Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-11-26
|CEN. DRAKE s
/ ILLNESS FATAL
lille Died at CenterviIIe After
an Illness Lasting But
| Two Days.
CAREER WAS A NOTABLE ONE
lowa's Ex-Governor Was Distinguish
ed Both as Citizen and as Sol
dier-His Gifts to the University
Which Bears His Name.

Centerville, Nov. 21.-After an ILL
ness of but two days, General Francis
Marion Drake, ex-governor of Iowa,
died at the home of his daughter, Mrs.
Henry Goss, at 11:15 o'clock yester.
day morning. He was up town on
Tuesday arranging for gift Of $4,000
to Drake university. The following
day he became seriously i'll. 1t was
feared Thursday night that the com.
bined attack of diabetes and his old
army wound would prove too much
for General Drake, and 1t did, though
he made brave struggle to win his
fight with death.
The iron will Of the general had
carried him through so many battles
in business life and the sick room,
that he never gave up the struggle
till near the end, and was conscious
within half an hour of death.
When General Drake realized his
serious condition he was solicitous
that his children should al be with
him. AS the family has been an ex-
trenely devoted one, all his children
but two were at his bedside, but his
remaining son and daughter were I'M
able to reach here in time. While his
father was breathing his last, John A.
Drake was busily engaged in Chicago
procuring a special train to bring him
to the bedside, but before he started
the general had died, and the special
was abandoned.
The funeral will be held Monday at
q: 30 at the Central Church of Christ
in Centerville. This church was dedi-
Gated last April, when the Drake fam
lily was together for the last time,
they furnishing the $4,000 required to
build it. The body will lie in state
Rev. F. L. Moffet and st. Johns Com
mandery, Knights Templar, will have
charge of the funeral. Interment will
be at the side of his wife here.
General Drake leaves a will, dating
back a few years, with several codi-
ellis attached, in which it Is thought
Drake university is remembered,
though the supposition is that he
aimed to do largely what he intended
for the school while he was living.
General Francis Marion Drake was
born in Rushville, ILL.,, December 80.
1890; came to Iowa at seven years,
and had lived in and near Centerville
nearly all the rest of his life He
crossed the plains twice to Sacra-
mento, Cal, with OK train and drove
of cattle during the gold excitement.
While crossing Shell Creek, Neb., he
defeated 800 Pawnee Indians and in
1864 was a passenger on the Yankee
Doodle in the Pacific, having a mar
row escape.
When the war began he enlisted and
was commissioned captain of a COM
pany which he organized into Col.
Edwards Independent Iowa regiment,
was elected major and served in crit
ical times in Missouri. He was made
lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-sixth
Iowa in 1862 and his name was con-
spicuous in the three years following.
One of his best showings as command
ant was at the defense of Elkin's Ford
with 500 men against 5000 Of Marina
dukes division. He also distinguish
ed himself at the bloody battle of
Marks Mills, where he was wounded
in the thigh. He had served as com.
mander of a brigade, and later was
made brigadier general of U. s. volun-
teers. After the war he practiced law
six years, and then went into coal
land deals and railroad enterprises.
He projected and built five lines of
railroad, was owner of a bank in Cen
terville, also banks in other towns.
General Drake was elected governor
Of Iowa in 1895, serving one term, de-
clined a denomination, returning to
banking and reality business in Cen
terville.
Drake university at Des Moines was
founded by General Drake and others
in 1883 and he has made heavy dona-
tons to this institution, also erected
several buildings. He had been a lib
eral giver to church and temperance
work.
General Drake married Mary Jane
Lord in 1855, who died in 1888. They
had two sons and four daughters.
General Drake resided for a short time
in Chicago, but alwa-s claimed Gen.
terville as his homr He practically
built the Christian church in that city
and was a large contributor for the
public library. General Drake has
been president of the board of trustees
Of Drake university since it's organiza-
ton.