About 1710 Hans Graf arrived in Pennsylvania. By 1717 his cousin, also named Hans Graf, also arrived in Pennsylvania. About 1739 Johann Christian Graf, perhaps a nephew of the first Hans, also arrived in Pennsylvania. These three are among the progenetors of the large Groff family found in Pennsylvania. In fact, the township in which many of them settled is named for them. The name Graff translated into English is Earl. Earl Township, later divided into East Earl, Earl and West Earl, is named for this family.

The most comprehensive genealogy of the Groff family is:

Groff, Clyde L., Walter B. Groff, and Jane Evans Best. The Groff Book: Vol. 1: A Good Life in a New Land. Ronks, East Earl Towbship, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Groff History Associates, 1985.

When I was first researching this family, I wrote to Clyde Groff, and he sent me photocopies of some pages of the pre-publication version of the book. At the current time, due to the corona virus pandemic, I am not able to view the published version in a library. So I cannot provide proper pagination, or note last minute revisions in the text. Another helpful source, regarding the European roots of the family, is:

Best, Jane Evans. "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 13:2 (April 1990): 9-26.

These two sources disagree on some points of relationship. I will follow the Best article, which had a later publication date. Best wrote in her article,

The outlines in this article are one way of organizing data from many different sources and are intended as clues for further research, not as proof of lineage.

Because not all Groff imigrants are of the same generation, I will begin the numbering of generations with the earliest known ancestor. This is a direct line only genealogy.

HANS^A GRAF was born before 1590 and died between 1625 and 1633. He married at Bäretswil, Zurich canton, Switzerland on 22 March 1612 ELISABETH PETER. She was born about 1588 and died between 1637 and 1640.^[1]

Hans was often called Gusel. Elisabeth came from Aarüti, parish of Fischenthal. They had six children.

JAKOB^B GRAF (Hans ^A) was baptized at Bäretswil on 28 January 1616 a son of Hans Graf and his wife Elisabeth Peter. He died after 1683. He married on 21 June 1636 ANNA SPÖRRI.^[2]

Jakob Graf, also known as Hans Jakob Graf, was an Anabaptist. In 1646 he was reported as an Anabaptist living in Bettswill, which is a hamlet in the municipality of Bäretswil. In 1649 he was reported as an Anabaptist living in Wirzwil, another small location in Bäretswil. In 1661 he attended an Anabaptist meeting at Steinsfurt, part of the imperial city of Sinsheim, today locates in southwest Germany. In 1651 Jakob Graf had moved to Sinsheim with his wife and seven children. He was reported living in Steinsfurt in 1661 and 1683.

Jakob and Anna had eleven children from 1636 to 1655, all born at Bäretswil.

HANS^C GRAF (Jacob^B, Hans^A)was baptized at Bäretswil on 6 December 1636 a son of Jacob Graf and his wife Anna Spörri. He died before 1681.^[3]

Born at Bäretswil, this Hans Graf was reported to be an Anabaptist living in Rauhof, a village within the bounds of the imperial city of Sinsheim.

HANS HEINRICH^C GRAF (Jacob^B, Hans^A) was was baptized at Bäretswil on 22 January 1639, a son of Jacob Graf and his wife Anna Spörri.^[4]

One of Jakob Graf's children who moved with him from Switzerland to Sinsheim.

HANS JACOB^D GROFF (Hans^C, Jacob^B, Hans^A) was born about 1660, a son of Hans Graf . He died at on. He married at Rauhof, on 8 February 1681 BARBARA RUTH, daughter of Hans and Adelheit Ruth.^[5]

Hans Jakob was living at Rauhof when he married. Barbara's family lived in Weiler, near Rottenburg, a location now in the state of Baden-Württemberg, but at the time ruled by Austria.

