotefend, A. G. - A. Grotefend & Co. [Sha]
Grotefend, Fred - A. Grotefend & Co. [Sha]

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Last Will and Testament,
filed in the records of the Shasta County Clerk, July 8, 1889

A. Grotefend of Shasta
Dated May 25, 1889
Probated: July 31, 1889:

Oldest daughter: Sarah Grotefend - full share
Oldest son: Frederick Grotefend - full share less amount already drawn
August Grotefend - full share, unless he is intemperate
Nettie Grotefend Prehn - full share to be invested in real estate by the Administrator - allowed to draw interest accumulating on investments, but none of the principal
Emilie Grotefend - full share
Geo Grotefend - full share less the amount expended towards his education in the University of Pennsylvania
Charles Grotefend, a minor - Frederick Grotefend, his guardian will take charge of his share, one-seventh of the estate

Executor/Administrator: Frederick Grotefend
Assistant Administrator, executor and manager of the estate, George Grotefend.

Witnessed: W. H. Dunn, Wm. McKean

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Descendants

From the seven surviving children of August and Amelia, only one grandchild grew to adulthood. Bessie Irene Prehn, daughter of Nettie, never married. She died in 1957, leaving the pioneer Grotefend family without any living descendants.