Documents and Articles

Obituaries

George Henry Grabenhorst Sr.

Obituary: Salem Statesman Journal September 19, 1966

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G.H. Grabenhorst, Civic leader, Dies
George H. Grabenhorst, Sr., 78, Salem business and civic leader more more than half a century, died Sunday in a Salem hospital following a brief illness. Senior partner in Grabenhorst Brothers Reality, which he operated with his three sons, Grabenhorst had been in the real estate business here since 1910. He had been active in the business until becoming ill and being hospitalized Sept. 7. Survivors include the widow Mrs. Caroline Coburn Grabenhorst at the family home, 1655 Fir St S.
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G.H. Grabenhorst Sr.
Arrangements for George H. Grabenhorst Sr., 78, who died Sunday in a Salem hospital are pending at Virgil T. Golden mortuary. A Salem business and civic leader for more than 50 years, Grabenhorst was born in Dayton, Iowa and came to Oregon in 1901, farming in the Pringle District south of Salem. In 1910 he and his father, William H. Grabenhorst, opened W.H. Grabenhorst & Co., a local real estate firm. That same year young Grabenhorst married Caroline Coburn, who survives. Grabenhorst was president of the Salem Board of Realtors in 1923, and was president of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce in 1926. He had been a member of Salem Rotary Club since 1920, and was a member of Salem Elks Lodge. At the time of his death he was senior partner in Grabenhorst Brothers Reality, associated with his sons-George H, Jr., Coburn L., and Richard E. Grabenhorst, all of Salem. Grabenhorst, referred to as the dean of Salem real estate, was instrumental in numerous area developments including Capitol Shopping Center, Meier & Frank Co. store, and Candaleria Heights. Other survivors include brother Charles W. Grabenhorst, Salem; sisters Mrs. Nell McAllister, Salem, and Mrs. Evelyn Doane, Portland; 13 grand-children and two great grand-children.

Obituary; Salem Capital Journal

Realtor G.H. Grabenhorst Sr. Dies at 78
Death has closed the career business leadership of George Grabenhorst Sr., 78, a Salem realtor since 1910. He died Sunday after a brief illness that hospitalized him Sept. 7. A senior partner in the firm opened by him and his father, William H. Grabenhorst, he carried on the business that later included his three sons. Grabenhorst has been described as "a man of vision" who foresaw the direction of Salem development. He was behind many major real estate deals, such as development of Candalaria Heights from hills covered by scotch broom and poison oak, building of the Capital Shopping Center and the Meier&Frank store. He was born in Dayton, Iowa, and came to Oregon in 1901, farming in the Pringle District south of Salem. As he confided later,  when he first came to Salem he was "fooling around" Portland one day and made up his mind he was never going to work for any man. Grabenhorst had urged use of the Candalaria site for the state Capitol after the old Capitol burned in 1833. A philosophical, 6-foot, 200 pound man who smoked cigars, he remained well informed about values of downtown buildings. Steve A. Stone, former Capital Journal city editor, recalls that when the Guardian building was burning Nov. 3, 1947, in the 400 block of State Street, Stone was looking for someone to estimate the loss but could find none of the owners of managers. Spotting Grabenhorst in the crowd, Stone asked him who might know the value of the building. "Well," replied Grabenhorst, "there are five floors, with so many square feet on each floor valued at so-much a square foot. That makes a bout half a million dollars," a figure arrived at later by adjusters, Stone recalled. "He will e missed," Stone said today. Leo Childs, 320 14th St. NE, who had been a "friendly competitor" of Grabenhorst's in real estate since 1916, cited Grabenhorst today as a man who "visioned things to fit the people and the community. I could speak very highly of him as a knowledgeable competitor-more of a friendly dealer-with whom I have visited and lunched many times. He did a great many things to build up the community." A former Salem mayor, Russell Bonesteele, who had known Grabenhorst since 1917, noted that the realtor "never lost interest" in the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, of which he was president of in 1926 or in the Rotary Club of which he was a member since 1920. Grabenhorst also was president of the Salem Board of realtors in 1923 and of the Salem Elks Lodge. He also has been interested in progress of the community and made quite a contribution," Bonesteele said.  He is survived by his widow, Caroline Coburn Grabenhorst, 1655 Fir St. S., three sons, George H, Jr., Coburn L., and Richard E. Grabenhorst, all of Salem; a brother Charles W. Grabenhorst, Salem; two sisters, Mrs. Nell McAllister, Salem, and Mrs. Evelyn Doane, Portland; 13 grand-children and two great grand-children. Private funeral services will be at 2p.m. Tuesday in the Virgil T. Golden Chapel, with private internment to follow. Friends may contribute to the Willamette University Scholarship fund, the family said.

