Representative Frank A. Crabb View All Years

FRANK CRABB

Mr. Speaker: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character, and public service of the late Honorable Frank Crabb begs leave to submit the following Memorial:

Frank Crabb was born on May 23, 1903 in Decatur, Illinois. He graduated from Litchfield High School in 1922, and attended DePauw University, where he played football against the “four horsemen” of Notre Dame, and the University of Chicago. He married Dorothy Ward in 1931 and they had one daughter. Mr. Crabb worked in the meatpacking industry from 1924 until his retirement in 1968. He worked at Swift & Co. in Chicago for 25 years and was an executive at Farmland Foods Co. in Denison for five years.

Mr. Crabb was a member of many organizations, including the Presbyterian Church, serving as Elder and a member of the Board of Trustees, Rotary Club (a Paul Haris Fellow, President and Founder of the Denison Club), National Republican Task Force, Masons in Australia, Shriners, Jesters, Denison Country Club and Crawford County Farm Bureau. He was past director and vice-president of the western division, and chairman, pork committee for National Indepent Meat Packers’ Committee and subcommittee to develop better hog production, was an Honorary Master Pork Producer of Iowa and belonged to the American Meat Institute. He was also elected to the “Older Iowa Legislature” in 1983, serving two years as Speaker, appointed to the National Legislative Committee for Iowa AARP (three years as director), a director of Norwest Bank, Denison, advisor to the Boy Scouts, President of Crawford County Industrial Development and was especially proud of receiving the AARP National Community Volunteer Award and the Crawford County Outstanding Senior Citizen Award in 1984.

Mr. Crabb was a member of the Republican party and represented Crawford County during the Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth, Sixty-sixth, Sixty-seventh, Sixty-seventh Extra, Sixty-eighth, Sixty-ninth, Sixty-ninth Extra, Sixty-ninth Second Extra General Assemblies. He played a key role in passage of one of Iowa’s better-known laws; the can and bottle redemption law, and in one of Iowa’s least-known laws, the abolition of pay toilets. Mr. Crabb was appointed State Vehicle Dispatcher from 1970-1972. By nature Mr. Crabb was a “people person” with a genuine zest for life. He was known with fondness as a “peacemaker” in the Iowa House of Representatives and both members and staff eagerly awaited his stories which always encouraged positive thinking.

After retiring, Mr. Crabb and his wife moved to New Jersey, in 1989, to be near their daughter and her family. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, of Lakewood, New Jersey; a daughter Susan Johnson of Chatham, New Jersey; one sister, Jeanne Steven of Santa Cruz, California; two granddaughters and one grandson.

Now Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-seventh General Assembly of Iowa, That in the passing of the Honorable Frank A. Crabb, the State has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and the House by this Resolution would express its appreciation of his service.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

DONNA BARRY

JACK DRAKE

DONALD GRIES

Committee