Representative James A. Skillen View All Years

HON. JAMES SKILLEN.

MR. SPEAKER—Your committee appointed to draft proper resolutions of respect in honor of the Honorable James A. Skillen, a former member of this body respectfully submit the following:

The Honorable James A. Skillen was born at Cherry Valley, New York, February 26, 1832. He passed out of this life at the home of his daughter, Mrs. D. A. Long, in Waverly, Iowa, November 7, 1912, being in his eighty-first year.

At four years of age Mr. Skillen moved with his parents to Greene, Chenango county, New York, where he continued to reside about twenty years, or until 1856. The next two years were spent in Waverly, Iowa, where he worked with W. P. Harmon, the founder of that town, returning at the end of the two years to his boyhood home. Here he again lived until after his marriage to Miss Lucinda Adams, which occurred October 2, 1862. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Skillen came to Iowa to the then new West, settling on a farm which Mr. Skillen purchased near Tripoli. Here they resided some thirty years, until Mrs. Skillen’s death May 12, 1892. Two years later Mr. Skillen came to Waverly, where he continued to reside till the time of his death. During the last eight years of his life he had made his home with his daughter, Mrs. D. A. Long.

There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Skillen two daughters. The elder died in infancy. The younger, Mrs. D. A. Long, of Waverly, with the one grandson, Herbert Long, and two brothers, Robert Skillen of Waterloo and Hugh Skillen of Virginia, constitute the surviving members of his own and his father’s family. His nephew and wife, Mr. and Mrs. M. S. Fitch, of Tripoli, were also counted as members of his family.

James A. Skillen was of a family of thirteen children, being of Scotch-Irish parentage. He was a man of strict integrity, honored, respected and trusted not only by his fellow townsmen, but by the citizens of Bremer county, who sent him to represent them in 1872-3 in the Fourteenth Iowa Assembly. C. C. Carpenter was Governor at that time. During his legislative term he served on the committee on highways and was an influential member of that body. He voted for the abolition of capital punishment and was an earnest advocate of progress in educational affairs, advocating among other things an act establishing public libraries in the townships and independent school districts of the state. He also had a large part in the formulation and success of a measure in making the state historical society the valuable institution that it is today.

For six years prior to his death Mr. Skillen was president of the Waverly Savings Bank. He had the confidence of the people of his county in a remarkable degree, and both in public and private matters was true to every trust that was reposed in his hands. As his record as a legislator was without a blemish so was his private life without stain. Therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives take this occasion to express its high regard and appreciation of his character and public services, and at this time extend to his family its sincere sympathy in their sorrow; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon the Journal of the House and that the chief clerk be directed to send an engrossed copy to the family of the deceased.

C. W. MILLER,

W. I. ATKINSON,

GEO. W. KOONTZ,

Committee.

Adopted April 10, 1913.