Charles W Hoffman Grabenhorst was named for a family friend, Charles W Hoffman, who served as the assistant librarian of the Library of Congress from 1873 to 1890, and who was also Librarian of the Supreme Court Law Library. He was born on 21 July, 1892 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, the fifth of eight children of William Henry and Eva Haight Grabenhorst. In 1902, William and Eva and their family moved to Oregon from Iowa. They purchased the Frank C. Baker farm, consisting of three hundred and twenty-seven acres located four miles south of Salem in the Pringle area of Marion County. A highway intersection incorporating the farm area would later be mapped as Grabenhorst Corners. William and Eva farmed the land until 1910 when they made the decision to subdivide the farm and sell it in small tracts of five acres while they moved into the city of Salem. That same year William and his older son, George Henry Grabenhorst, opened up W.H. Grabenhorst & Co. Real Estate in Salem. The company was very successful and would go on to become a prominent real estate company in the Salem area. Charles had no interest in the real estate business. After he finished public school at 8th grade, he signed up for a business college course at the Capital Business School at the urging of his parents but he was not happy being shut indoors and soon dropped the course. He loved the outdoors and wanted to be a farmer. He rented land in the Pringle area and and raised small fruits such as gooseberries, strawberries, loganberries and youngberries. He also raised cherries, prunes, hay and grain.

He met Beatrice "Bea" Adams at a box social held at Pringle School where Bea's sister Josie was teaching about 1911-1912. Bea was born on 5 Jan 1897 in Munden, Republic, Kansas, the eighth of twelve children of of Gilbert Royal Adams and Margaret "Maggie" Morford. Bea's father was a restless man and the family moved twelve times in seventeen years. At the time of her marriage to Charles, Bea's family was living on a farm four miles west of Salem in Polk County where they had moved in 1906 and where they finally put down roots. Charles and Bea were married on 31 July 1915.  After their marriage he and Bea lived at two other farms in the same neighborhood before settling in 1926 at their long time home at 2192 Baxter Road SE, on part of the original Grabenhorst land bought in 1902. In addition to his own farming, Charlie was in charge of the hog farms at Fairview Home for many years.

Charles and Bea had two sons:

Charles W  (Chas) Grabenhorst Jr. was born on 2 Feb 1920 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. He went to Pringle grade school and to Salem High School where he graduated in 1938. He went to work for the Oregon State Highway Department and then Lockheed Aircraft for 2 years. He then returned to Salem and farmed for awhile, entering into a partnership with his father on 76 acres near Interstate 5 south of their home farm. After his father died in 1974 he started working in construction. On 22 August1942 Charles married Margaret D. Jamieson. Charles and Margaret had three children: Jean born in 1945, Paula born in 1947 and Ian born in 1949. All three children were born in Salem. In 1950 Chas and Margaret divorced and Margaret and the three children moved back to Margaret's home town in Condon, Oregon. Margaret was the Gilliam County Treasurer many years. She died in 1984. On Sept. 9, 1951 Chas married Patricia McGuire . Patricia's sister was Laura McGuire who was married to Chas' brother Hank Grabenhorst. Chas and Laura had three children: David born in 1954, Carrie born in 1956 and Sam born in 1967. Tragedy struck 25 Oct 1973 when their son, David, was killed in an automobile accident. In 1998 Chas and Patricia moved to Evanston, Wyoming to be near their son, Sam and his daughter, Carrie Sides. Chas suffered from Alzheimer's before his death on 6 Jan 1991 in Evanston.

