Representative Edwin John Sidey View All Years

HONORABLE EDWIN JOHN SIDEY

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life and service of the Honorable Edwin John Sidey, late of Adair county, Iowa, begs leave to submit the following memorial:

Edwin John Sidey was born in Coldsprings, Ontario, Canada, November 21, 1862, the son of John S. Sidey, a native of Dundee, Scotland and Eliza Jane Kelley, a native of the north of Ireland. He passed away at the Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, June 23, 1938.

He attended the common schools of his native country for a few years and then began work in a printing office, in which the greater part of his education was acquired. He was a youth of 14 years when with his parents he crossed the border into the United States, after which he worked at the printing business in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Creston and Greenfield.

In 1889 Mr. Sidey moved to Greenfield and began the publication of the Adair County Democrat, the name of which was changed after 18 years to the Adair County Free Press. He has been editor and publisher of this newspaper for 49 years. In 1916, the Greenfield Transcript was merged with the Adair County Free Press.

Mr. Sidey was a member of the Greenfield board of education for 32 years and president of that board for the last 20 years.

He was vitally interested in the politics of his county and served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1906 and 1912.

Mr. Sidey was married in 1890 in Toronto, Canada to Miss Margaret Sinclair, who passed away 2 years later. On January 17, 1894 in Greenfield, he was married to Miss Irene Cavanaugh, a native of Florence, New York, who came west with her uncle, James Gibbs in 1892. Three children were born to them, Mrs. Irene Wietzke, Kenneth and John, who with his wife and three grandsons survive him.

Mr. Sidey was a member of the Greenfield Methodist Episcopal Church, while fraternally he was identified with the Masons, being a member of Crusade Lodge of Greenfield, St. John’s Chapter, Bethany Commandery, Des Moines Consistory, and Za-Ga-Zig Temple A. A. O. M. S. of Des Moines.

Mr. Sidey served his community and state and served them well. Iowa has lost a valuable citizen.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Forty-eighth General Assembly, That in the passing of the Honorable Edwin John Sidey the state has lost an honored citizen, a man of high ideals in brotherly living and useful citizenship.

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 forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

H. S. LOVE,

G. T. KUESTER,

L. C. BOWERS,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted, April 12, 1939.