Christian, George Melville 1847-1932

CHRISTIAN, PATRICK, LYON, ROWSE, BUMP

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 9/16/2012 at 20:46:22

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; May 3, 1932

DISTINGUISHED LIFE OF HON. GEORGE M. CHRISTIAN IS OVER

Hon. George M. Christian passed away at 3:30 this morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A.C. Lyon, with whom he had lived since failing health and strength forced him to give up the family home at the corner of Fourth avenue and Park street, where he had lived for so many years. If he had survived until the 19th of next June he would have been 85 years old.

Funeral services will be held from the home of Mrs. Lyon Thursday afternoon, probably at 4 o'clock.

The life of Hon. George M. Christian offers a fascinating story. He lived in an interesting time and all his life long he had a faculty for knowing interesting people and for taking part in interesting events. He was a boy in Chicago when Chicago was young. He was a poor boy, who worked his way gradually to a position of honor and influence. He held important offices and filled them with faithfulness, diligence and ability. During his active days he was a power in the republican politics of the state.

And with all this, his daughters remember him as a home man. He loved his home. He loved his wife and his children. He loved his grandchildren and he loved all children. He was never happier than when he had children around him. It will not be forgotten of him that it was his generosity which made possible the gift of Bibles each year to the children of the Congregational church school who reached the age of seven. He made this annual gift of money because he loved children and loved to make them happy.

George Christian was a friendly man. He made friends readily and held them long. He knew governors and senators and congressmen. He also knew the humblest man down the street. He was friends with all of them because it was his nature to be friendly.

The Christian home on Fourth avenue for many years was a center of hospitality, of music, and of culture. Mrs. Christian was a pianist of rare talent and for many years no musical occasion in Grinnell was complete without her. One daughter, Miss Jessie Christian is a talented soprano who has appeared in grand opera abroad and in this country, has made a success on the recital stage and is now active in Chicago musical circles. The Herald editor will never forget a dinner in honor of ex-mayors of Grinnell, given by Mr. Christian, who himself had filled that office. Though not an ex-mayor The Herald man was privileged to attend and he will never forget the friendly cordiality which surrounded that festive board. Mr. Christian loved such occasions as this. He loved to have his friends about him. He lived well and tasted richly of the good things of life and all these things he loved to share with his friends.

In his active days George Christian was robust, hearty and cordial. He had unusual capabilities for public and business life and for friendship. It was only natural that he should be drawn into the hotel business for his talents lay that way. For a number of years he was he proprietor of a chain of hotels, which included some of the best known hostelries in Iowa. With his partner, H.L. Hedrick, he owned at one time the Allison hotel in Cedar Rapids, the Lacey in Oskaloosa, the Keokuk in Keokuk, besides four in Des Moines, the Elliott, the Antlers, the Oxford and the Second Hotel Savery. At different times he served as president of the Northwestern Hotel Keepers' association, president of the Des Moines Hotel Keepers' association and president of the Iowa Hotel Men's association.

There is not sufficient time nor space to relate in this issue all the detailed activities of this busy life. George Melville Christian was born in Chicago June 19, 1847, in a house which stood where the Rock Island station now stands. His father, David William Christian served four years in the 51st Illinois infantry during the Civil war. His mother, before her marriage, was Lucy Anna Patrick of Ware, Mass. George attended public school in Chicago and later the Bryant & Stratton Commercial college in Davenport. This was all his "schooling." He received his education in the hard school of life.

When he was a young boy he earned his first money by folding papers for the Press and Tribune in Chicago. The first two quarters which he earned and proudly carried home to his mother are still preserved in the family archives. His first steady job was acting as messenger for Stephen A. Douglass, while that famous democrat was president of the United States fair in Chicago in 1860. In 1861 he was a news agent on the Rock Island railroad from Chicago to Kellogg, then the western terminus of the line. He became a telegrapher while working at Pond Creek, Ill., for H.F. Royce, later superintendent of the Rock Island, who then had a general store there and also acted as station agent. He was employed as an expert operator in Tiskilwa and Morris, Ill., and also in the superintendent's office in Davenport. In 1868 he foreshadowed his later activity in the hotel business by owning and operating a restaurant at 174 South Clark street, in Chicago.

Mr. Christian came to Grinnell as station agent for the Rock Island in 1870 and it was not long before, in partnership with Hiram Johnson, he purchased the Grinnell House, which he conducted until 1877. In the spring of that year, he purchased what was then Grinnell's leading hotel, the Chapin house, which stood on the ground between the Rock Island tracks and Third avenue, which he conducted until 1890. For three years, from 1885 until 1888 he leased and operated the big summer hotel at Colfax Springs.

In 1889 Mr. Christian entered public life when he was appointed superintendent of the railway mail service by Gen. J.S. Clarkson, then first assistant postmaster general. He held this position for fifteen months and July 1, 1890, was appointed postoffice inspector by John Wanamaker, postmaster general. He was so efficient in this work that he held office through change after change in administration until he resigned March 1, 1898, to accept the position of United States marshal for the southern disrict of Iowa, with headquarters in Des Moines, which he held until he retired from active life not many years ago.

Mr. Christian's political activities in the republican party were varied and honorable. He started by serving as alderman and mayor of Grinnell. He was for a number of years chairman of the republican county central committee and a member of the state committee from the Sixth district, serving as chairman of the finance committee. In 1888 he was a delegate to the republican national convention in Chicago and was chairman of the finance committee of the Iowa delegation. He had charge of the organization of the Allison campaign for the presidential nomination in that convention He was a delegate to all the republican state conventions for a long period of years, until he retired from active politics.

It was not Mr. Christian's fault that he was not a Civil war veteran. He was only fourteen years old when the war broke out but tried several times to enlist, only to be refused an account of extreme youth. He was a Mason, a Knight Templar, a member of Za Ga Zig Temple of the Shrine, an Elk and was formerly a member of the Grant club in Des Moines. He also served as a trustee of the Congregational church.

Mr. Christian was married in 1869 to Miss Margaret M. Rowse of Davenport, who preceded him in death a few years ago. To them were born four children, one son, George H., deceased, and three daughters, Miss Jessie Christian of Chicago, Mrs. Alma Lyon of Grinnell and Mrs. Sumner Bump of Burlingame, Calif. There are also two grandchildren, Bonnie and Betty Bump.