John Joseph Grace was born to Philip John Grace and Barbara Ellinger-Grace on February 11, 1894. He was the fifth born of seven children.

John married Barbara Schrufer on October 12, 1916 in St. James Church, Baltimore, Md. Barbara Schrufer was born to George Schrufer and Elizabeth Herbert-Schrufer on September 4, 1892. The 1910 census indicates that she was employed as a candy dipper. Barbara’s parents had ten children together. Four of them died prematurely. She was the youngest of the 6 surviving children. Her mother was widowed in 1894 just 2 years after Barbara was born. They lived at 1821 Aisquith St., Baltimore, Md just around the corner from St.James Church.

John Joseph Grace and Barbara Schrufer had one child together on January 20, 1918. Her name was Mary Dolores, but she was known by most as Dorothy. Regrettably, Barbara died later that same year on October 22nd during the 1918 flu pandemic when Dorothy was only 10 months old.

The 1920 census finds John living with Edward Eichelman and his wife, Christina Schrufer-Eichelman at 1807 Hope St., Baltimore, Md. Edward was brother-in-law to two of John’s siblings, George Thomas Grace who married Mary Cecilia Eichelman and William James Grace who married Katherine Regina Eichelman. Remarkably, Edward’s wife, Christina, was an older sister to Barbara Schrufer.

Somewhere during this time period, John played some form of baseball. It’s unknown whether it was independent, rookie or minor league, but it is known that at some point that he pitched to Babe Ruth. Presumably, this was when Babe was with St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys-later known to us as Cardinal Gibbons High School from 1910 to 1914. In late 1914 to early 1915, Babe was with the then minor league Baltimore Orioles for a short time so John may also have pitched to him during this time.

Margaret Barbara Goeller-Grace was born June 17, 1892 to Michael John Goeller and Anna Regina Michler-Goeller. Michael John and Anna Regina had nine children together. Two of them that were older than Margaret died as toddlers and their last child born between 1900-1910 also died prematurely. Collectively, Margaret knew and was raised with five siblings: one brother and four sisters.

According to census records in 1910, Margaret worked as an operator in a shirt factory and in 1920 she was a forewoman for an overall company. It’s assumed that John met or knew Margaret from the boulevard or St. Clement’s Church; but with Margaret in the clothing industry and John being a tailor’s apprentice, they may have met in industry dealings.

John and Margaret were wed June 13, 1920 at St. Clement’s Church, Lansdowne, Md. by Father Caspar P. Elbert. It was probably about this time that John stopped playing ball because it is said that Margaret would not marry him if he continued to play and had to travel. Between 1921 and 1936, they had eight more children together so jointly they raised nine children together at 3429 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, Md. This was the house next door to Margaret’s parents. Being constructed about 1780, the house was one of the oldest in the area. It was taken down somewhere in the early 1970’s. For today’s reference, it stood on what is now the northeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Lansdowne Rd.

As a matter of proximity, these homes were on the same side and about a half mile down the boulevard from John’s parents’ home which was approximately 3323 Washington Boulevard. The Eichelman farmhouse at 3406 Washington Boulevard was about midway between them on the opposite side.

We know from information passed down in the family and census records that John did not receive much formal education. At some point, John worked in the tool crib for a company located near St. Peter’s Church, Baltimore, Md. In 1910 at age 16, he was a tailor’s apprentice and by 1920 he was working as a clothing cutter. We believe this was the Sonneborn company.

Sonneborn was a major clothing manufacturer located at Pratt and Paca Street, Baltimore, Md from 1905-1931. It was the first in the country to house the entire clothing manufacturing process in one building. Back then clothing was usually made in steps in different places. An entrepreneur would purchase a large amount of cloth then hire a cutter to cut the various pieces of a suit.  These were then sent to different contractors who would sew each part (pants, vest, and coat) in their own shops. It is written that they turned out 3,000 suits a day. They were a major player in the industry and had a reputation as a benevolent employer. Unfortunately, they did not survive the wrath of the Great Depression.

By 1930,  John and Margaret were running a small grocery store (Grace’s Confectionery) in the front of the house facing Washington Blvd. Without the large supermarkets we know today, this was common practice in those days. For a some years after Prohibition ended, John also operated a small bar on the left side of the grocery store front. Be mindful that their early years following 1930 were the Depression years. Their 8th child arrived in December 1930. By 1940, John had added a gas station to the front of the house as well.

John was said to be a quiet man. When the children were older, he drove them wherever they needed to be. He was kind and gentle, yet still the disciplinarian that he needed to be. It is known that he owned a mandolin; but despite the fact that they lived in a house full of musical melodious talent, we are not sure if he actually played it.

As were the times, Margaret taught her children how to clean, cook, run a household and have patience. They all attended Mass and novenas and participated in many church events. The Rosary was prayed each day at the kitchen table. All the family were engaged. If you were present at the time, no matter if you were a relative, friend or visitor, you got on your knees and prayed with them.

Sadly Margaret died on April 26, 1951. John died almost exactly seven years later on April 19, 1958. Both John and Margaret and all of their children are now interred in Meadowridge Memorial Park Cemetery in Elkridge, Md. located at 7250 Washington Boulevard.

The children they raised together were:

• Mary Dolores Grace  January 20, 1918~September 12, 1974

• Francis William Grace  March 27, 1921~June 18, 2009

• Rita Regina Grace  June 16, 1922~August 2, 2000

• Agnes Mary Grace  July 1, 1923~August 11, 1985

• Bernadette Barbara Grace  June 19, 1925~January 31, 2015

• Anne Veronica Grace  December 30, 1926~October 26, 1983

• Theresa Margaret Grace  December 24, 1928~February 28, 2013

• Madalen Gertrude Grace  December 23, 1930~April 21, 2018

• John Anthony Grace  June 24, 1936~January 28, 2000

They all attended St. Clement’s Church and School on 2nd Avenue in Lansdowne, Md. John and Margaret’s hard work, enduring sacrifice, love, faith and perseverance were passed down to their children. Their children went on to marry and raise families of their own in the Catholic faith the same way they were raised.

Apparently, you cannot raise that many children and not struggle to maintain a sense of humor. My father was John A. Grace, the youngest of these children and 14 years old when Margaret died. Many times he recounted the story of how Margaret would take the statue of St. Anthony, our patron saint of lost items, which was about 18 inches tall and stand it on its head when St. Anthony was untimely about helping her find a lost item.

I also know from my mother that my father, John A. Grace, slept with a gun under the mattress for years after he and my mother were married. This wasn’t basic insecurity. Apparently, it had just been a way of life when he grew up on the boulevard. Years later, the gun was kept in a safe with other documents and things that were deemed valuable. It was discovered after he passed that the gun had always been loaded, which came as no surprise, because my father always said a gun that wasn’t loaded was useless. My mother recounted years after my father departed that although that gun would spin around at the bottom of the safe when she was searching for something in it, she said she never worried about it as it was part of her trust in him.  We also discovered later that the safety was on so it never would discharge accidentally. I never knew him to use it.

As mentioned, John and Margaret raised their children during some of the worst of economical times. Food and financial resources had to go a long way.

I recall one story that my father used to tell that I am still not sure if it’s true or if it was a stretch of the truth to make us aware of our present day wastefulness. He told us his mother, Margaret, would get 13 sandwiches out of one can of tuna. I can only imagine how large the can was or how much mayo had to be added to pull that off!

There is also a story of how Margaret would sometimes go into the grocery store and rattle some coins after taking a piece of candy to make John think she paid for it.

My father used to say “mom and dad didn’t have much, but what they did leave us was a legacy of love”. As family, we are all part of this story. This is also our legacy.