HANS¹ GROFF (Hans Heinrich^C1, Jakob^B, Hans^A) was born about 1665 a son of Hans Heinrich Graf . He died at Conestoga, Chester County, Pennsylvania, before 1 March 1726 (will published). He married his first wife in Europe before 1691. He married second at Pennsylvania on 5 August 1722 ANNA (________) (LICHTI) MIER. This was her third marriage. Anna had married first ________ LICHTI. She married second HANS KONRAT MIER who died before 23 June 1721. Anna later married after 1726 PETER LEMAN.^[6]

On 7 October 1717 Hans Groff had land surveyed for him in what would become East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. This is the earliest record we have of him in Pennsylvania. Six children by his first wife came with him from Europe.

HANS¹ GROFF (Hans^C, Jacob^B, Hans^A) was born about 1670 a son of Hans Graf. He died at Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, before 14 January 1730 (will proved). He married ANN ________. She died after 1730.^[7]

Hans Groff came to Pennsylvania in 1710, and settled in what would become Paradise Township, Lancaster County. His wife and at least two children came with him from Europe.

JOHANN CHRISTIAN¹ GROFF (Hans Jacob^D, Hans^C, Jakob^B, Hans^A) was born about 1686 a son of Hans Jakob Groff and his wife Barbara Ruth. He died at Donegal Township, Lancaster County, on 1754. He married SUSANNA ________.^[8]

Johann Christian Groff purchased land in Pennsylvania on 7 June 1739; this is the first record of him in Pennsylvania. He first settled in Salford Township, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) County. In 1749 he stated he was a hunbandman in Denegal Township, Lancaster County.

ANN ELISABETH² GROFF (Hans¹, Hans Heinrich^C) was born about 1691 a daughter of Hans Groff (b. about 1665) and his first wife. She married about 1713 MARTIN BARR.

ANN GROFF (Hans^1-C) was born about 1693 a daughter of Hans and Ann Groff. She married JACOB SAUTER.

ANN GROFF (Hans^1-C) was born about 1710 a daughter of Hans Groff (b. 1665) and his first wife. She married first about 1734 GEORGE KREIDER.

MICHAEL² GROFF (Johann Christian¹) was born on 15 October 1707 a son of Johann Christian and Susanna Groff. He died at Martic township, Lancaster County, on 22 September 1771. He married on 1727 ELIZABETH HERR. She was born about 1708, a daughter of Christian and Anne Herr. She died at Lancaster County before 19 March 1790 (will proved).^[9]

Michael Groff came to Pennsylvania with his father. He lived in Martic Township, Lancaster County, where he worked as a miller. He and Elizabeth had eleven children.

JOHN² GROFF (Johann Christian¹) was born about 1717 a son of Johann Christian and Susanna Grtoff. He died before 2 May 1777 (will proved). He married first about 1746 ANNA HERR. She was born about 1715, a daughter of Isaac Herr. She died at Pennsylvania before 1760. John married second after 1758 CATHERINE (________) ESHLEMAN. who died after 1780. Catherine had married first aftere 1743 JOHN JACOB ESHLEMAN. who was born at Switzerland on 4 July 1710 and died at Lancaster Coiunty on 23 February 1758. Catherine married third after 1777 BENJAMIN³ GROFF (Jacob², Hans (b. 1670)¹), who was born on 1727 and died on 1812. John Jacob Eshleman had previously married on 10 October 1740 ANNA BARBARA BARR, daughter of Martin Barr and Anna Elizabeth² Groff (Hans (b. 1665)¹). Anna Barbara was born on 22 February 1714 and died on 7 August 1743.^[10]

"Swamp John" Groff came to Pennsylvania with his father. He lived on Beaver Creek in Martic Township. He had four children by his first wife and six by his second.

ANNA GROFF (Michael², Johann Christian¹) was born at Lancaster County on December 1735 a daughter of Michael Groff and his wife Elizabeth Herr. She married on 5 August 1755 HENRY KENDIG.

