Person:Frieda Groh (1)

Benzie Banner; 1922 ---- Researched; Feb. 7, 2000 Jun. 22,- " Two Girls Burned To Death In Tent Fire " ( Pg. 1 ) "Former Homestead Family Meets With Sad Accident When Oil Stove Explodes" Lansing Mich. - Mamie and Frieda Groh, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Groh of Detroit Ave., were fatally burned when their tent home in which they lived just south of the city, was destroyed by fire caused by the explosion of an oil stove the mother was badly burned in an attempt to rescue. The girls, six and seven years old, were sleeping in a bed near the stove. The mother lighted the stove preparitory to ironing, and left the tent on an errand for a few minutes. The little girls were taken to the St. Lawrence hospital where they died. The thin clothes offorded little protection for their bodies and the burns extended over the entire surface. The hair of the children was burned away and their eyes burned shut. Elmer Groh, is a son of Dave Groh who moved to Lansing from Homestead a few years ago.

• • • Mt Hope, Cemetery - 127- south to exit I-496 Lansing business to Pennsylvania Ave. Exit 7-A South to Mt. Hope Ave go East on Mt. Hope to Evergreen Cenetery on right side.

THE STATE JOURNAL, Lansing, MI. ----------- 1922 ----------- Girls Burned in Tent Fire -------- (Pg. 1) June 22,- Girls Burned in Tent Fire; Two are in critical condition Friday; Blaze Hits Tent Home ; ------------- Six and Seven-year-old Girls in Bed When Oil Stove Ignites Place; Mammie Groh age 6, died at 1:30 p.m. Friday, at St. Lawrence hospital of burns received when the tent in which she and her sister were sleeping burned Friday morning. Her flesh was badly burned by the flames and little hope was held for her recovery when she was first taken to the hospital. Her sister, Freda, 7, is in critical condition and little hope was held for her recovery, according to reports from the hospital at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. Freda and Mammie Groh daughters of Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Groh were badly burned by fire which destroyed their tent home shortly after 6 o'clock Friday morning. They were rushed from the ruins of the fire to the St. Lawrence hospital and were reported as being in critical condition, their bodies being seared by the flames and their hair being burned away. The blaze started when Freda age 7, and Mammie age 6, were sleeping on the bed in the tent where the Groh family lived south of the city on Detroit Ave. Their mother had lighted the oil stove and went out to look for a tame rabbit which was loose about the premisses, according to the Deputy Sheriff R.K. Bofysil who went to the assistance of the stricken family. While the mother was away the oil stove ignited the tent and the canvas quickly burned, consuming the contents and burning the children perhaps fatally. The girls night clothing was burned away. Their flesh was blackened and they could not be identified by a stranger but their bodies were familiar to their mother who in trying to rescue them and put out the flames sustained burns about the hands. Dr. Carl Brucker attended the children. The family had recently came here from Indiana. Although their belongings in the tent were completely destroyed they announced that they could make their home with Mr. Groh's father who lives near Lansing, Mr. Groh is a Reo Employee and was away at the time of the blaze.