Grumbling Family & Cast Iron Dogs

GRUMBLING, PITCHER, CORKHILL, GARDNER, LAIRD, WALKER

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 8/19/2013 at 14:05:50

Word reaches us of the death of Mr. Alpheus Grumbling at his home at Tacoma, Wash., the 11th of this month. He was the son of Prof. and Mrs. C.M. Grumbling, well remembered by our older folks, as a member of the faculty of Iowa Wesleyan, serving as professor of science for fifteen years, 1883-1898.

Prof. Grumbling's lecture room was the southeast room on the ground floor of Old Main, teaching physics and chemistry. His laboratory was the northwest room on the same floor. He was a lovable person and remembered affectionally. The Grumbling home for most of the time the family resided in Mt. Pleasant was on North Main and where Mrs. J.W. Laird now resides [Note: 404 North Main]. The Grumbling residence was a large two story brick of historic interest, but razed to make room for the present modern structure.

Of particular interest to old timers, who read these notes, was the front entrance to the old mansion. There more romance flowered than any other spot in town, aside perhaps the environs of Boulder Lake. At the approach to the wide verandah were two cast iron dogs. They were large enough to allow a loving couple to sit side by side on the dog's back. when the historic old residence was demolished, the two iron dogs passed into the hands of Dr. A.O. Pitcher, and still stand guard over the front entrance of the Alice Pitcher Walker home on South Main. The dogs, by the way were, really war booty, and were brought from a Southern Plantation home by Col. George Corkhill, who was serving in the Union army during the Civil War.

Mr. and Mrs. Grumbling passed away some years ago. Of the three children remembered by old timers, Julia graduated from Wesleyan with the class of 1894. She later became the wife of Pearl Gardner of her class, who died in 1939. His wife soon after moved to Los Angeles, and recently to Tacoma. the second daughter of Prof. and Mrs. Grumbling was Sadie, the violinist, who did not graduate. She never married and also lives at Tacoma. Alpheus, the son, early found a home at Tacoma, entered business and for 30 years owner of the Grumbling Department store in that city.

[Bystander Notes, "Mt. Pleasant News", November 19, 1947]