Butte County
Biographies
MRS. CATHERINA RABE
MRS. CATHERINA RABE.--A real pioneer of East Biggs, whose valuable life ended as the result of an accident, is recalled by the story of Mrs. Catherina Rabe, a woman of pronounced executive and business ability, and a favorite with her wide circle of friends, and especially with those who know of her untiring fidelity to her lamented husband and their numerous family. Like her husband, Charles, or Carl, Rabe, who was born in Hanover, Germany, on July 12, 1836, Mrs. Rabe came from the Hanoverian kingdom. In 1856, Mr. Rabe first came to America, stopping for a couple of years in Madison County, Ill.; after which he came to the Pacific Coast in the fall of 1858. Later, he came to Butte County; and in 1865 he took up his residence on the place long associated with his name. There he met the lady who was destined to become his valued wife, Miss Catherina Fink; and after two months of acquaintance and courtship, they were married on February 2, 1868.
Mr. Rabe, enterprising and desirous of providing well for his family, became the owner of two hundred eighty acres of the old Moore ranch, about four miles east of Biggs, and soon built there the necessary barns and other buildings. He also owned five hundred acres of land in the Red Hills, two miles away. Farming was his occupation for several years, and he made of it a success. Everything, in fact, seemed roseate, when suddenly misfortune threw its shadow across their path. In a runaway, Mr. Rabe was so severely injured that he died, in 1889, from the effects of the accident.
Before
his death, Mr. Rabe had made plans for a large farm house that he intended
building; and after his demise, Mrs. Rabe, who kept her family together
wonderfully well, had the plans carried out. They were the parents of nine
children. Heinrich W. H., who was seventeen years old when his father died, was
born in 1870 and died in 1912, leaving a widow and two children. His wife is
now remarried to Dick Bickman. Louis married Laura Boyston, who resides two
miles north of here. He is a farmer, and has five children. Annie S. W. is now
Mrs. George W. Rowell, and the mother of three living sons. Caroline is the
wife of Peter Berg, a farmer and orchardist, and has three children.
Florentina, Mrs. Henry W. Worst, is the mother of three boys and three girls,
and resides at Newhall, Los Angeles County. The others are John F. Charles,
George, William and Edward. The last-named is a soldier in the United States
army. Mrs. Rabe has reared her large family, and has kept the ranch in running
order; and to her is due the credit for the position occupied by the family in
Butte County today.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 1/9/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 607-608, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2007 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies