Representative Harold Claire Lounsberry View All Years

HONORABLE HAROLD C. LOUNSBERRY

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee appointed to prepare a resolution commemorating the life, character and public services of the Honorable Harold C. Lounsberry, a former member of the General Assembly of Iowa, begs leave to submit the following:

Born on a farm in Hardin county just across the Marshall county line, June 14, 1874, he moved with his parents to a Marshall county farm when he was two years old. There were eight children in his father's family and young Lounsberry was unable to finish his course in the Marshalltown high school but took a job as a farm hand to earn money to put himself through law school. He finally was able to enter Drake University, completed the two-year course in one year and was admitted to the bar in 1899.

He married Miss Nellie Stewart, at that time fourth grade teacher in the Anson school, in this city, June 28, 1912. They were the parents of five children, Irene, Clara, Mary, Helen and Harold Jr.

Mr. Lounsberry represented Marshall county as state representative in the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth General Assemblies which convened in 1911 and 1913. His previous political experience was gained as clerk of the district court in Marshall county, to which he was elected in 1905, retiring in 1909, and the following year was elected to the state legislature. While in the legislature he helped to codify the laws of the state. After serving two terms he retired from politics for several years, but again sought public office in 1920 when he was a candidate for the republican nomination for state senator from the district upon the completion of the two terms served by W. H. Arney. He failed to gain the nomination, however, and again in 1928 was unsuccessful in seeking the republican senatorial nomination.

His legislative experience also included service as journal clerk of the House of Representatives in the Twenty-seventh Assembly, journal clerk of the Senate in the following term and assistant secretary of the Senate in the Twenty-ninth General Assembly. In county politics he served as a member of the county central republican committee and was a delegate to both state and judicial republican convention.

Besides his widow and children he is survived by a sister, Mrs. E. G. Andrews of Knoxville, and four brothers, Claude of Ames; Carl of St. Louis, Mo.; Vance of Denver, Colorado, and Dr. Ray Lounsberry of San Diego, California.

Therefore, Be It Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Forty-eighth General Assembly, That in the passing of the Honorable Harold C. Lounsberry, the state of Iowa has lost a valued and honored citizen, a man of great character and worth and the House of Representatives of Iowa, by this resolution, tenders its sympathy to the family of the deceased.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

JOHN KNUDSON,

FRED J. PAULLUS,

RAPHAEL R. R. DVORAK,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted, April 12, 1939.