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Permanent LinkRepresentative Alfred Wenstrand View All Years
HONORABLE ALFRED WENSTRAND
MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare resolutions commemorating the life, character, and public services of the Honorable Alfred Wenstrand of Page county, begs leave to submit the following report:
Alfred Wenstrand was born in Sweden May 13, 1855. He died at Essex, Iowa, on September 4, 1936, at the age of eighty-one years, three months and twenty-one days. He was survived by his wife, Christin Wenstrand, four sons, two daughters, and fourteen grandchildren.
Mr. Wenstrand was graduated from the public schools of Sweden, and immigrated with his father from their native land to Illinois in 1869. They later came to northern Page county, Iowa, and settled in what was then called Binn’s Grove, and which is now the Nyman vicinity. He received a further school education in the public schools of Iowa, and studied law for two and one-half years. In 1879 he was married to Christin Olson and they began farming the virgin prairie. He was a pioneer and soon was recognized as a civic and spiritual leader of his community. He served as road superintendent, secretary and president of the school board, assessor, township clerk, township trustee, and justice of the peace. Mr. Wenstrand followed farming until 1896 when he was elected clerk of the district court of Page county, and served three consecutive terms in that office. He then removed to the farm again.
A Republican in politics, he was, in 1914, elected to the House of Representatives of Iowa as representative from Page county, and was re-elected in 1916; he thus served in the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh General Assemblies of his state. He was associated with all movements for the good of his community, and was president of the bank at Essex. Mr. Wenstrand interested himself in church work and took an active part as a member of the Swedish Mission Church.
He was a man of many friends, of sterling qualities, and sought to make his community a better place in which to live. He loved the young folks, was respected and honored by all who knew him, and no one doubted his integrity and sincerity of purpose. He gave unstintingly of his talents and strength for the welfare of his county and state, and was to his family a kind and loving husband and father.
Therefore, Be It Resolved, That in the passing of the Honorable Alfred Wenstrand, the state has lost a valuable and honored citizen and the House would tender, by this resolution, its sincere sympathy to the surviving members of his family in their sorrow, and
Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be instructed to send an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.
EARL C. FISHBAUGH, JR.
O. N. HULTMAN,
WM. KERR,
Committee.
Unanimously adopted, April 12, 1939.