LAWRENCE P. LOVE.
The early spirit of personal independence that drove the men employed in the hard mining districts in Scotland
to seek a broader and fuller life in the United States continues in a great degree to individualize the sons of
Scotia. Isolation, dependence upon their own resources, and the combativeness always developed by being the smaller
numerically in great combinations of people have doubtless had much to do in giving to these people their personal
characteristics. Wherever they are found, in the army, in the professions, in business or in society, there is
a spirit and a manner that tells us whence they came and who their fathers were.
Lawrence P. Love, general manager
of the Pershing Coal Company of Des Moines, was born January 22, 1874, at Braidwood, Will County, Illinois, and
is a a son of Andrew and Marian (Piteaithley) Love, natives of Scotland, who immigrated to the United States in
1869 and settled in the mining regions of Pennsylvania. The entire family had been mining men in Scotland, and
Andrew Love found employment in the Pennsylvania coal fields, but in 1873 came to Illinois, and after a short time
in Will County went to Grundy County, in the same state, where he became a mine manager. Later he moved on to Wayne
County, Iowa, where he was also a mine manager, and subsequently became the owner of a mine in Mahaska County,
Iowa. On July 18, 1928, Mr. and Mrs. Love, who had been married for more than sixty-one years, came to Des Moines,
where they are now living in comfortable retirement. They are members of the Latter Day Saints, and Mr. Love, who
maintains independent views upon political questions, served in the Illinois Legislature on one occasion, having
been elected on a Granger ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Love had eight children, of whom six are living, Lawrence P. being
the fourth in order of birth. The paternal grandfather of Lawrence P. Love was William Love, a native of Scotland,
and superintendent of mines, who was murdered there while carrying a pay-roll. The maternal grandfather, Lawrence
Piteaithley, was born in Scotland, and, like his forebears, was a seaman. He assisted in the laying of the first
Atlantic cable. Mr. Love's mother was one of twins, and was the recipient of a pound from the Queen Victoria, according
to Her Majesty's custom upon such occasions. Mrs. Love was born in Queen's Castle, at Edinburgh, Scotland, and
her mother was a MacFarlane. Mr. Love was born at Glasgow, Scotland, and they were married at Ardrie in their native
country.
Lawrence P. Love received his education in the public schools of Braidwood, Illinois, and Excelsior, Iowa, and
in addition studied at night and took night school and correspondence school courses in mining and mine engineering,
receiving a grade of 96-1/2. He was first employed by the Excelsior Coal Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & Saint Paul Railway Company, and later became mine manager for the Hocking Coal Company in Monroe
County, Iowa. He then became superintendent of mines and a mine owner, being the owner of the Love-Carpenter Coal
Company for eighteen months. He next became secretary of the Iowa Coal Operators, and was a commissioner thereof
for more than twelve years, finally accepting his present position as general manager of the Pershing Coal Company,
with offices in the Insurance Exchange Building at Des Moines. He is also a director of this company, whose mines,
the largest in the state, are located in Marion County, and produce on an average of 1,200 tons of high-grade coal
each day of eight hours. Mr. Love is an attendant of the methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Scottish Rite Mason,
and has belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for thirty years and to the Ancient Order of United Workmen
for thirty-three years. Like his father, he maintains an independent stand upon political matters, and on one occasion
was nominated for the State Legislature, but refused the honor. In 1905 Mr. Love was united in marriage with Miss
Anna Hall, who was born at Coal Valley, Illinois, of English parentage, and received her education in the public
schools of Iowa. To this union there have been born four children: Iva, the wife of Cyril L. Kendree, assistant
manager of the Phillips Oil Company of Des Moines; Victoria, the wife of Joseph Vandresser, of Prairie City, Iowa,
general manager of the Dowden Potato Digger Company; Dorothy, the wife of Stanley Wells, of Boone, Iowa, with the
General Foods Company; and Raymond, a law student at Drake University, who works part time for the Shell Oil Company.
[Source: A Narrative History of The People of Iowa, 1931]
