G-11-1 Anna Gruner Ressler (1864-1957)
Anna Margaret Gruner - Sam Ressler
Cozy Hollow - Established about 1911
274 Union City Road, Union City, MI
G-1.1-1 Anna Gruner Ressler (1864-1957) was the oldest child of Karl Ferdinand
Gruner (1835-1912), a Civil War veteran who came to this country at age 17,
learned English, moved to Monroe, MI, where he joined the Union Army in 1862
after assuming the name of Charles F Gruner. He was a painter of church interiors,
landscapes and Civil War action pictures. He died in this house in 1912, his daughter's
home. While interviewing the present owners they gave Charles W. Gruner old
papers pertaining to Charles F. found stuck between the rafters.
Anna and Sam lived in Illinois and Oregon until they bought this farm in Branch
County in 1911, where they opened the first State approved poultry farm.
After Sam died she moved to Oregon to live with a son, Harold Gruner Ressler.
Anna sold the farm to Pete Borne, a German immigrant, who was tragically
killed about 1960 when he drove out the driveway and was hit by a youth
driving at a high rate of speed, killing them both.
Present owners are William and Shirley Schley who acquired the
property about 1990 and set about to restore the house and buildings. William
and his son are in the construction business and the first project was to strengthen
the barn. A 125 foot concrete slab is now where the poultry house stood. They
rebuilt the house and added an 8 foot basement and because the house was
originally stucco they recovered it along with the addition built on the back.
It took 22 tons of stucco material. Today the home looks as it did 60 years
ago, a tribute to the reconstruction vision of William and Shirley who have even
retained the name "Cozy Hollow" vividly displayed on the barn.
 Music Playing - Far Away Times
©copyright NCG/MSZ 2003-2005
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