6. | Bernhard GREEFF was born on 7 Oct 1843 in Barmen, Germany (son of Joh Peter GREEFF and Sophie Emilie BREDT); died on 4 Jan 1925 in New York, USA. Notes:
Teilhaber & Co, New York
Bernhard as well as his brother Emil lived with their families on Long Island in College Point, a small simple suburb of New york. They were partners in the firm "Greeff & Co." which their fathers started in 1857. The gardens of ther homes, near to the Sound were close together and separated only by the garden of Anton Rosingh.
He was a brother-in-law of both brothers Greeff, Emil's first marriage was to Emilie Rosingh. Being neighbours gave rise to a special bond between the families. The atmosphere in both houses was essentrially German, and until the world war only German was spoken at home. Both families always had German governesses. It was a real little German colony in College point. The family Adolf Erbsloh, who came from Barmen was very close to the Greeffs.
In the very musical family of Bernhard Greeff music was made every evening. The father played piano and the organ, the mother sang in a beautiful soft alto. In this way the children (born in America) learned all the wonderful German folk songs and childrens songs.
This was recreation for the men that had a streneuous working life, facing a long arduous journey early in the morning to the office in the city and back to their suburb in the evening.
Bernhard and his wife had an excedingly happy marriage and lived only for themselves and their children, to whom they were a shining example. Bernhards great goodness is shown by the fact that for about 30 years he played the organ in church every sunday, because the congregation was too poor to afford the services of an organist.
Bernhard married Helene Pauline ROSINGH on 19 Jun 1873 in Norden, Ostfriesland, Germany. Helene (daughter of Gerhard ROSINGH and Gebhardine VON GLAN) was born on 13 Sep 1845 in Norden; died on 20 Jul 1919 in New York, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
|