Mr. and Mrs. John Froelich and their nine month old daughter Marie arrived from Dorenberg, Germany in May 1888 in the United States. They settled close to friends and neighbors that they had known from Germany who had already settled in Getchell township in Barnes County, North Dakota.
Mr. Froelich purchased a quarter section of land, a team of mules, a set of harness and a walking plow for $1,500.00 from Leonard Tremble. When six o'clock came in the evening the mules refused to work any longer. Times were hard those days. They lived in a two-room shanty the first few years. In the wintertime Mr. Froelich went down to Sheyenne River valley and cut thorn-apple trees for fire wood. They would not let him cut any other trees.
After a few years, Mr. Froelich purchased more land. For a few years they lived on the same place where the Zion Getchell Lutheran Church was built in 1899. In 1898 they moved to the Southwest ΒΌ of Section 19 in Getchell township where they built a new home. The farm is now owned by Mr. Froelich's grandson John J. Froelich and his wife Janet. Mr. Froelich kept on buying more land until he owned four farms totaling 1,640 acres which he left to his children.
Mr. and Mrs. Froelich had a family of seven children: Marie - Mrs. Richard Staub, Elizabeth - Mrs. Herbert Lettenmaier, Emma - Mrs. Arnold Staub, Henry Froelich, Emily - Mrs. John Heckman, Laura - Mrs. William Wadsworth and Charles G. Froelich.
Mr. Froelich was also active in community affairs. He was treasurer of Zion Lutheran Church of Getchell township for 22 years. He was also an officer of Getchell township and the Getchell school boards for quite a few years.
John Froelich passed away in September 1926 and his wife Sophie in April 1955.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 72