TANTAU, Margaret

Arizona State Miner (Wickenburg) Saturday, January 9, 1926, p 3 c 1 Mrs Margaret B Tantau, who died lately in her home at Exeter, Calif., was one of the pioneer teachers of Arizona, coming in the early 80's to take charge of the school at Tempe, where one of her pupils was the present Arizona congressman, Carl Hayden. Exeter (CA) Sun Thursday, December 24, 1925, p 1 Mrs Margaret Blake Tantau, passed away at her home, 226 South D Street, on Friday, December 18th, at 1:20pm. Mrs Tantau, widow of the late George D Tantau, was born in Sacramento October 1, 1856. She was the eldest daughter of the late Thomas M and Mary Anne Grehan Blake, both of whom descended from distinguished old Irish families, the Blakes of Galway; the Grehans of County Mayo; the O'Rafferty's of County Donegal and the Fitzhenry's of County Wexford. Both families came in early days to live in the Old South. Mr Blake's family located in Savannah, Georgia, while that of Mrs Blake went to New Orleans, Louisiana, where the Grehans still live. In October 1857, Mrs Tantau came to Tulare county, California, and settled on the old Blake homestead one mile west of the present town of Farmersville. She attended the elementary schools, the Visalia Normal school and later entered the University of California. Mrs Tantau was the first student to enter that institution from Tulare county. After graduating from the state university Mrs Tantau went to Arizona and was appointed principal of the Temple (sic)schools; she remained there two years returning to California where whe was principal of the Garden Grove High school, Van Nuys, California; later entering the school department of the city of Los Angeles, where she remained until her marriage to Mr Tantau, of Phoenix, Arizona, at which place they made their home for ten years. Then they returned to California and located in Pasadena, where they lived until 1915, when they returned to Tulare county and made a permanent home in Exeter. Mrs Tantau led the life of a student, accomplishing much in literary work, and was active in club and civic activities. A quiet manner marked her numerous charities and her greatest pleasure was to extend her hand to help any one endeavoring to overcome obstacles on the steep grades of life. Mrs Tantau is survived by two children, a son, George Blake Tantau, and a daughter, Louise Brier Tantau, both of Exeter; and four sisters, Mrs M. L. Weaver and Miss Eliza Blake, of Visalia; Mrs E H Miles, of Exeter; Mrs J J Dunee, of San Francisco; a niece, Margaret Fitzhenry Dunne, of San Francisco, and a nephew, Morve L Weaver, Jr, of Visalia. The masses of beautiful flowers bespoke the love and esteem of her many friends. The pall bearers, sons of old time friends, were: Messrs. Wm Todd Dofflemyer, Harry H Davis, Ray C Buckman, Royal T Jackson, Adna Neil and Edgar Kirk. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Exeter chapel and Mrs Tantau was laid to rest in the Exeter cemetery.