Caroline Coburn Grabenhorst (wife of George Henry Grabenhorst Sr.)

Statesman Journal Obituary: Saturday April 25, 1972.
Caroline Coburn Grabenhorst, 84, 1655 Fir St S, died Saturday in a Salem nursing home. She was the widow of longtime Salem realtor, George H. Grabenhorst, who died in 1966. A native of Palouse, Wash., she moved here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.M. Coburn in 1910, and later was active in Salem community and civic affairs. Surviving are sons George Jr., Coburn and Richard, all Salem; sisters Mrs. Harriet Wechter, North Bend, and Mrs. Lena D Grabenhorst, Dallas; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Private services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday in Virgil T Golden mortuary. Internment also will be private. The family suggests contributions to the G.H. Grabenhorst Scholarship Fund at Willamette University.

Articles

Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Vol. 3.Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 187.
GEORGE H. GRABENHORST
A man of broad vision and pronounced business ability, George H. Grabenhorst has left the deep impress of his individuality upon the history of Salem's up building, while his achievements in the real estate field have won for him more than local prominence. He is a native of Dayton, Iowa, born in 1887. His parents, William H. and Eva (Haight) Grabenhorst, arrived in Salem on the 1st of June 1902, and settled on a farm in Marion county. The father cultivated that ranch until 1910, when he moved to Salem and formed a partnership with his son George H., who had entered the real estate business. They were associated until the death of William H. Grabenhorst in 1923 and the mother still makes her home in the Capital city. George H. Grabenhorst received a public school education and at the age of nineteen ventured in business for himself, becoming a realtor. In 1908 he allied his interests with those of Salem and for nineteen years has exerted a strong force for progress in the city, which is indebted to him for the Richmond, Rosedale and Kays additions. He has bought and sold many of the largest down-town properties and his judgment in real estate matters is considered infallible. Numerous sub-divisions in the country have been developed by Mr. Grabenhorst, who has greatly enhanced the value of realty in every section in which he has operated, and in the direction of his interests brings to bear the wisdom, initiative and executive force of the man of large affairs. The business is conducted under the style of the W. H. Grabenhorst Company, of which George H. Grabenhorst and his brother, E. E., are now the owners, and their office is situated at No. 134 South Liberty street. E. B, Grabenhorst was born in Dayton, Iowa, in 1894 and in 1918, when twenty-four years of age, responded to the call of his country. He went to France with the Engineers Corps1 and was stationed abroad for about nine months. After the World war he joined his brother and has since worked energetically and effectively to expand the business, which is controlled by one of the most reliable firms of the kind in the city. In 1911 George H. Grabenhorst married Miss Caroline Coburn, of Salem. Her father Waterbury Coburn, was one of the early settlers of Marion county, Oregon, and afterward went to the state of Washington. About 1897 he returned to the Willamette Valley and was one of its well known agriculturists. Mr. and Mrs. Grabenhorst have three sons: George H., Jr., Coburn L. and Richard E. Mr. Grabenhorst is financially interested in several farms and manifests a deep interest in matters pertaining to the development of Oregon's great agricultural resources. He is a past president of the Salem Realty Board and in 1926 was selected as the executive head of the Chamber of Commerce. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is also a Rotarian. In politics he is a republican and heartily indorses measures for the general good. He has won prosperity through his own exertions and is well entrenched in popular confidence and esteem by reason of his enterprising spirit, his steadfast integrity and civic loyalty.