Representative Liberty E. Fellows View All Years

LIBERTY EATON FELLOWS.

MR. PRESIDENT--Your committee, appointed to draft resolutions on the death of the Honorable Liberty Eaton Fellows take pleasure in submitting to the Senate the following report:

Liberty Eaton Fellows was born at Corinth, Orange County, Vermont, August 22, 1834. He lived with his parents on a farm and attended the common school of Corinth and later attended the Thetford Academy in Orange County. He removed to Wisconsin in 1856, and to Allamakee County, Iowa, in 1857. Here he worked on a farm, clerked in the county offices, took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1862, locating in Lansing and soon becoming one of the leading attorneys of Allamakee County.

The county was new and the laws of Iowa were not settled. Many questions were met where there were no cases or precedents to refer to. The practitioner must possess a broad sense of right and justice and be able to present his arguments to the courts, not as a “book worm,” but as a philosopher of law, assisting the courts in crystalizing common sense into legal decisions.

In the making of the common law, as expressed in our early reports, L. E. Fellows exerts a great influence. He was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in the Eleventh and of the Senate in the Twelfth and Thirteenth General Assemblies. As a lawmaker he was careful, honest and courageous, as shown by his statement in debate, when the questions of publicity of the acts and votes of members came up he said, “So far as I am concerned I want my constituents to know where I stand. If any of my actions here be in opposition to the views of my constituents I am perfectly willing they should know it, and I do not want to screen other Senators by voting this resolution down.”

In 1889 Governor Larrabee appointed L. E. Fellows Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District to fill the unexpired term and serve the remainder of the term. In 1894 Judge Fellows was elected Judge of the District Court of the Thirteenth Judicial District. So able, impartial and satisfactory was his conduct of the office that he held the esteem of the united bar and the people of the district. By common consent as a non-partisan he was continued in the office until his death, July 17, 1912.

In 1861 he was married to Miss Mary S. Reed, who survives him. To this union eleven children were born, eight of whom are now living, and were at the bedside of their father when he passed away. The sons were the pallbearers at the funeral, which was held in Lansing on the afternoon of July 19, 1912.

Judge Fellows was for several years a trustee of the Mount Pleasant Hospital and also a trustee of Upper Iowa University. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and an active member of the Masonic order and served two years as Grand Master.

He lived the simple life and was a man who delighted to mingle with the people. He loved his home and was happy in his family. He was beloved by his neighbors and friends throughout all Iowa. He was honest and upright in all his dealings and had the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He was an excellent lawyer, stood high in his profession and either as a lawyer or a judge his whole purpose was to see that equal justice was done.

Many were the honors conferred upon Judge Fellows in the Masonic order and by the people of the state. He belonged to the people of his district, and his whole purpose was to serve them.

Resolved, That in the death of Judge Liberty Eaton Fellows the Senate has lost a valuable former lawmaker, the people an upright judge, the community in which he lived an exemplary citizen, the fraternities and church to which he belonged a true brother, and his family a faithful and loving husband and father; and be it further

Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward engrossed copies of these resolutions to the wife and family of the deceased.

ROBERT QUIGLEY,

ELI C. PERKINS,

FREDERIC LARRABEE,

Committee.

The resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote.