Santa
Clara County
Biographies
JOHN
JAMES CROTHERS
JOHN JAMES CROTHERS. Prominent among the more active, enterprising
and influential citizens of San Jose, Santa Clara county, may be mentioned the
names of John and John James Crothers, father and son, who have been identified
with this locality for nearly twenty years.
Both were born on the Emerald Isle, and came to the United States in
1863. Going to Delaware county, Iowa,
John Crothers was one of the county’s stanch[sic] allies for twenty years, or
until he came to California in 1883. He
now lives retired in San Jose at No. 283 Reed street.
Of the ten children, six sons and four
daughters, that originally comprised the parental family, John James was the
oldest child. Such education as the
common schools of Iowa had to offer was the extent of the book learning enjoyed
by Mr. Crothers, but he has always been wide-awake and alert to grasp
information, and has thus made up for any lack of advantages in his youth. His business experience has always laid along agricultural lines, hence his undertakings since
coming to California have been only a continuation of the agricultural life
which he led in Iowa. Coming to
California with his father in 1883, his first location was in the Berryessa
district of San Jose, where he purchased ten acres of rich land, and which for
twenty years yielded luscious crops of fruit.
This ranch, which, to locate it more exactly, was on Capital avenue and
Berryessa road, was traded for a ranch on Senter
road, in 1903. Mr. Crothers
demonstrated his satisfaction with California real estate by his various investments, and in 1886 purchased the ranch upon which he
now resides, on Senter and Lewis roads. When he bought the land there was no
suggestion of fruit raising apparent upon any part of
it, but he has set out the entire twenty acres to prunes, apricots and peaches,
in the cultivation of which he is meeting with the success which is the just
reward of industry and a complete understanding of the business undertaken.
As yet Mr. Crothers has not
married, but makes his home with his father in San Jose, the two passing many
happy hours together. Politically
Mr. Crothers is a Republican, with strong Prohibition tendencies, and his
religious home is found among the worshipers of the Methodist Episcopal faith.
[Inserted by D.
Toole.]
JOHN
JAMES CROTHERS
Father
of John James:
1912
Apr 11, San Francisco Chronicle, P5, San Francisco, California
Well-Known
San Jose Capitalist Dies Suddenly
Special
Dispatch to the “Chronicle”
San
Jose, April 10 John Crothers, father of
George E. Crothers and William H. Crothers, well-known lawyer and physician,
respectively, of San Francisco, and Charles F. Brothers, a trustee of the San
Jose Normal School, died here tonight of heart failure. Crothers widow was Miss Margaret Jane Fair,
sister of Senator James G. Fair. There
are seven other children. Death came
suddenly tonight. Crothers was at the
Courthouse in the afternoon transacting business and seemed in good
health. He was a retired capitalist and
was widely known.
1912
Apr 1, The San Francisco Call, P3, San Francisco,
California
John
Crothers Dies at Home in San Jose
Capitalist
Was Brother in Law of James G. Fair
San
Jose, April 10 – John Crothers, capitalist and brother in law of the late James
G. Fair, died suddenly at his home here tonight. Death was due to heart disease. Crothers came to California from Ohio in
1883. He is survived by 10
children. Three of the boys are prominent
here and in San Francisco. George E. is
a lawyer and Thomas G. is a physician in San Francisco, while Charles F. is an
attorney and real estate man here.
Crothers married Margaret Jane Fair, sister of James G. Fair.
1912
Apr 11, Evening News, P3, San Jose, California
Funeral
of the Late John Crothers, Who Passed Away Suddenly, to Take Place Friday
Well
Known Citizen Lived Here Many Years
Heart
Ailment was the Cause of His Death
The
funeral of John Crothers, who died suddenly yesterday afternoon at his home,
283 Reed street, will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m.
from the Centella M. E. church. Mr. Crothers was down town yesterday forenoon
and was as well as usual. In the
afternoon he was taken ill and passed away late in the afternoon. Heart ailment was the cause of death. He was 77 years old and a native of
Ireland. He came to the United States in
1868 and settled in Iowa. He came to
California in 1883 and has since lived in this city. He is survived by a widow and seven grown
children. They are: John J. of San Jose, Dr. William H. a
physician of San Francisco; Thomas G., an attorney of San Francisco; George E.,
a trustee of the Stanford estate; Mrs. Mary E. Cook, Charles F., of San Jose,
and Wesley E. Crothers of San Jose.
Mother
of John James:
1917
Dec 13, Evening News, P6, San Jose, California
Died
Crothers
– In San Jose, Cal., Dec. 12, 1917, Margaret Jane Crothers, widow of the late
John Crothers, mother of John J. Crothers, William H. Crothers, Wesley E.
Crothers and Charles F. Crothers of San Jose, T. G. Crothers, George E.
Crothers of San Francisco and of the late Mary E. Cook of San Jose and grandmother
of Earl R. Graham of Ida Grove, Iowa, aged 77 years.
