Ada-Canyon County ID Archives Biographies.....Tate, John P. 1871 - 1911
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 January 12, 2012, 12:34 am

Source: See below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

    JOHN P. TATE was a prominent and prosperous insurance man of Boise who
passed away April 23, 1911, when forty-one years of age. Being scarcely yet in
the prime of life, his death was the occasion of deep regret to his friends in
Boise, who were many. He was born in Tioenesta, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1871,
and was reared in the Keystone state but in young manhood came to Idaho and
spent a year or two at Nampa, where he engaged in business as an insurance
solicitor. He then came to Boise and made for himself a very prominent place in
insurance circles, building up one of the largest insurance agencies in Idaho,
known as the John P. Tate Agency, which is still in existence, with offices in
the Sonna block. The business is now owned by others, one of whom is Philip
Tate, a younger brother of John P. Tate. The latter was recognized as one of the
most successful business men in Boise and made for himself a most creditable and
enviable position in business circles. Carefully investing his earnings, he
became the owner and builder of some of the fine business blocks of the city,
including the John P. Tate building at the corner of Eleventh and Main streets,
now occupied by the Jenkins Furniture Company. This was built in 1904 by Mr.
Tate and is still owned by his widow. In addition to that property Mr. Tate
built the Alaska block on the north side of Main street, between Tenth and
Eleventh streets, now occupied by the Cash Bazaar. However, he deeded that fine
property to the American Sunday School Union before his death, retaining a third
interest, which insures to his wife and children a good income from the property
as long as they live. Following their deaths this will also be the property of
the American Sunday School Union. Mrs. Tate was in full sympathy with her
husband in this splendid philanthropic act. 

    It was in 1907 that Mr. Tate was united in marriage to Miss Emma Gekeler,
who was born near Leavenworth, Kansas, and came to Idaho when a little maiden of
but eight years in company with her parents, David and Catherine Gekeler. The
family removed to Ada county from Colorado in a wagon drawn by mules, making the
trip about 1880, and Mr. Gekeler at once took a timber claim embracing one
hundred and sixty acres southeast of Boise, which tract was then all in
sagebrush. He built thereon a dugout, into which he moved his family, and proved
up on the property. In fact he still occupies that place and is today an active,
hale and hearty man of eighty-two years. In addition to his claim he has mining
interests at Clayton, Idaho, and makes frequent trips to attend to his business
affairs in the different localities. Mr. Gekeler was born in New York and was
married to Catherine Stacey, who passed away in 1896, leaving three daughters,
of whom Mrs. Tate is the eldest. The other two are: Carrie, who resides with her
father; and Ermie, now the wife of A. F. Prickett, a farmer of Ada county. 

    In 1918 Mrs. Tate erected a fine, modern, seven-room, two-story house on a
seven-acre tract of land which is a part of the Gekeler homestead, and here she
resides with her four sons: David Gekeler, born May 20, 1898; John P., born
August 30, 1900; Philip W., born January 30, 1902; and W. Paul, February 8,
1904. The two eldest sons are now in college, the former being a student in the
Oregon Agricultural College, while the latter is attending the University of
Chicago, taking a pre-medical course. Both had joined the colors before the
armistice was signed, being with the Cadet Corps of their respective educational
institutions. All four of the sons have attended the Garfield school in South
Boise, in which their mother was a pupil during her girlhood days and in which
she was also a teacher for three years prior to her marriage. Mrs. Tate is an
active member of the Second Presbyterian church of South Boise. 

    Mr. Tate was a most earnest Christian man, keenly interested in the moral
progress of the community in which he lived and doing everything in his power to
promote the upbuilding of Christian influences and extend the growth of the
Presbyterian church, of which he was a most faithful follower. He belonged to
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his life was ever actuated by high and
honorable principles. As he prospered in his undertakings he felt that he was
simply the custodian to whom was entrusted the care of certain things and he
used his "ten talents" wisely and well. He had the keenest sense of personal
honor and everyone who knew him spoke of him in terms of the warmest regard. He
was largely an ideal husband and father who found the greatest happiness in
promoting the welfare of his family and regarded no personal sacrifice or effort
on his part too great if it enhanced the interests of his wife and children. 


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

IDAHO
DELUXE SUPPLEMENT
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY

1920

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