JOHN³ GROFF (John², Johann Christian¹) was born at Lancaster County on 1753 a son of John Groff and his first wife Anna Herr . He died at Lancaster County on 19 October 1819. He married before 1775 SUSANNA KENDIG. She was born at Lancaster County on 3 August 1758, a daughter of Henry Kendig and his wife Anna Groff. She died on 25 July 1827.^[11]

Also sometimes called "Swamp John" Groff, he and Susanna had twelve children.

JACOB⁴ GROFF (John^3-2, Johann Christian¹) was born at Pennsylvania on 20 November 1796 a son of John Groff and his wife Susanna Kendig. He died on 23 November 1872. He married on 1824 MARY RUSH. She was born at Conestoga township, Lancaster County, on 4 October 1806, a daughter of Henry and Anna Rush. She died on 8 January 1871.^[12]

Jacob and Mary Groff lived in Conestoga Township, where the 1850 Census found them and reported the following:^[13]

Their first child, Annie, had married in 1846; their third child, Henry, died in 1833.

JOHN RUSH⁵ GROFF (Jacob⁴, John^3-2, Johann Christian¹) was born at Pennsylvania on 18 February 1827 a son of Jacob Groff and his wife Mary Rush . He died on 1891. He married on 19 October 1854 MARY KREIDER. She was born at Pennsylvania on 1 March 1834, a daughter of Christian Kreider and his wife Elizabeth Miller. She died at Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, on 18 November 1915.^[14]

The 1860 Census reported the young John Rush Groff family at Providence Township, Lancaster County (Smithville Post Office) as follows:^[15]

In 1870 this growing Groff family was again reported at Providence Township (Smithville Post Offcie):^[16]

The record also indicated that Mary, the mother, could now write, that Elizabeth, Mary, and Emma all attended school, and that Milton was born the previous November. Son Jacob, and another son, Henry, born in 1861, both died in 1863.

The 1880 Census reported the family at Provixdence Township, consisting of John R., farmer, 53, Mary, wife, 46, and children Lizzie, 24, Emma, 15, Aaron, 13, Milton, 10, John, 7, and Christian, 5.^[17]

In 1900 widow Mary (Kreider) Groff, 64, was living with her daughter Emma (Groff) Eshleman, her son-in-law, Jacob Eshleman, and six grandchildren in Providence Township, Lancaster County.^[18]

John Rush Groff and his wife Mary Kreider had ten children, including the following children:

