The Groeling family operated an independent grocery store at 1041 Teutonia Avenue, on
the corner of Teutonia and Center Street, from 1891 to 1957. Initially, it was the
Groeling Brothers Grocery owned and operated by William, his wife Ottilie, and
brothers Edwin and Charles Groeling. By 1893 Charles and Edwin had moved on and
William continued the store under his own name, William H. Groeling. Eventually, his
son became a partner and the name became W. H. Groeling & Son. William passed
away in 1939 and the store then went to his son, William A. Groeling. William A. ran
the store until 1957 when ill health forced him to sell. The building on 1041
Teutonia Ave. included the grocery store, dry goods store, saloon, apartments,
doctors’ offices, and a millinery shop.
August and Wilhelmina Groeling, were farmers who emigrated from Germany and settled
in Milwaukee in 1847. They set up a large vegetable farm around Teutonia and 13th
St. They had several sons, August, Charles, Edwin and William. Charles worked in
local government, including a brief term as an Alderman for the City of Milwaukee in
1889. He also unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1916.
William, born 5 October 1865, graduated from East Division High School and attended
Spencerian Business College. After he took a position for a whole sale spice and
food store, Jewett & Sherman, he worked odd jobs and eventually advanced to book
keeper. He married Ottilie Brembach in 1889 and had two children, Norma and William
August. William H. Groeling died 13 November 1939. Milwaukee’s Groeling Ave. was
named by and for the Groeling family.
