Senator John L. Bleakly View All Years

JOHN L. BLEAKLY

Senator Stoddard, from a special committee, submitted the following report and moved its adoption:

MR. PRESIDENT—Your committee appointed to draft resolutions commemorative of the life, character and services of John L. Bleakly, beg leave to submit the following report:

John L. Bleakly, a member of the Thirtieth, Thirty-first and Thirty-second General Assemblies, also the special session of the Thirty-second General Assembly, died in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 17, 1920, at the age of sixty-three years.

Mr. Bleakly was born in Fermanagh county, Ireland, on February 17, 1857, and came with his parents to America in 1863. His boyhood days were spent on a farm in Illinois. In 1873 he came with his parents to Linn county, Iowa, where he grew to manhood. He attended school in Linn county, and at the Cedar Rapids Business college, and engaged in teaching for several years after his graduation from the latter institution. He moved to Ida Grove, Iowa, in 1882, and was a clerk in a bank there for three years. He then entered the mercantile business, retiring in 1900.

He was elected state senator and served in three General Assemblies and was elected to the office of state auditor in 1909, and after completing three terms in this office, he retired, and organized the Iowa National Fire Insurance Company, at whose head he remained until his death. He was also president of the Des Moines Building & Loan Association, and president of the Pyramid Portland Cement company. He was a member of the Baltimore General Conference, as a member of the Methodist church, in 1908.

Mr. Bleakly is survived by his wife, and his four children: Homer Leslie, John Jr., Madge and Bessie, and four brothers and one sister, namely: Christie Bleakly of Ida county; Louis and Andrew Bleakly of Long Beach, Cal. Robert Bleakly of Storm Lake, and Mrs. La Grange of Marion, Iowa.

Mr. Bleakly was a man who accomplished much in his lifetime. His transactions were the soul of honor and he was unreservedly trusted and loved by all. He was a pillar of influence in the church, not only locally, but over the state of Iowa.

Whereas, the Honorable John L. Bleakly, a member of this body in the Thirtieth, Thirty-first and Thirty-second General Assemblies, has been called from this life, therefore,

Be It Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sorrow and regret of his death and that it recognizes the high character of his service to this state and in his death the state has lost a worthy and noble citizen, and,

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon the journal of the Senate and an engrossed copy of the same be sent to the members of his family.

ED. H. CAMPBELL,

M. B. PITT,

B. M. STODDARD.

The resolution was adopted unanimously by a rising vote.