Henry Christian (Hank) was born on 20 July 1922 in Salem. Hank went to Pringle grade school and graduated from Salem High School in 1941. After graduation, Henry attended Oregon State University from September 1941 to January 1942; then entered a class of airplane mechanics. He obtained employment with the US Army Engineers and worked in Yukon Territory, Alaska, from May 1st to September 30, 1942. He then entered the US Naval Air Force, taking his boot training at Camp Farragut in Idaho; was sent to Norman, Oklahoma for training as an aviation machinist; then to Aerial Gunnery School at Purcell, Oklahoma, graduating with honors, highest in his class. In 1943, after training at Jacksonville, Florida, on PBY's he was sent to Pearl Harbor, from which he went as a replacement to the South Pacific, where he flew on a headquarters plane as Aviation Machinist Mate. Hank was at Tarawa and the Marshall Islands, and flew in several island invasions, as patrol and air rescue unit with an air-cover group. Returning home in July 1945, he was sent o Pensacola, Florida, for further training; was discharged at Seattle, Washington, in January 1946. Resuming his college education, he entered Oregon State University in September 1947, majoring in Agricultural Engineering, with emphasis on soils and agriculture, graduating in June 1950. He was employed by the US Department of Agriculture as a soil conservationist, serving first at Moro, Sherman County, Oregon. After 131/2 years he was transferred, first to Fossil, Wheeler County, and then 18 months later to Medford, Oregon where he remained for 5 years. After 1970 he was sent to Pendleton where he had charge of 3 counties-Umatilla, Moro, and Gilliam-as project coordinator for the Columbia-Blue Mountain Reclamation, Conservation and Development Project. In 1973, he was transferred to his home town of Salem. Sadly, on 2 Jun 1974 at the age of 51, Henry died unexpectedly at home from a heart attack. 

Charles always enjoyed fishing and hunting in Central and Eastern Oregon, and he and Bea spent two vacations fishing at Murphy Lake in British Columbia.

Charles died at age 82 on 8 September,1974. Bea died at age 89 on February 5, 1996. They are buried in City View Cemetery in Salem.

Obituaries

Charles W Grabenhorst

Statesman Journal Obituary: September 8, 1974
 
Charles W. Grabenhorst, 82, 2191 Baxter Rd SE, died at home Friday. Grabenhorst was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but moved to Salem as a child with his family. He farmed south of Salem for many years and then was in charge of the hog barns at Fairview Hospital until his retirement 10 years ago. He is survived by widow Bernice; son Charles Jr.; sisters Evelyn Doane, Portland and Nell McAllister, Salem; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Services are pending at Virgil T. Golden mortuary.

Beatrice Adams Grabenhorst

Statesman Journal Obituary: February 7, 1986

Bernice A Grabenhorst, 89, of Portland, formerly a resident of Salem, died Wednesday. Born in Munden, Kan, she moved to Oregon in 1897 and to a farm in Orchard Heights, which members of her family still operate, in 1906. She later lived in the Pringle area, and was a member of the United Methodist Church. Survivors include her son, Charles W, Jr., of Salem. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in City View Cemetery. Arrangements are by Virgil T. Golden mortuary. Contributions may be made to the Oregon Heart Association.

Henry Christian "Hank" Grabenhorst

Salem Statesman Journal Sept. 8, 1974

Henry C. Grabenhorst, 51, 4855 Pullman Ave. SE, died at home Sunday of an apparent heart attack. Grabenhorst was a Salem native and a graduate of the old Salem High School. He had been employed for 30 years as a soil conservationist for the federal Soil Conservation Service. He is survived by widow Laura; daughters Mrs. James Turner, Portland, and Jackie Grabenhorst, Salem; sons Eugene, Medford, and Richard Byram, Klamath Falls; brother C.W. Grabenhorst Jr.; six grandchildren. Services are pending at Virgil T. Golden mortuary.

Laura McGuire Grabenhorst (wife of Henry Christian "Hank" Grabenhorst)

Gresham Outlook: May 7, 2011

Laura Grabenhorst
March 3, 1925-Dec. 20, 2010
Troutdale resident Laura Grabenhorst, 85, died Dec. 20, 2010. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Open Door Baptist Church, 27710 S.E. Strebin Road, Troutdale. Laura was born March 3, 1925, in Nooksack, Wash., to Carl and Mary Ann McGuire, the third of seven children. She moved to Grants Pass as a young child and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1942.On Sept. 10, 1947, she married Henry C. Grabenhorst. She was preceded in death by her husband on June 4, 1974; her sisters, Jeannette Nichols and Esther Grabenhorst; and brother, Carl McGuire. Survivors include her children, Richard Byram of Weston, Margo Turner of Troutdale, Eugene Grabenhorst of Medford and Jackie Noles of Beaverton; sisters, Ivadel Schmaus of California and Jennie Francis of Yachats; brother, Milas McGuire of Madras; nine grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Charles W "Chas" Grabenhorst Jr.