Sister,
Mary Crothers Cook
1917
Dec 2, San Jose Mercury News, P12, San Jose, California
Tribute
Paid to Mrs. Mary Crothers Cook
Friend
Tells of Sacrifices and Devotion of Deceased Woman
The
news of the death of Mrs. Mary Crothers Cook, wife of Prof. S. R. Cook, at the
early age of 48 came as a great shock to her multitude of friends and numerous
relatives. What she was personally, to
each one of these, heaven only can reveal.
Cultured, refined and deeply spiritual though quiet and unostentatious,
Mrs. Cook possessed a rare personality.
Her life of Christian endeavor was an unceasing as her heart beat. In every line of church work she will be
greatly missed, but her loss will fall heaviest n the College Park church, of
which, for the past seven years, she has been a faithful member. When a girl in her teens, Mrs. Cook was
converted and joined the First Methodist church of San Jose, then the church of
John and Margaret Crothers, her father and mother. Later she with her parents united with Centella chapel, now the Centella
church. While in college, she became a
missionary volunteer, but her always frail and uncertain health prevented her
going to a foreign field. On the death
of an older sister, Mrs. Robert Graham, she was left a sum of money to be used
for foreign missions. With this, Mrs.
Cook paid the out-going expenses to Africa, of Miss Susan Collins of Los
Angeles and supported her as long as the money sufficed. Later, she, herself, assumed Miss Collins’
support and supplied the needs of this work by one of their own race among the
black people of the neediest field of the non-Christian world. In her will Mrs. Cook made provision
sufficient to continue Miss Collins’ work as long as she lives. After being graduated from the San Jose high
school, Mary Crothers entered the University of the Pacific and was graduated
with the class of 1899. Even as a student she kept herself informed as to the
needs of the school and was ever devoted to its interests. One of her fellow students in the old U. P.
days has recently told me of the gifts large and small that came to the school
in time of need from “a friend” who was the shrinking and modest, Mary
Crothers. A member of the Emendia Literary society, her last appearance in public was
at its open meeting. The girls of the
society will ever cherish the beautiful Bible she gave for their chaplain’s use
and will not forget that their piano was practically her gift.
In
1901 and 1902, her intellectual life was broadened by a visit with her father
to England and Ireland. Returning from
abroad, she lived with her parents in San Jose until her marriage, September 8,
1905, to Prof. S. R. Cook.
After a year spent at Meadville, Pa., where Prof. Cook taught in Allegheny
college, she was again delighted by a trip across the
Atlantic and a year of European travel and study. Dr. Cook’s election to a chair in the College
of the Pacific was a great satisfaction to his wife, for it brought to her the
privileges of greater service to her Alma Mater. Her vision of its future was broad and
optimistic. She especially rejoiced over
the buying of the new campus on the Alameda and she looked forward with eager,
confident expectation to the day when suitable and stately buildings should be
erected on that beautiful site.
Naturally, the pre-eminent desire of her heart was a new and splendidly
equipped physics building. Mrs. Cook’s
counsel was seldom given in any public way but her boundless confidence in the
future of the college was always felt.
How to do without her in our faculty circle will be a hard task for her
bereaved associates, but to have known her – to have had the friendship of so
rare a woman, should inspire us with more earnest efforts to serve the college
and to be of help to the men and women who make up the student body. In the beautiful home on the corner of Morse
and Randel avenues reigned
two hearts thoroughly united in sympathy with every good cause. Here, with modest grace, Mrs. Cook dispensed
a lavish hospitality. Her pastors, all
ministers of the Gospel, missionaries – white and black – from India, Japan,
Africa – all earth’s distant places – were ever welcome. Here, too, came Christian students from
China, Korea, Japan – all alike welcome in this home,
where Christ himself was always the chief guest. As a daughter, Mrs. Cook was utterly
unselfish in her care for the aged mother who survives her in illness and
weakness that made it impossible for her to attend her daughter’s funeral. As the only survivor of four sisters, she was
very precious to her six brothers – Dr. W. E. Crothers of Campbell, Judge
George G. and Thomas F. Crothers of San Francisco, J. J. and Charles F.
Crothers of San Jose and Wesley E. Crothers, now with the 202nd Canadian cavalry
in France. Her love for each of her
brothers was strong and beautiful.
As
a co-worker, Mrs. Cook was an inspiration.
As a counsellor, her sturdy common sense made
her a tower of strength. As a hostess,
among those she loved, her witty speeches and quickness in repartee made her a
delight. As a friend, she was one who
found you stumbling along and led you to pleasant hours. As a neighbor, she was ever thoughtful of the
sick and of lonely children. Her
motherhood was poured out in devotion to Richard, her beloved son. The last year of her life was made happy by
the presence of two little girls, Edith and baby, Pearl, whom God had led to
her and whom she was hoping to adopt.
But her wifehood was supreme. Her
attachment to her beloved husband was too sacred to
be spoken of, but the veriest stranger could see that
she was a proud and happy wife – happy in her home and content in her
choice. The lure of her life was being
with Jesus. Anyone who came in contact
with her “took notice of her that she had been with Jesus.” We cannot say that she is dead. Released from pain and earthly toil, her life
is hid with Christ in God. Mary Frazier
Schwartz.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1233-1234. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.