Representative Fred A. Latchaw View All Years

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Fred A. Latchaw

Muscatine County

Representative from Muscatine county, the son of Dr. John R. H. and Zella Coolidge Latchaw, was born in Barkeyville, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1883. He attended the city schools at Findlay, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. Completing his education at Findlay College, and Defiance College in Ohio and Palmer University at Muncie, Indiana; his father being president of these three schools for many years. His mother was professor of French languages at Palmer and she was a cousin of Calvin Coolidge. For two years he was a shoe salesman, leaving that position to accept the superintendency of mails in the federal building at Muncie, Indiana. In the year 1909, he moved to Wilton, Iowa, where he engaged in the electrical business, manufacturing and selling farm electric plants under the corporate name of the National Electric Lighting Company. Later he became interested in the construction of farm transmission lines and constructed and built many miles of lines and electrified more than six hundred farm homes in eastern Iowa, and western Illinois. On June 14, 1913, he married Elizabeth B. Holzhauer, a teacher in the Wilton public schools and they have five children, Marjorie, Frederic, John, James and Elda Mae. Member of the Presbyterian church and belongs to the Masonic lodge and the Eastern Star. Serving first term in the legislature. A republican.

House District 42