website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Mink
Farming
Harris Grabow
Louis J. Grabow
Harris
1959
12 15 Harris
Grabow, Member
canvass, St. Paul's Episcopal
1962
07 20 At
the regular meeting of the Watertown Kiwanis Club Monday evening at the East
Gate Inn, Harris Grabow, Watertown
High School coach, presented a most interesting and fascinating program on
his hobby — raising mink. The idea of
raising mink came to Mr. Grabow from a G.I. during
the Second World War.
Starting with one pair of mink,
Mr. Grabow, his father and brother now work with
2,500 mink a year. Mr. Grabow described the process of raising mink from birth to
pelting. The average mink has a litter
of three and one-half babies. The
Kiwanians were amazed to learn that there are 34 different shades of mink
coloration. A peal color is now one of
the most popular colors on the market. WDT
1983 Grabow's Retirement
03 20 “I
can't think of a nicer thing to have happen,” said Watertown High School
Athletic Director Harris Grabow. Grabow was referring to Watertown's trip to the WIAA
State Boys' Basketball Tournament this week which coincides with the
announcement of his retirement. The school board will act on Grabow's request to take early retirement at age 62 at
Wednesday's meeting. Grabow's relationship
with Watertown and basketball goes back a long way. He coached the
1960 team which played in the state tournament and was the co-captain of the
1939 Gosling team which won the Class B title.
WDT
10 16 Grabow's Retirement Banquet
Former athletes, teammates,
students, family and friends made up the crowd of some 200 wellwishers at Harris Grabow's retirement
banquet Tuesday evening. Grabow has
served as Athletic Director at Watertown High School since 1966. Prior to that he was the Gosling basketball
coach for 20 years and took his 1960 squad to the WIAA State Tournament. He had
been there 21 years earlier as a member of the Goslings' 1939 Class B state
Championship team. WD
1986 inducted into U of La
Crosse Wall of Fame
10 20 Former
Watertown High School Athletic Director Harris Grabow
will be inducted into the University of La Crosse Wall of Fame Saturday during
the school's homecoming festivities.
Another Watertown native, Tom Hargraves, now a swimming coach at Madison
West High School, will also be inducted, along with four other former UW-La
Crosse standouts. Short biographies of
the recipients are placed on the Wall of Fame, located in Mitchell Hall. The inductees will also be presented with
plaques. Grabow, who lives at 1104 Amber Lane, taught
physical education and coached at WHS from 1946 to 1983 and served as athletic
director from 1966 until retirement in 1983.
Grabow's stellar athletic career at (then) La
Crosse State included letters in football, basketball and track. He quarterbacked the 1942 conference champion
football team and was captain of the 1942-1943 basketball squad. WDT
2008 From player to
coach, to athletic director, Grabow did it all
Harris Grabow
didn't make the cut when trying out for Watertown High School's freshman boys’
basketball team back in 1935. That
didn't dampen his enthusiasm for the sport one bit . . . [WDTimes story of 2008]
2011
Coach Harris Grabow celebrated his 90th with family and friends, October
22, 2011.
2013 Harris R. Grabow, 1921-2013
Harris R. Grabow,
age 91, died on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in his Watertown home.
He was born in Watertown, on Oct.
17, 1921, the son of the late Anna (Pottenberg) and
Theodore Grabow.
Harris graduated from Watertown High School in 1939, where he was a
member of the basketball team that won the state Class B championship. Harris attended the University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse and received his bachelor’s degree in science with minors
in mathematics and physical education in 1943.
At UW-La Crosse, he was captain of the basketball team and quarterback
of the all-conference undefeated football team in 1942. Harris later received a joint master’s degree
in physical education and education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in
1952. Harris married his high school sweetheart,
Helen Bernice King, on March 25, 1944, at St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church in Watertown, where they remained lifelong
members. In 1943, Harris entered the
U.S. Army — Air Force, stationed in Biloxi, Miss., where he coached baseball
and boxing, and he was the physical training instructor. In 1944, he was transferred to Truax Field, in Madison, where he worked in the Truax Hospital convalescence center and played guard on the
Truax Field basketball team.
The name Harris Grabow is synonymous with athletics and teaching in
Watertown, where he taught and coached for nearly four decades. Returning to his native Watertown in 1946,
Harris taught physical science, general science, physical education and health
at Watertown High School. In the same
year, he also became Watertown High School’s head basketball coach and
assistant football coach. In 1948,
Harris initiated and coached the first baseball program at the high school, a
team that went to the WIAA State Tournament in 1950. He led the basketball team to the WIAA State
Tournament in 1960. In 1979, Harris was
inducted into the Wisconsin High School Basketball Coaches’ Hall of Fame, where
recipients are honored for their outstanding service by the Wisconsin Coaches
Association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Field House.