Salem Statesman Journal: Wednesday January 9, 1991

Charles W. Grabenhorst
Feb2, 1920 - Jan. 6, 1991
Evanston, Wyo. - Charles W. Grabenhorst, 70, died Sunday in Evanston, Wyo.
A native of Salem, he lived in Oregon most of his life. In 1988 he moved to Wyoming. He married Margaret D. Jamieson on Aug. 22, 1942; they were later divorced. He married Patricia McGuire on Sept. 9, 1951. Survivors include his wife; daughters, Jean Bunker of Hillsboro, Paula Derr of Portland, and Carrie Sides of Casper, Wyo.; sons, Ian of Sheridan and Sam of Salem; and seven grandchildren. Memorial services were held in Evanston. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, P.O. Box 10051, Portland 97210

Esther Patricia "Pat" McGuire Grabenhorst (second wife of Charles W "Chas" Grabenhorst Jr.)

Salem Statesman Journal August 15, 1995

Esther "Pat" Grabenhorst
Jan.15, 1933 - Aug. 13, 1995
Casper, Wyo. - Esther Grabenhorst, 62, died Sunday. A native of Roseburg, she grew up in the Salem-Jefferson area. She graduated from Jefferson High School in 1951 and lived in Oregon for many years. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting. Survivors include her daughter, Carrie L. Sides of Casper; son, Samuel E. of Newport; mother, Mary Ann McGuire of Waldport; four sisters, two brothers; and three grandchildren. Memorial services will be 6 p.m. Wednesday in Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses.

David Charles Grabenhorst (son of Charles W "Chas" Grabenhorst Jr. and Esther Patricia "Pat" McGuire Grabenhorst

Salem Statesman Journal: Oct 23, 1973

David Charles Grabenhorst
Late resident of 8282 Redstone Ave S.E. Salem. Sat Oct 20 in a local hospital.. Survivors include parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grabenhorst, Salem; grandparents, Mrs. Mary McGuire, Olivehurst, Calif, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grabenhorst Sr. Salem; brothers Samuel Grabenhorst, Salem, Jamie Grabenhorst, Ellensburg, Wash, sisters, Carrie L Grabenhorst, Salem, Mrs. Paula Derr, Portland, Mrs. Jean Bunker, Sisters, Ore. Services will be Tuesday Oct 23 at 3:00 p.m. in the Howell-Edwards-Doerkson Chapel of the Gardens, 1350 Commercial SE. Allen Anderson officiating.

Articles

These biographical excerpts are from the family history book Ancestors and Descendants of Jeremiah Adams, 1794-1883 by Enid Eleanor Smith Adams, published 1974

	Title Page
	Page 446				Two photographs of July 16, 1961 reunion at Charles and Beatrice's farm
	Page 447		Section 347		Beatrice Adeline Adams and Charles W Hoffman Grabenhorst
	Page 550		Section 685		Charles W Grabenhorst Jr.
	Page 551		Section 686		Henry Christian Grabenhorst
	Page 630		Section 1257 Section 1258 Section 1259 Section 1260		Jean Ann Grabenhorst Henrietta Pauline (Paula) Grabenhorst Ian Jamieson Grabenhorst David Charles Grabenhorst
	Page 631		Section 1263 Section 1264 Section 1265		Margo Lea Grabenhorst Eugene Lee Grabenhorst Jackie Dee Grabenhorst
	Page 333 to 344		Section 141		Gilbert Royal Adams and Margaret "Maggie" Morford This excerpt is about Bea's parents' life. It is an interesting read, both for the biographical information as well as the information on what life was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Scots Celebrate Traditions, Families, Clans, Tartans at 15th Robert Burns Supper

This newspaper article from the February 2, 2012 edition of the Condon, Oregon Times Journal has a section and photograph on Margaret Jamieson, Charles Grabenhorst Jr.'s first wife, and their children.