The Hood River News, Hood River, OR., March 30, 1928,
page 1
PIONEER JEWELER ANSWERS LAST CALL
The news that W.F. Laraway was slowly sinking on Wednesday morning
prepared his many friends in the mid-Columbia district for the
announcement later in the day that he had passed away. He answered the
call shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday evening at the local hospital, where
he had been tenderly cared for during the past several weeks.
One of the early commercial orchardists of this valley who had turned
the forest into orchard, Mr. Laraway had won for himself a very large
circle of friends. In Masonry to, he had held nearly all the ranks with
which his brother Masons could honor him, and in his business capacity
as the pioneer jeweler of this district, he made many friends who will
their last respects to his memory at the funeral.
William Fouts Laraway was born on October 28, 1848, at Marion, Ohio, his
father being a very prominent leader in that state. Some years later the
family moved to Wisconsin and then to Iowa, where Mr. Laraway, at the
age of 18 years, started a jewelry store. For 40 years he carried on in
this business and, because he took a great pride in his work at the
watchemakerâ?Ts bench, he was able to build up such a large business
that he made a comfortable fortune. Even today, in the old town, the
fathers and mothers of the present generation often recall the jeweler
who preferred to work on the interior of a watch rather than sell over
the counter.
Then the news of the coming orchard boom in Hood River valley reached
Iowa, and the urge to pioneer took such a strong hold on Mr. Laraway
that he and his wife, whom he had married in 1869, and his family came
West. Very soon after reaching Hood River, in 1904, he purchased a large
tract of land on the East Side, personally took part in the clearing of
the acreage and platted it out to apples. Realizing that he would have
to wait for several years before the trees came into bearing, he opened
a jewelry store in Hood River, and quickly established himself as the
leading jeweler of the mid-Columbia. It was in this valley which he
loved so well that he raised his family and one son, Percy, was for many
years in charge of the orchard.
For his years and until he met with an automobile accident, there were
few men in Oregon who could compete with them in alertness, but after
the accident, which resulted in severe physical injuries, the burden of
his years began to weigh heavily upon him and failure of his eyes
compelled him to abandon the technical side of his business. But the
will continued to move him and for several months he spent much of his
time on his orchard property, planning various improvements and new
plantings.
From the day when he first saw the great light of Masonry it became to
him almost a religion and few Masons ever learned the many lessons as
well as he. His brother Masons honored him by electing him to nearly
every office within the various degrees of the order, and his Masonic
title of Sir William Fouts Laraway offers striking testimony to the
position he won amongst his fellow men.
It is but fitting, therefore, that Masons of this section should extend
to him the last rites of the great world order, and today all local
Masons are to meet at Tieman hall, at 1 p.m. to prepare for the ceremony
in which they will take part at the funeral, which will be held an hour
later.
While he has not been out of doors for several months, a host of
residents will remember him for his kindly disposition, and today they
will go in a body to the graveside to pay their respects to his memory.