Larrabee, Frank 1834 -1918
LARRABEE, COPP, LESTER, WILLIAMS
Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 7/27/2013 at 18:04:50
Postville Review, Friday, 5 April 1918.
Frank Larrabee, for sixty years a resident of Clayton county and a prominent and influential business man of McGregor for many years, died at his home in Connecticut Wednesday.
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Elkader Register & Argus, Thur., 11 Apr. 1918.
The REGISTER last week noted the death of Mr. Frank Larrabee, for many years an honored citizen of McGregor, and prominently associated with his brother, William Larrabee, in the life of politics of Iowa. Death occurred at Groton, Connecticut, at the age of 83.
Frank Larrabee was born in Ledyard, Conn., Sept. 10, 1834, the sixth son in the family of nine children of Capt. Adam Larrabee and Hannah Lester Larrabee. His mother died when he was three years old and from that time the family of nine boys and girls looked to their father for guidance. Captain Larrabee was one of the early graduates of West Point and served in the war of 1812. The idea of discipline there acquired made him unusually successful in keeping order in his home. He died at the age of 82, deeply revered by his children.
Following the example of two older brothers and a sister, Frank Larrabee on his twenty-first birthday started westward and settled in Iowa. After a winter of teaching and two years on a farm owned by his brother William and himself, he became manager of a flour mill at Clayton.
His brother-in-law, Elias H. Williams, later chief justice of the Iowa Supreme court, and George Whitman, who in after years became a wealthy lumberman at Winona, were partners with him in the milling business. Mr. Larrabee managed the mill successfully until 1872, when he removed to McGregor, where he and his brother William had bought out the interests of Merrill brothers in the First National bank. One of the Merrill brothers and one of the Larrabee brothers were destined to become Govenors of Iowa.
Mr. Larrabee continued president of the McGregor bank until 1912, when failing health required his retirement from business.In August, 1862, Mr. Larrabee was married to Sarah M. Copp of Groton, Conn. In 1912 they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. Three daughters were born. One died while attending Wellesley college. Two, Rachel and Betsy, survive their father. The latter was for a number of years professor of English at Ames.
In 1914 the family moved from McGregor to Groton, Conn., Mrs. Larrabee's old home. The following year she died. At the time and for two years beforehand Mr. Larrabee had been in poor health. He has gradually failed since, though maintaining his mental strength and interest until the last.
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Note: Burial is in Starr Burying Ground Cemetery
Groton, New London County, Connecticut
Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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