Jane Larew

Madera Tribune, Number 157, 15 November 1955

Mrs. Jane Larew, 96, Long-Time Maderan, Dies

Mrs. Jane Larew, a Madera County resident since 1891, died at her North G Street home yesterday afternoon at the age of 96. She had been in ill health for several years.

Funeral services for Mrs. Larew will be held at 2 p m. tomorrow at the Jay Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Edgar Bradley of the Madera Methodist church will be in charge of the services and graveside services at Arbor Vitae cemetery will be directed by the Madera Rebekah lodge.

Mrs. Larew came to the county 54 years ago following her marriage to the late W. H. Larew, who served as the County’s district attorney for several years. She was active in local affairs from the beginning of her residence here, holding a charter membership in the Rebekah lodge and attending the Methodist church since its inception.

Early California Family

The long-time resident was a member of an early California family, coming to the state with her parents from her birthplace in Chattanooga county, Georgia, on the second train to cross the prairie after the completion of the Union Pacific railroad. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pratt, first settled in Mariposa county, where Mrs. Larew grew up on what is still known in a farming area as the Pratt ranch. She met her future husband in that county and the couple was married there in 1880. The first Larew home in Madera, to which the couple moved the year following their marriage. was on North B st. near the site of the present First Methodist church. Although their first home burned to the ground several years ago, the large frame house where the family later lived still stands on East Yosemite Ave. Mrs. Larew is survived by three children, a son, James, of Oakland, and two daughters, Mrs. Christine Parkes and Mrs. Virginia Weber, both of Madera; five grandchildren: Mrs. John D Gordon and Kenneth Parkes of Madera, Walter F, Larew of Oakland, Raynor L. Parkes of Long Beach, and Richard Rue of Los Angeles; and four great-grandchildren.

Madera Tribune, July 30, 1954

Madera Resident Celebrates Birthday Mrs. Jane E. Larew, pioneer resident of Madera County, was receiving congratulations on her 95th birthday on July 26th.

Mrs. Larew was born near Rome, Ga., in 1859, ami settled with her parents in Mariposa at the age of 10. She was married in Mariposa to the late W. H. Larew, who came to Madera to practice law and was active in the formation of Madera County. They established their home in Madera and Mrs. Larew has lived here continuously since that time. They were the parents of Mrs. Virginia Weber and Mrs. Christine Parkes, both of Madera, and James Larew of Oakland, the grandparents of Mrs. John B. Gordon and Kenneth Parkes also of Madera; Walter Larew of San Francisco; Richard Rue of Los Angeles, and Raynor Parkes of Honolulu.

There are four great grandchildren, Mrs. Marcia Durrett. Miss Nancy Larew and Roger and Dennis Parkes. Relatives from out of town who visited Mrs. Larew on her birthday were her sister, Mrs. Alice Smith of Bakersfield, a niece, Mrs. James Alpine of San Francisco, and Mrs. Emmett Field of Snelling, and James and Walter Larew. Mrs. Larew is a member of the First Methodist Church and the Rebekah Lodge, whose members joined with her family and other friends in wishing her a happy birthday.