Senator Joseph McKenna Junkin View All Years

MR. PRESIDENT — Your committee appointed to draft resolutions commemorative of the life, character and services of Joseph M. Junkin beg to submit the following report:

JOSEPH MCKENNA JUNKIN.

Joseph McKenna Junkin was born at Fairfield, Iowa, on April 8, 1852, and on July 11, 1888, was united in marriage at Ames, Iowa, with Olivette Chevalier to which union were born two children, Chevalier and Josephine. He died at Red Oak, October 11, 1913.

After completing the school course at Red Oak, he attended the law department of the State University where he graduated in 1879 and in September of that year became a law partner of H. E. Deemer, which partnership continued until 1887 when Mr. Deemer was elected District Judge. He was City Attorney from 1881 to 1885, and in 1895 was elected as State Senator from the district composed of Mills and Montgomery counties. He served in the Twenty-sixth, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth General Assemblies, taking part in the more important work of all four sessions, gaining high rank as a legislator, and had a large part in making the code of Iowa laws issued by the Twenty-sixth General Assembly.

For a number of years Senator Junkin was an active member of the Knights of Pythias lodge and was also a member of the Presbyterian church. His circle of acquaintance was large and his character was such that he left many warm friends over the entire state.

In the death of Mr. Junkin, Iowa lost one of her most distinguished native sons. He was born in the state and never lived outside her borders. He was nobly loyal to all the interests of the state as well as those of the county. His purpose in life was to be true to the highest ideals and to be a truly worthy servant of his fellow men.

The natural courage and forcefulness of the man, his logic, his wide knowledge, his poise, balance and sanity of view, all combined to make him an excellent counsellor. He was always faithful and efficient in service, but, over and above these things, he was a genial, helpful and sympathetic friend.

He went to his grave in the prime of life but even in this brief span of time he made on his state a lasting impress of good. His record is clean and it will be a source of pride and satisfaction to his family and his state until the end of time. Therefore be it

Resolved, That in the death of Joseph M. Junkin the state lost an efficient legislator and an honorable man and we hereby extend to the family and friends our sincere sympathy, and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be printed in the Journal of the Senate and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward an engrossed copy to the family of the deceased.

F. F. JONES,

JOHN T. CLARKSON,

ELI C. PERKINS,

Committee.

The resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote.