Our Story

The Story of Frederick’s

Joseph Frederick Grawe (pronounced GRAY-way) arrived in the United States in 1848 when he was five years old. He fought in for the Union in the Civil War, and then settled in Chickasaw County. Around 1915, he bought the Bremer County Independent Republican and the Waverly Democrat and merged the two newspapers. His son, Carl Frederick Grawe, followed Joseph into the publishing business, and Carl’s son Frederick Carl (Pep) Grawe continued the tradition until he retired after 35 years as owner/publisher. Frederick had a son named Frederick Carl Grawe, Jr., who was a golf standout at Wartburg and still holds championship records. His son, David Frederick Grawe, is the owner of Frederick’s Sips N Eats, serving his community by offering food, hospitality, and drinks, and we think his forefathers would approve.