Friedrich and Maria Blumel

This is Johann Friedrich Blumel and his wife Maria Augusta Grellert. They were born in Germany and in 1882 were baptized into the church. They soon immigrated to Utah in 1885 with their oldest son, Oscar, who was four years old at the time. They settled in Farmington and had seven more children, two of them died at a young age. In 1899, they moved to Magrath, Alberta with their six children, Oscar being eighteen at the time.

Johann Friedrich Blümel – This biographical sketch appeared in Irrigation Builders Vol. I, pages 423 – 424, published by the Magrath and District History Association for Magrath, Alberta’s Diamond Jubilee. The book was printed in 1974.


BLUMELL, FRED J. was born 1856 in Treppln, Crossen, Germany, where he married Mary Augusta Grellert, born April 9, 1859, Graetz, Silesia, Prussia. Their oldest son Oscar was born in Berlin, July 5, 1881. They emigrated to Utah where their other children, Walter, William, Helen, Amelia and Horace were born. They immigrated to Utah in 1885. Called by the L.D.S. Church they came to Canada in May, 1899, going first to Cardston, then to the canal and later that year, coming to Magrath. Mr. Blumel farmed south west of Magrath and was an excellent farmer.

He was also an excellent horticulturist and had a hillside garden in town that was very beautiful and very productive. His grandson is doing a nice job on the grounds now.

Of his family: Oscar m. Elizabeth Head. He was for years an elevator agent, town constable and also foreman for the town. Elizabeth died and he remarried. Children: Emerson, Jasper, James, Gordon and Jean. (This bio left out Oscar Russell whose mother was Elizabeth, and Alice whose mother was Jean Baird Peebles. See earlier post on Oscar Blumel.)

Walter Blumel married May Steele. Helen married Dave Bingham. She was a telephone operator and clerk. William married Della Holladay. He was a farmer in Magrath district. Amelia married John Steele, town clerk. Horace married Ella Toomer and farmed in Magrath. Fred died in 1936 and Mary died in 1923.

NOTE: I took the liberty of making two changes when typing this bio. The article indicated that Fred was born in Grepplen Crossen and all my records have Treppln, Crossen, Germany. Online at ancestry.com Kristen McLendon has Fred’s place of birth as Treppln, Kreis Crossen, Germany. The second change I made was Maria’s maiden name. The biography has Gelhert, and her maiden name was Grellert. Names were sometimes written in German, and other times an English equivalent was used. Please use these posts as clues to our family history and not facts. My hope is that someone reading this will have documentation for the above information. Please feel free to make comments, suggest changes, or add additional information. Marilyn Blumell