OLIVER L. GRAEBER

Oliver L. Graeber.  A resident of California since 1901, coming to the state while still a minor and locating in Chico, where he attended secondary schools and subsequently became identified with the social, religious and business life of that city.

     When a boy aged twelve years he made a declaration he was going to be a physician, and from that time on he took advantage of every opportunity to learn more about his chosen profession.  Whatever occupation he found himself in he was ever taking notice of information and knowledge which he might use to good purpose later.

     Thus he took special courses in English, history, and various arts which were given in the State Normal School there.

     The death of his mother in 1913, and of his wife in 1916, prompted him to a determined effort to attain his life goal - to become a physician - for he felt convinced that had natural agencies been applied, both his mother and his wife would have been restored to health.

     He is now a resident of San Francisco, with offices in the Golden Gate Building, and is caring for a rapidly increasing professional business.

     Doctor Graeber is a native of Hannibal, Missouri, the youngest of nine children born to Christian F. Graeber and Mary (Hoener) Graeber.  Both parents, who are now deceased, were born in Germany, coming to the United States in 1864.  His father joined the Union Army, enlisting in an Illinois regiment and serving until the close of the war.

     At the close of the war the parents moved to Marion County, Missouri, where the family was reared and educated.  On the paternal side, the Graeber history runs back more than 700 years.  His grandfather was a pioneer Baptist missionary and minister in Germany, and his maternal side comes from the landed nobility of Western Prussia.

     Oliver L.  Graeber passed his  boyhood on a farm just outside of Hannibal.  He attended grammar and high school there and came to California to win his fortune.  His father died in Hannibal in December, 1901.

     Oliver L. Graeber has been an observant student all his life, and has always taken keen delight in acquiring knowledge with the object of applying it to useful ends.  While he was a resident of Chico the "United States Plant Introduction Gardens" were established there and he was employed several seasons during his vacation time in doing special work in connection with plant breeding and acclimatization there.

     On June 1, 1911, at Chico, he married Miss Anna V. Richardson, who was born in Little Shasta Valley, Siskiyou County, California.  Her father, a pioneer stock and grain raiser of that county, is deceased, her mother, of English parentage was related to the Duke of Bedford, is living.

     A son, Richard Franklin Graeber, was born while they were residing near Watsonville, California, April 11, 1916.

     May 28, 1916, Mrs. Graeber died from effects of a burning accident.

     Immediately following this crisis, Oliver L. Graeber disposed of his interests there and located in San Francisco, where he entered Healds Business College to fit himself for taking up the studies for becoming a physician.

     He enrolled as one of the first class in the California Chiropractic College when it opened in September, 1917, and graduated with the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic May 29, 1919.  In 1919-20 he took a post-graduate course in Western College of Naturopathy and received the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy.

     During 1920-21-22 he added to his knowledge by attending the Western College of Chiropractic, graduating with the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic and Chiropractic Pharmacist.

     During the summer of 1920 he took a special course in spondylotherapy under Dr. Alva Emory Gregory of the Gregory College of Spondylotherapy, Oklahoma City, and received the degree of Doctor of Spondylotherapy.

     His natural powers of perception, coupled with his studious nature, caused him to be chosen supervisor of public clinics in each college he attended.  Since May, 1919, he has been an associate member of the American Society of Applied Psychology.

     In April, 1922, after an examination before the California State Board of Medical Examiners, he was given a license as a drugless practitioner.

     After carefully analysing his six years of studies in the art of healing he co-related the different methods into one natural logical system, which he has named "Doctor Graeber's Drugless System of Health."

     He is liberal in his views of healing and believes implicitly in the Biblical exortation, "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good" as being proper for the healing profession as well as for other walks of life.

     Doctor Graeber is an exempt member of Engine company No. 1 of the Chico Fire Department.

     He is a member of the official board of the First Baptist Church of San Francisco, being at present secretary of the board oftrustees.  He is also a member of the board of control of the Portrero Hill Neighborhood House, and has always devoted much attention to charitable work.

     Although established but a short time, his reputation as a physician has already extended from one end of California to the other and to many other states.

  

Transcribed August 20, 2004 Marilyn R. Pankey

 

The words "exortation" and "analysing" are transcribed as presented. mrp