Charles B. Towle 1875-1951

TOWLE, CURTIS, ARMSTRONG, COZIER

Posted By: Michael J. Kearney (email)
Date: 11/27/2005 at 21:20:21

The Clinton Herald November 8, 1951 Charles B. Towle, 76, native of Clinton and a director of Curtis Companies Inc., died this morning in Lincoln, Neb., where he had resided for many years. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Lincoln. Those attending from Clinton will include Miss Florence Curtis, Miss Jacqueline Armstrong, George M. Curtis and E.J. Curtis Jr. Mr. Towle was born here Sept. 10, 1875, son of Phineas Stewart and Mary (Brother) Towle. He was graduated from Williston seminary in 1894 and Rensselaer Poly, institute in 1898. He married Lucy Bonney Curtis in Jan. 4, 1902. The were the parents of three children, Mrs. John Cozier (Mary Katherine) of Cleveland, Ohio, Mrs. Thomas Varney Jr. (Priscilla) of Broken Bow, Neb., and Charles Curtis Towle of Los Angeles, Calif., all of whom survive. He was engaged in mining operations in Colorado, South Dakota, Missouri and Mexico during the next three years he was active in railroad construction work in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. From 1903 until the time of his death was prominent in the field of woodwork manufacturing. He was vice president of Curtis Companies Inc., and until his retirement also general manager of the company's Lincoln division. He also was vice president of the C.F. Curtis Co., Inc., and director of the First National bank of Lincoln. Mr. Towle served in the Spanish-American war. He was a member of the council of defense in 1917, on the state board of mediation in 1921, president of the Lincoln Community Chest 1927-28, vice president of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Deep Waterway association, chairman committee on stabilizaiton of employment, member National Manufacturers association, 1912-13, president Lincoln Manufacturers association 1925-27, and president Lincoln Builders bureau, 1930. He was extremely active in civic and fraternal affairs in Lincoln, being a member of the National Economic League, Delta Kappa Epsilon, a Mason, member and ex-president of both the University and Country clubs, and of the Candlelight, Round Table and Patriarch groups. Surviving in addition to his children are two brothers, Henry S. of Clinton and Stewart W. of Clear Water, Fla., three granddaughters and four grandsons.
Lincoln, Nebraska newspaper Funeral services will be held Saturday for Charles B. Towle, 76, longtime prominent Lincoln businessman, who died Thursday after an illness. He was a resident of the Cornhusker hotel. The rites will be conducted at 11 a.m. at Wadlow's chapel, Rev. C. Vin White officiating, Cornelia Cole at the organ. Burial will be at Wyuka. Pallbearers will be: J.H. Waite, J.G. Gilmour, J.H. Hergert, D.D. Chapman, M.H. Haase, A.R. Eccelsfield. Mr. Towle was general manager of the Curtis companies here until 1945. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Curtis Towle, Lincoln; two daughters, Mrs. John Kenneth Cozier, Cleveland, O., and Mrs. Thomas Tiffany Varner, jr., of Broken Bow; a son Charles Curtis Towle, Brentwood, Calif.; two brothers, Henry S., Clinton, Ia., and S.W. of Clearwater, Fla.; and seven grandchildren. For many years Mr. Towle had been active in business circles. He was a director of the First National bank, the First Trust company, Curtis companies, Curtis Bros. & Co., and Curtis and Yale company. He was president of the Lincoln chamber of commerce in 1921 and had served on several of its most important committees. He had been president of both the Nebraska and Lincoln Manufacturers associations and vice chairman for Nebraska of the national association. Interested in Boy Scout work, he was a past member of the executive committee of the city group. He served as an engineering corporal in the Spanish-American war in Puerto Rico and was a member of the state veteran's organization. During World war I he was a member of the council of defense, served on the exemption board and was an officer of the U.S. employment service. He was a member of Round Table, Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Patriarchs clubs. In 1927 and 1928 he was president of the Community chest. He also headed the University club during 1931 and the Country Club in 1938. He was a past vice president of the Lincoln Builder's bureau and vice president for Nebraska of the St. Lawrence deep waterways conference. He was a member of the National Economic league, a Mason and past potentate of the Shrine. Mr. Towle was born in Clinton, Ia., September 10, 1875. He graduated from Clinton high school in 1893 and later attended Williston seminary at East Hampton, Mass. In 1898 he graduated from Rennsselar Polytechnic Institute. Following college, he worked as a mining engineer in several western states and later as construction engineer for the Missouri-Kansas and Texas railway company. In 1903 he became a resident of Lincoln. Here he was in charge of the local plant of the Curtis company of Clinton which later became the manufacturing firm of Curtis, Towle and Paine and still later the Curtis companies. After 42 years as general manager he retired early in 1945 to become vice president with greatly lessened duties. The Towle home was formerly at Eighteenth and E.
Editorial Lincoln newspaper Mr. Charles B. Towle had been a great asset to the community. He was proud of Lincoln, ambitious for it, ever ready and willing to contribute generously to any undertaking which added to its well-being or its progress. The civic responsibilities which he cheerfully accepted in unassuming spirit were countless. For two successive years he served as president of the Lincoln Community Chest, occupied a like post with the University club, the Lincoln Country club. One of the activities which gave him a great deal of satisfaction came as a member of the executive committee of the Lincoln organization of Boy Scouts. He likewise gave a great deal of thought and time to committee service with the group appointed by the late J.E. Miller, which after months of painstaking study developed Lincoln's plan of going to the Platte river for an adequate, dependable supply of city water, one of the most ambitious and far-sighted untertakings upon which this community has embarked. He served as president of both the Nebraska and Lincoln Manufactuerers associations, vice-chairman for Nebraska of the National association, vice-president for Nebraska of the St. Lawrence Deep Waterways Conference. He was an active Mason and past potentiate of the Shrine. Mr. Towle was plain-spoken and blunt in expressing his convictions, but always he was ever so thoughtful, gentle, considerate and kindly. He had a smile of greeting from an exceptionally wide circle of friends, a cheerfulness, an inherent sense of chivalry that endeared him to his associates. He exercised a very considerable influence upon the thought of his home community, always in the spirit of unselfish, inspired public service.