Michelbach on der Bilz has feudalistic origins. George Friedrich's father George, as shown on Friedrich's birth certificate is listed as soldier, meaning he "worked in the castle" and lived in the castle or adjacent to it. The castle is a very large feudalistic home which is still standing but is now used for a Gymnasium (school 1964).

No civil records exist in Germany prior to 1870, no land records are available to say exactly where Georg Groh's family lived. All records were kept by the church, and the church, called Martin's Church, still stands. The church is located near the center of the community. It was erected in the tenth century with the name being derived from Martin, who was a great spiritual leader in the eighth century. The fact that the church has been standing so long as the spiritual center of Michelbach is an indication of the age of the town. Georg Friedrich and his brothers and sisters were raised in Michelbach an der Bilz and worshipped in this church. Many people left Germany around the middle of the eighteenth century because there was not work. Many families went to Russia, migrated back to Poland, and in 1945 returned to this same area of Germany. On the family group sheet with Friedrich as a child, there are two other children without death dates. One in particular, Georg Groh, might have also come to America. It is apparent that the remainder of his brothers and sisters, totaling eleven children, died in Germany. No one with the name of Groh still lives in Michelbach (1964). One of the stores in Schwabisch Hall has Groh in its name, apparently the proprietor's name, and within the early part of the twentieth century a Friedrich Groh lived in Michelbach. Georg Groh was born in Michelbach an der Bilz, but his mother was born in Uttenhofen. Uttenhofen is smaller and does not seem to have the same fuedalistic origin as Michelbach. Both of George Friedrich's grandfathers Adam Grohe and Joseph Kuetterer were born in Uttenhofen. The earliest Grow ancestor was Michael Graw, who was born in 1577 in Spoeck near Ottendorf. It is apparent that these families did not, in general, move around very much as the area of the map does not cover much area. The records for George Friedrich Groh's ancestors seem to be located in three Lutheran parishes in Michelbach an de Bilz, Ottendorf, and Westheim.

Since Graw and Kiderer were the original spellings of the names, they are included on the family group sheets. (Much of the above information was obtained from the Burgermeister of Michelbach and der Bilz who was well informed and speaks fairly good English.)

Family Group information was obtained from the Lutheran Parish records Michelbach by correspondence Egon Oertel 1965. - Included in the Grow Family Organization Annual Reports by Richard W. Grow.