In 1948, Harris, his brother
Louis, and their father, Ted, went into a mink business until 1962. They knew and were known by mink ranchers all
over the country. They sold their mink pelts
to the New York Auction Company.
In 1966, Harris gave up coaching
to become the full-time athletic director of Watertown High School, for which
he later received the Distinguished Service Award from the National
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. In 1981, his outstanding work in athletic
administration was recognized with his selection as Wisconsin’s Athletic
Director of the Year.
In 1986, Harris was inducted into
the UW-La Crosse Wall of Fame for football, basketball, and track and field.
Harris enjoyed all sports, but
had a special fondness for golf, enjoying both the sport and the social
aspect. Harris was happiest when
surrounded by people — especially his family and friends. In fact, after retirement in 1983, he set a
goal of talking to 24 people a day, the size of his typical high school
classroom. A devoted lifelong learner,
Harris imparted the value of education to everyone.
He was survived by one daughter,
Susan (Vince) Morrone of Watertown; one son, Steve
(Peggy) Grabow of Wauwatosa; four granddaughters,
Christa (Chris) Miller of Eagan, Minn., Laura (Jason) Kalies
of Apple Valley, Minn., Molly (Jeff) Diamond of Carrboro, N.C., and Maggie
(Ian) Koszewski of Madison; two great-granddaughters,
Sabrina Miller and Sophie Diamond; one brother-in-law, Dave (Dixie) King, and
one sister-in-law, Joyce King; as well as many other relatives and close
friends.
Harris was preceded in death by
his beloved and extraordinary wife, Helen; one brother, Louis Grabow and his wife, Anita; brother-in-law Jack King; and
brother-in-law William “Bill” King and his wife, Gretchen.
Gratitude is given to all who
touched Harris’ life with love, joy, care and memorable moments.
Harris will be forever remembered
as an incredible husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach and friend.
If desired, memorials may be made
to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Watertown or Watertown High School Athletic
Booster Club.
Memorial services will be held
today at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Watertown with the Rev. Oscar
Rozo officiating; assisted by Rev. Dr. Timothy R.
Perkins. Visitation will be held at the
church today from 2 p.m. until the time of service.
Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home 500 Welsh Road Watertown
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Louis J. Grabow / Birth:
Apr. 14, 1916 / Death:
Jan. 15, 2008
Louis J. Grabow
of Watertown was born to everlasting life, 91 3/4 years young, on Tuesday
evening, Jan. 15, 2008.
A funeral service and celebration
of his life will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in
Watertown with the Rev. Brett Brauer
officiating. Burial will be in Lutheran
Cemetery, Watertown.
Relatives and friends may call to
pay their respects at the church on Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of the
service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may
be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church.
The Hafemeister
Funeral Home of Watertown is in charge of arrangements.
Louis was born in Watertown on April
14, 1916, son of Theodore and Anna (Potenberg) Grabow.
He is survived by the love of his
life, Anita (Ihlenfeldt), to whom he was married for
70 years.
Louis was a tool and die maker
for 44 years. He worked for Otto Biefeld for 30
years, where he completed his tool and die apprenticeship. He finished his career at Durant/Eaton Corp.
in Water-town.
Louis was a drummer in Shorty
Keppel's dance band in the mid-1930s, playing at dance halls throughout the Rock
River area, as well as fraternity dances in Madison.
In 1948, Louis, his brother,
Harris, and his father, Ted, went into the mink business until 1962. They knew and were known by mink ranchers all
over the country. They sold their pelts
to the New York Auction Company.
Following this venture, Louis and Harris developed their mink properties
into a subdivision on Water Street. They
developed the plat and contracted to build homes. Louis was a meticulous
contractor. One of his builders told
him, "Louie, if I build this house to your specifications, it would cost
$1,000 a square foot."
He loved to fish and entertain
his family at his cottage in central Wisconsin.
He taught his grandchildren how to fish and inspired his son and
grandchildren how to work precisely with their hands.
Louis was a lifelong member of
Trinity Lutheran Church in Watertown.
He is further survived by his
son, Jack (wife, the former Lucille Wolff) Grabow;
his daughter, Kay Ann (David) Horstick; four
grandchildren, Pammy (Scott) Rice, Sandy (Bill) Schwenkner, Ted Horstick and Gabe
Horstick; two great-grandchildren, Alyssa Rice and
Stacey Schwenkner; and his brother, Harris Grabow.
Louis was a kind and gentle man.
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin