Senator John Hilsinger View All Years

Senator Lambert from the special committee appointed to draft suitable resolutions respecting the life and character of the late Hon. John Hilsinger, of Sabula, Jackson county, Iowa, submitted the following report:

RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT.

MR. PRESIDENT—Your committee appointed to prepare resolutions on the death of Hon. John Hilsinger, late of Sabula, Jackson county, Iowa, and formerly a member of this legislative body, most respectfully submits the following report:

John Hilsinger was born at Marathon, Cortland county, New York, March 4th, 1835, and died at Sabula, Iowa, March 26, 1906. Hard work upon the farm and at the trade of carpenter and millwright was his lot in early life, but by improving every opportunity for self-education and reading law, he was examined and admitted to the bar at Ithaca, New York, in 1857. He came to Iowa the same year, locating for a short time in Floyd county, but in 1858, moved to Sabula, Jackson county, where he has since resided, During the first two years of his residence at Sabula, be was principal of the High School and practiced law at the same time, but since 1860 he has given his entire time to the practice of his profession and the banking business, being eminently successful in both.

He was elected township Supervisor in 1860 and held that office for eight years. In 1861 he was appointed Postmaster at Sabula and with the exception of four years, while he was a member of the State Senate, held that office continuously until the fall of 1885, when he tendered his resignation because of a change in the national administration. He was appointed by President Lincoln as enrolling officer of Jackson county, during 1861 and 1862 and was a member of the enrolling board to hear and determine claims for exemption from military duty. In 1864, Mr. Hilsinger was elected to the State Senate and was a distinguished member of this body for four years. He was a member of the Jackson county board of supervisors for several terms and county attorney for two years. He was city attorney from the organization of the town of Sabula, in 1863, until the time of his death, and was Mayor during the first five years of the town’s incorporation? He was appointed treasurer of the Independent School District of Sabula in 1855 and elected treasurer of the city in 1863, holding both positions continuously until death removed him from office.

He was a consistent Republican, casting his first vote for John C. Fremont for President in 1856; was chairman of the Republican county central committee for many years, a member of the State central committee several times and a delegate to the National Republican Convention in 1884.

Mr. Hilsinger was also prominent in the social and fraternal organizations of Iowa. In 1874-5 he was Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, A. F. and A. M., and Grand Master of the A. O. U. W. of Iowa in 1886 and 1887. He was elected Grand Treasurer of the Iowa Legion of Honor in 1885 and had an unbroken record in that office up to the day of his death.

While always prominent in public life, he was never an ‘‘office seeker”—never once in his long career being a self-constituted candidate, but with the true spirit of American citizenship, yielded to the wishes of his friends when they desired to call him to a position of trust and responsibility. He was never defeated for any office for which he was a candidate. He was always honest, efficient and faithful in the discharge of every duty, public or private—a devoted husband, a kind and indulgent father, a broad-minded and useful citizen; therefore, be it

Resolved, That we extend to his bereaved family our most sincere sympathy in this, their hour of sadness and sorrow; and

Resolved, That these resolutions be entered in the Journal of the Senate and that an engrossed copy be presented to the family of the deceased by Secretary of the Senate.

THOS. LAMBERT,

W. P. WHIPPLE,

J. H. JACKSON,

Committee.

Senator Lambert moved the adoption of the report and Resolution.