San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ALEXANDER L. GARROW
A successful merchant of Stockton is
Alexander L. Garrow, who owns and operates a grocery store located at 638 North
Aurora Street. He was born in Stockton
June 5, 1870, the eldest son of Charles and Elizabeth Laumeister)
Garrow.
Charles Garrow was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and at sixteen years of
age came to America and was one of the California 49ers and in the early 50s
located in Stockton, where he conducted a store. Next he purchased an interest in the City
Brewery but sold it some years later and established the Red Store, a grocery
store on California and Sonora streets.
On disposing of it he became steward at the County Hospital, a position
he held for six years. Then he purchased
one-half block on North Aurora and West Park streets, where he built a store
and did a successful business until he sold it and purchased a one-quarter
block on Fremont and East streets where in partnership with A. Munch he engaged
in the grocery business and also handled poultry and eggs. Here Mr. Garrow was in business until his
death in 1910; his widow still resides in Stockton. This pioneer couple had eleven children, of
whom Mr. Garrow is the oldest.
Alexander L. Garrow grew up and
received his education in the Stockton schools and after completing his education
entered the employ of the city as a clerk in the street department at the city
hall, where he remained twenty years.
Ten years ago he purchased property at 634 North Aurora Street and
established his present lucrative business at No. 638, on the same street.
The marriage of Mr. Garrow occurred
in Stockton April 20, 1892, and united him with Miss Lena Ray, born in
Stockton, the daughter of David Ray, a pioneer carpenter of Stockton. David Ray was a native of Pennsylvania and
crossed the plains in 1849 to California.
He married Catherine Henceman, a native of
Texas, who came with her parents to San Joaquin County, where her father became
a pioneer builder, a business he followed all through life. He passed away March 26, 1906, while his
widow died April 26, 1923. Eleven
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Garrow: Lucial is the wife
of Paul Oard, whose sketch appears in this volume;
Ethel is the wife of Minor Sosey, a member of the
grocery firm with Mr. Garrow; Elston served two years in the Marine Radio as an
operator with the Matson Line. The
others are: Bragdon,
John A., Laverne, Robert, Merle and Ruth (twins) and Ralph and Melvin (also
twins). Fraternally Mr. Garrow is a
member of the Moose and Eagles lodges of Stockton.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1413. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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