1. ELIZABETH KREIDER⁶ GROFF b. at Pennsylvania on 13 August 1855.
2. JACOB⁶ GROFF b. at Pennsylvania on 9 March 1857; d. on 27 October 1863.^[19]
3. MARY A.⁶ GROFF b. at Pennsylvania about July 1859.^[20]
4. HENRY⁶ GROFF b. on 1861; d. on 1863.^[21]
5. EMMA⁶ GROFF^[22] b. at Pennsylvania on June 1864;m. about 1887-8 JACOB ESHLEMAN, b. at Pennsylvania on July 1867. Children of Emma and Jacob:
   1. Roy Eshleman b. at Pennsylvania on July 1888.
   2. John Groff Eshleman b. at Lancaster County on 4 June 1890, d. at Strasburg, Lancaster County, on 23 November 1952.
   3. Jacob G. Eshleman b. at Lancaster County on 13 January 1892, d. at Strasburg on 5 April 1958; m. Edith Pearl Bauer.
   4. Chester Eshleman b. at Lancaster County on 11 April 1894, d. at West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, on 22 May 1950.
   5. Martin Eshleman b. at Lancaster County on 2 May 1896, d. at Quarryville, Lancaster County, on 19 August 1947; m. Violet M. McComsey b. about 1899-1900.
   6. Mary Eshleman b. at Lancaster County on 5 May 1898, d. at West Lampeter township on 31 August 1953; m. ________ Lefever.
6. AARON⁶ GROFF^[23] b. at Pennsylvania on January 1867; m. about 1887-8 MARY E. SHENK, b. at Pennsylvania on August 1867. Children of Aaron and Mary:
   1. Harry Groff b. at Pennsylvania on July 1888.
   2. Aaron Sylvester Groff b. at Pennsylvania on 1 May 1893, d. at East Drumore township, Lancaster county, on 14 February 1915.
   3. Blanch Groff b.at Pennsylvania on January 1896.
   4. Raub C. Groff b. at Lancaster County on 19 May 1898, d. at Quarryville on 4 July 1949.
7. MILTON⁶ GROFF^[24] b. at Lancaster County on 21 November 1869; d. at East Drumore Township, Lancaster County, on 19 February 1934; m. about 1893-4 LOUELLA RINEER, b. at Lancaster County on 29 October 1875, d. at East Drumore Township on 11 May 1944, child of Aaron and Amanda Rineer. Children of Milton and Louella:
   1. Mary Groff b. at Quarryville on 16 April 1895, d. at Columbia, Lancaster County, on 25 May 1959; m. Henry M. Grider.
   2. Wilma M. Groff b. at East Drumore township on 24 February 1915, d. at Lancaster on 8 September 1968; m. Oliver C. Yuninger
8. JOHN K.⁶ GROFF^[25] b. at Pennsylvania on November 1871; d. on 1 January 1936; m. about 1896-7 FRANCES CHARLES, b. at Pennsylvania on April 1871. Children of John and Frances:
   1. Arthur Charles Groff b. at Pequea township, Lancaster County, on 17 March 1898. d. at West Lampeter Township on 24 May 1956.
   2. John W. Groff b. at Lancaster county on 8 September 1909, d. at Lancaster on 6 September 1937; m. Annie Mowery.
9. CHRISTIAN^6[26] GROFF b. at Lancaster County on 2 May 1875; d. at Lancaster, Lancaster County, on 19 October 1955; m. about 1897-8 LOUISE LEFEVER, b. at Lancaster County on 27 January 1874, d. at Eden Township, Lancaster County, on 3 April 1940, child of John H. Lefever and Susan B. Eshelman. Child of Christ and Louise:
   1. George K. Groff b. at Pennsylvania on 13 March 1903, d. at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 17 May 1939; m. Madeline Boston.

ELIZABETH KREIDER⁶ GROFF (John R.⁵, Jacob⁴, John^3-2, Johann Christian¹) was born at Pennsylvania on 13 August 1855, a daughter of John Rush Groff and his wife Mary Kreider. She married first before 1879 CHRISTIAN M. LEHMAN. She married second at Lancaster, Lancester County, on 22 December 1881 ALBERT MARTIN

