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Permanent LinkRepresentative Fred H. Hunter View All Years
FRED H. HUNTER
MR. SPEAKER: Your Committee, appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorative of the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Fred H. Hunter, begs leave to submit the following report:
Fred H. Hunter, Legislator, City Official, Railroad man and Agriculturalist, was born at Dexter, Iowa, on June 7, 1869, and died at Rochester, Minnesota, on July 23rd, 1943; his parents, natives of Pennsylvania, moved to Dexter in 1867, thence to Des Moines in 1869; his father, Dr. A. O. Hunter, was one of the pioneer physicians of Des Moines.
Mr. Hunter graduated from East High School of Des Moines in 1887; afterwards he graduated from the Capital City Commercial College and took agriculture and dairy course at the University of California and later at Iowa State College at Ames. He was associated with B. F. Gue for a time as one of the editors of the Rural Northwest Farm Publications; read law one winter; later was employed for a number of years by the Chicago & Great Western Railroad as a Passenger Agent and subsequently Traveling Freight and Passenger Agent.
Mr. Hunter engaged in many Des Moines business enterprises residing eight months of each year on the family farm near Ankeny and in Des Moines during the winter months. He was married in 1892 to Mary Ankeny, daughter of General R. V. Ankeny. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. He was a life-long Republican and was active in politics as well as in business and welfare fields; he served in the Iowa General Assembly in 1909 and as Mayor of Des Moines in 1926. Since the operation of the Selective Service Act he served as Chairman of Local Draft Board No. 1, served as a member and chairman of the Polk County Board of Supervisors in 1922 to 1926; always active in welfare and civic work, Masonic and church circles.
In 1911, he was appointed Receiver, Auditor and General Manager of the Minneapolis and Northern Interurban Railroad, which was electrified and sold three years later. He was a member of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association, Des Moines Club and Pioneer Club.
Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Fifty-first General Assembly, That in the passing of the Honorable Fred H. Hunter, the State has lost a valued and honored citizen and the House would tender, by this resolution, its sincere sympathy to the surviving members of his family in their sorrow; and
Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the House Journal and that the Chief Clerk be instructed to send an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.
TED SLOANE,
CARL A. BURKMAN,
G. E. WHITEHEAD,
Committee.
Unanimously adopted,