George Burton Drake

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George Burton Drake (1870-1942) was an American landscape painter and minister.

George Burton Drake was born August 3, 1870 in Eagle, New York to John (1833-1901) and Emily (Helmer) Drake (1848-1904). Raised as an only child (his 2 year old younger brother William had died in 1872), George was relied upon heavily by his mother to help his father, who had been severely wounded by a Confederate sniper during the Civil War and left without the use of his right arm. During his teenage years, Burty, as young George was known by his family, attended Pike Academy in New York. It was there he took up painting as a hobby. During this time he mastered the use of various media, including oils, watercolor, and pencil sketching. He seemed to have very gifted artistic abilities, since he was also known as a master carpenter and tinsmith.

Drake attended Ridgeville College in Indiana where he met Ida Hattie Lawrence (b. April 14, 1872). They married on Dec 24, 1891. During this time he gave up all artistic endeavors to pursue a career in the ministry. Burty's wife Ida died shortly thereafter on March 24, 1893. In 1894 he moved to South Wardsboro, Vermont where he served as a congregational aide. There he met and married Nellie (Nell) Jennie Rice (Nov 9, 1870-Dec 23, 1966) in early 1895. In 1901 he moved back to western New York to look after his father due to John's failing health. On September 10, 1901, John Drake died in Pike, NY. Burty and his wife served Congregational Churches in Mount Hope, KS, Valley Falls, KS, Kansas City, KS, Minneapolis, Chicago and eventually to Old Orchard Church in Webster Groves, MO. George Burton Drake retired to McPherson, Kansas, where he died on September 20, 1942. Burty had one son, George Bryant Drake (Dec 8, 1895- Apr 26,1979), a minister and past President of Doane College (1942-1947), and a daughter, Ruth Nellie Drake (Dec 16, 1900-Nov 28, 1994), a renowned author; two grandsons, Dr. George Drake (former President of Grinnell College) and his brother, Professor Richard Drake (retired) of Berea College and a granddaughter, Jane Drake Erickson.

Drake typically signed his works as 'GB Drake', often employing accentuated vertical strokes within the signature. A few of Drake's paintings and sketches still exist in private collections. His style usually depicts an individual in a serene landscape setting, typically surrounded by large trees. A 25"x35" oil painting on canvas entitled "The Upland Pasture" acquired from the Strobridge Lithograph Company (Cincinnati, OH) in 1951 is shown.

[edit] References

1) Phone interview with grandson, Professor Richard Drake, on Wednesday, July 26th, 2006.
2) Drake family tree and 14 pages of genealogical information provided by Grinnell College Libraries, Special Collections and Archives
3) Phone interview with granddaughter, Jane Drake Erickson, May 28, 2008.