¹Jane Evans Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, 13:2 (April 1990): p. 11.
²Ibid.
³Ibid.
⁴Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," 12. Jane Evans Best, "A Bear Saga: Albis to America," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, 9:4 (October 1986): 23.
⁵Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 11.
⁶Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 12. Clyde L. Groff, Walter B. Groff, and Jane Evans Best, The Groff Book: Vol. 1: A Good Life in a New Land (Ronks, East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Groff History Associates, 1985), 7.
⁷Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 12.
⁸Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 11. Groff, The Groff Book, 144.
⁹Groff, The Groff Book, 179. Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 11. Jane Evans Best, "Martin Kendig's Swiss Relatives," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, 15:1 (January 1992): p. 15.
¹⁰Groff, The Groff Book, p. 196. Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families," p. 11.
¹¹Groff, The Groff Book, p. 204. Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "Genealogical Card File," digital images of cards, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed ), John Groff.
¹²Amos K. Stauffer, Complete genealogical record of the descendants of grand-father Benjamin Groff (12-14-1814/3-8-1892): and a brief outline showing his ancestral line (Lancaster: by author, 1944), A-1-a-10.
¹³Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 787, p. 280A-B, household 421, Jacob Groff family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 9 May 2015); NARA Microfilm Publication M432; Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
¹⁴Byerland Mennonite Cemetery, Pequea Township (Willow Street), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 24 November 2020), John R.-Mary K. Groff; Created by: Tom Donahue (details provided by informant). Jane Evans Best, The Groff Book: Vol. 2: A Continuing Saga (Ronks, East Lampeter Townshi[p, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Groff History Associates, 1997), 179.
¹⁵Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1125, p. 597, household 89, John Groff family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
¹⁶Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1358, p. 161B, household 45, John R. Groff family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 15 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication M593, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
¹⁷Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 170, roll 1143, p.405A, household 1, John R. Groff family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 20 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication T9; Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
¹⁸Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population, Providence Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 100, p. 10, household 206, Jacob Eshelman family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 December 2020); NARA microfilm group T623; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
¹⁹Byerland Mennonite Cemetery, Pequea Township John R.-Mary K. Groff; Created by: Tom Donahue.
²⁰1860 Census, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1125, p. 597, household 89, John Groff family.
²¹Byerland Mennonite Cemetery, Pequea Township, John R.-Mary K. Groff; Created by: Tom Donahue.
²²Information on Emma's family is from: 1900 Census, Providence Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ED 100, p. 10, household 206, Jacob Eshelman family. Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 95775, John Groff Eshleman, 1952; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 December 2020); Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, Series 11.90. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; certificate 36861, Jacob G Eshleman Jr, 1958; certificate 42779, Chester Eshleman, 1950; certificate 71895, Martin C Eshleman, 1947; certificate 70942, Mary E Lefever, 1953.
²³Information on Aaron's family is from: 1900 Census, East Drumore, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ED 86, p. 1, household 2, Aaron Groff family. Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 15767, Aaron Sylvester Groff, 1915; certificate 61199, Raub C Groff, 1949.
²⁴Information on Milton's family is from: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 18728, Milton Groff, 1934; certificate 45900, Mrs Luella Groff, 1944; certificate 24794, Mary E Grider, 1959; certificate 091120 -68, Wilma M. Yuninger, 1968. 1900 Census, East Drumore, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ED 86, p. 1, household 3, Milton Groff family.
²⁵Information on John's family is from: 1900 Census, Pequea, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ED 98, p. 13, household 267, John K. Groff family. Amos K. Stauffer, Genealogical Record of the Greider-Kreider Family in America (N.p.: typed manuscript, 1947), v. 1, p. 131 (accessed at Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society). Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 44990, Authur Charles Groff, 1956; certificate 88146, Mr John W Groff, 1937.
²⁶Information on Christian Groff's family is from: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 87956, Christian Groff, 1955; certificate 40985, Mrs A Luie Groff, 1940.; certificate 43225, George K Groff, 1939. 1900 Census, East Drumore, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ED 86, p. 1, household 4, Chris Groff family.

Best, Jane Evans. "A Bear Saga: Albis to America." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 9:4 (October 1986): 14-25.

________. The Groff Book: Vol. 2: A Continuing Saga. Ronks, EWast Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, , Pennsylvania: Groff History Associates, 1997.

________. "Martin Kendig's Swiss Relatives." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 15:1 (January 1992): 2-18.

________. "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 13:2 (April 1990): 9-26.

Byerland Mennonite Cemetery, Pequea Township (Willow Street), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2020.

Groff, Clyde L. Walter B. Groff, and Jane Evans Best. The Groff Book: Vol. 1: A Good Life in a New Land. Ronks, East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. Pennsylvania: Groff History Associates, 1985.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. "Genealogical Card File." Digital images of cards. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2020.

Pennsylvania Department of Health. Death Certificates, 1906–1967. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2020.

Stauffer, Amos K. Complete genealogical record of the descendants of grand-father Benjamin Groff (12-14-1814/3-8-1892): and a brief outline showing his ancestral line. Lancaster: by author, 1944.

________. Genealogical Record of the Greider-Kreider Family in America. N.p.: typed manuscript, 1947.

United States Department of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2015.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.