At the age of 17, Jesse Raab walked to the corner where the Loyal City Hall is located, to go to work at the meat market, but now at the age of 18, and 61 years later, he walks to the same corner twice a day to raise and lower the American flag.
Born in Indiana and spending his childhood days there, Raab remembers coming to Loyal at the age of 12 on a train. The train brought the family to the Spencer depot, and the remainder of the trip was made by a horse and a rubber-tired surrey on a cold January, 1908 morning.
After living in the Loyal area for three years, the family moved to Red Wing, Minn., where Jesse worked in a furniture factory for $10 a week. Raab recalls that he was paid with a $10 gold piece, and that he worked five and a half days a week, with a half hour for break each day.
After living in the Minnesota area for a few years, Raab moved back to the Loyal area and bean his work at the meat market owned by George Schoch. Working for 75 cents a day, he recalls that the market had saw dust on the floor, something typical of the old markets. After working for Schoch for four years, Raab moved to Owen for six months, continuing in the market business. Returning to Loyal in 1924, he went into the meat market business for himself, adding groceries to the market shelves. Raab recalls the price of meat at that time was 25 cents for two pounds of hamburger, and round steak was 18 to 25 cents per pound, with eggs selling for 10 cents a dozen. While in the meat business, he did his own slaughtering, and handled such meat as beef, veal, lamb, and poultry products.
In 1948 Raab sold his groceries to the Albert Davel grocery business and discontinued the meat business when the Office of Price Administration came in and set new rules concerning the slaughtering of meat. After his retirement from the business district of Loyal, Raab went into the painting of houses. According to Raab, the job was enjoyable and a job that gave him the opportunity to be outdoors, something he enjoys.
Today, Raab is an active member in the American Legion Post 175 of Loyal, of which he is a WWI veteran, serving in the Army as a member of the Medical Corps. He is also an active member of the Veterans WWI of Marshfield. Raab is also a member of the Loyal Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge, of which he had previously served as treasurer for six years. For his favorite past-time enjoyment, he fishes, hunts, gardens, and enjoys building bird houses.
Raab and his wife, Vivian, have three children, Mrs. Harlan Bergemann of Greenwood, Earl of Maryland, and Leon of Appleton. They also have six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Jesse Raab perhaps has never received state or national recognition, nor will his name go down in the history books as an outstanding contributor to the works, but for the people of Loyal he IS an outstanding person. Whether people see him walk across the street everyday as he does his proud duty of lowering and raising the flag, or as he cleans off the sidewalks for people who are unable to do them, Raab is a person who enjoys doing something good for mankind, without having to be recognized for it.
