I don't have a lot of Littell pictures, since that family moved into Manning and then later moved away, other than Ann.
Here are some examples of Tom Grau's family ancestry.
My grandmother Ida (Grau) Kusel, was as sister to Tom's dad, Emil.

Emil Grau, Sr. 1945

Services for EMIL DETHLEF GRAU

Born November 8, 1885 Washington Township Carroll County, Iowa
Entered Into Rest August 12, 1947 St. Anthony Hospital Age 61 years, 9 months, 4 days
Services Held at Zion Lutheran Church Manning August 14, 1947
Clergyman Pastor John M. Ansorge
Interment Manning Cemetery August 14, 1947
Pall Bearers Otto Hansen, Albert Klocke, John Mohr, Virgil Genzen, Alfred Spies, Charles Gruhn
THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still water. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me: Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anoitest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Emil D. Grau Dies; Hurt In Farm Mishap
Manning Farmer Fell From Hayrack July 23; Rites Pending
Emil D. Grau, 62, Manning farmer, died at 12:05 a.m. today at St. Anthony Hospital, Carroll, of injuries received in a fall from a hayrack.
MR. GRAU, who suffered a broken pelvis, hip, and arm, had been in the hospital since he was injured July 23.
The body is at the Ohde Funeral home in Manning, awaiting completion of arrangements.
Mr. Grau, a longtime resident of this vicinity, lived on a farm east of Manning.
SURVIVORS include his wife, the former Magda Holm, who is a native of Germany, and seven children: Leora and Louise, Omaha; Rose, Alfred, Erwin, Tommy and Emil, Manning. He also leaves several sisters and brothers.
Carroll Times Herald, August 12, 1947

Manning Farmers Cut, And Shock Oats For An Injured Neighbor
Neighbors gathered at the Emil Grau home Thursday to cut and shock about 40 acres of oats for Mr. Grau, who has been a patient at St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll, since he fell from a hay rack some time ago, breaking an arm and fracturing a hip.
Included in the group were Virgil Genzen, Jack Mohr, Albert Klocke and son, Alfred Hansen, Alfred Spies and son, Herman Sonksen, Max Gruhn, Charley Gruhn, James Rothfolk, and August Kusel.
The wives of these men came to the Grau farm to assist, in preparing dinner for the workers.
Carroll Times Herald, August 8, 1947

AT FUNERAL
Out-of-town persons attending funeral services for Emil Grau last week included Mrs. Emma Grau and Dr. Amandus Grau, Denison; Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Grau and Albert Grau and daughter, Manilla; Joe Nemecek, Omaha, Nebraska, Mr. and Mrs. John Meister, Lake City; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Pluekhahn, Carroll; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Nelson, Lanesboro; Herman Kusel, Omaha; Alfred Meyers, Westside; Mrs. Kurth and son, Emil, Lidderdale, and Marie Kurth, Glidden.
Carroll Times Herald, August 22, 1947

Emil Grau, Sr. 1885

May 27, 1951 picnic

Magda (Holm) Grau

Magda Grau remembers immigrating from Germany
November 16, 1989 Manning Monitor
Magda Grau sits in her south Manning home surrounded by pictures of seven children, 20 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great-grandchildren and memories from the 65 years she has lived in the United States. As a young girl, just finished with the eighth grade, her parents sent her to Denmark to work.

"The Danes hired German girls because we would work cheaper," Grau said. "I was hired for farm work and since they already had a housegirl I worked in the fields. This lasted for over two years and then I was sent back home to Flensburg."

There was no work in Germany and some distant relatives in Manning, the Hansen family, asked Grau if she wanted to come over. She arrived by boat at Ellis Island in 1923.

"I was shamefully treated on Ellis Island. All of my belongings and the belongings of two other German girls were taken away. We were given a robe to wear and had to give them all of our clothes," Grau added. "A very nice American woman knew some German and noticed our hair was disheveled and asked if we needed a comb. She provided some basic toiletries for us."

On the Island a bell sounded each morning to wake the immigrants and they had to make their bed and rush to the food tables. The tables were heaped with loaves of bread, oranges and other items.

"There were many Italians on the Island and they were not very polite. I think most of them were very hungry and they just grabbed as much as they could and didn't leave much for the rest of us," Grau stated.

When her month of incubation was over she traveled to Manning to work. A position with the Grau family as a housekeeper was waiting for her. After one year she married the oldest boy, Emil. They had seven children.

"I can't complain about my life at all. The Lord has been very good to me and I have to thank him everyday," Grau added. "I had such a good husband and I got to go back to visit Germany three times. At 86 years of age I can still read, write and sew. I talk on the phone with my younger sister in Germany. I am a very blessed woman."

Grau feels that when she came to the United States relations between the two countries were not very good. In the years that followed World War II also caused many to be careful about their German ties. She is excited that the Weihnachtsfest activities are bringing pride in the German heritage of Manning.

"I wish we could talk German, have a German class or club and that our young people would be taught this beautiful language," Grau stated. "I know it was not always popular to speak German, and many times we were forced to keep silent or be termed a traitor to the U.S. I think those days are past and perhaps now is the time to revive the German language in the Manning area.

Additional comments by Dave Kusel on the subject of Weihnachtsfest and also not speaking German at times that Magda discussed above.
First I want to comment about other stories I've heard about the difficulties many Manning immigrants had while going through Ellis Island. The officials had to be careful when dealing with thousands of immigrants and the diseases they could be carrying and didn't have the medical facilities and technology we have today, and they also would have noticed Magda's lazy eye which I'm sure was part of the difficulties she had while being processed. But it is very commendable with her attitude she had in later years - she wasn't bitter or held grudges...things all of us could learn from.

I won't mention his name and he is also a Grau descendant but he had a different attitude about Weihnachtsfest in Manning.
He was seriously wounded during WWII fighting the Germans so when he returned home he didn't want to speak German or be around other area residents who primarily spoke German.
So while Magda was mistreated coming through Ellis Island and also felt the anti-German animosity that had existed in Manning after WWI and later she experienced during WWII in Manning, she still loved her ancestry, but this WWII relative had a different perspective about his German ancestry...although I don't recall him hating that he had German ancestry when I would visit with him - BUT his emphasis was as a proud American.

I loved the German brogue that Magda had and in the 1980s I wanted to video tape interview her so I visited with Tommy, but he later told me that a couple of family members talked her out of it.
Dave Kusel

Thanks to Mike Nemecek for bringing me his family collection to scan in 2013, many of which are featured below...