Theodore Frederick Grefe Biography


	This biography appears on pages 436-437 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				THEODORE FREDERICK GREFE. 

	Theodore Frederick Grefe, secretary of the Queen City Insurance 
Company, has been a resident of Sioux Falls only since 1910, but within 
this comparatively brief period he has gained many friends and made for 
himself a creditable position in business circles. He was born in 
Brownsville, Pennsylvania, July 31, 1856, and is a son of Albert and 
Wilhelmina (Appenrodt) Grefe, both of whom were natives of Germany. In 
the year 1857 they removed with their family to Des Moines and there 
Theodore Frederick Grefe was reared. He at" tended the common schools 
and afterward pursued a course in the business college at Davenport, 
Iowa. His first work was in a machine shop at Des Moines, where he 
sought and secured employment when seventeen years of age. He afterward 
entered his father's grocery store in Des Moines, where he continued 
until he reached the age of twenty-two years. He next became connected 
with the State Insurance Company in that city and was in its service 
for about thirty-five years, or until 1910, when he removed to Sioux 
Falls as secretary of the Queen City Insurance Company. He is a 
director in the State Insurance Company of Des Moines and there is 
probably no man in South Dakota who is more thoroughly versed 
concerning insurance than Mr. Grefe. 

	Mr. Grefe has been married twice. In Des Moines he wedded Melissa 
Miller, who died in 1900, leaving four children: Wilma, the wife of A. 
J. Mehlin; Fred; Letha, the wife of J. C. Westerfield; and Beatrice, 
the wife of J. P. Haworth. In 1906 Mr. Grefe was again married, his 
second union being with Miss Ella J. Cummins, a sister of Senator 
Cummins. They hold membership in the Christian church and are prominent 
socially, the hospitality of their home being greatly enjoyed by all 
who know them.  

	Mr. Grefe is a republican in his political views, but has never 
sought nor desired office. He served, however, as school director in 
Des Moines for twenty years and the cause of education has ever found 
in him a stalwart friend. He is a Mason of high rank, having attained 
the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, while he is also a 
member of the Mystic Shrine. He likewise belongs to the Knights of 
Pythias lodge and is a member of the Dacotah and Country clubs. He 
possesses the enterprise characteristic of the north west and Sioux 
Falls numbers him among her representative and worthy citizens.