Representative David Orland Stone View All Years

HON. DAVID ORLAND STONE

At the Savery Hotel in the city of Des Moines, at 4:30 o’clock, on Friday, February 18th, David Orland Stone, a member of the Thirty-ninth General Assembly from Sioux County, passed away after an illness of but eight days. He was born at Belpre, Ohio, February 25, 1864, and with one more week of life would have reached his fifty-seventh birthday. He was brought by his parents to Cherokee in 1867. The following year the family came to Sioux county, locating at Calliope on August 12, 1868. On December 25, 1884, he was married to Generzia Dunham, whose death occurred August 28, 1918. One son, Merle R. Stone, and one daughter, Mrs. J. A. Armstrong, survive; and there is one brother, Fred P. Stone of Sioux Falls.

A review of the life of Mr. Stone would be to recount the growth and progress of Sioux County, so closely was his life interwoven with the life of the community. Coming to the county when there were but three families residing therein, he saw, and was a part of all the steps that have transformed the wild, rolling prairie into a highly developed agricultural life.

For years after the arrival of the family in Sioux County, they lived in a log house on the bank of the Sioux River. Here they passed through the vicissitudes of pioneer days. Young Stone attended the common schools in Calliope and in Orange City, and at the latter place learned the printer’s trade at the early age of fourteen, in the office of the Sioux County Herald.

Later he worked for short periods in newspaper offices at Rock Valley and Hull. In December, 1880, his father purchased the Sioux County Independent and moved the plant from Alton to Calliope. The father died within a month and the youth of seventeen found himself installed as editor of a newspaper. The two brothers were associated in this enterprise, but decedent soon acquired his brother’s interest. Later the printing plant was moved to Hawarden, in January, 1887, where Mr. Stone remained until the time of his death.

Thus for a period of more than forty years he was actively identified with the business interests of his home and community. His work as editor was upon a fine, high-minded plane, and his work and life were not only filled with usefulness but such as to endear him to the people of his county. He served as postmaster at Hawarden from 1895 to 1899, was a member of the school board for several years, and in 1914 was elected to the House in the Thirty-sixth General Assembly and re-elected to the Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth General Assemblies.

Mr. Stone, by hard work, careful, efficient service, and unflagging integrity, fashioned for himself a place of strong influence in the General Assembly. He was quiet, unpretentious, gentle, kind and thorough, and at the time of his death was chairman of the appropriations committee of the Thirty-ninth General Assembly. He had won this place through sheer merit and recognized capacity.

At the beginning of 1920 his son was taken into full partnership in the newspaper business, and just as Mr. Stone was looking forward to transferring to the shoulders of his son the responsibilities that he had been carrying for many years, his summons came.

David Orland Stone was of that fine, sincere type to whom none would think of bringing a single suggestion that was at variance with the best purposes in life. Those who have known him in the legislative service, as well as the great body of people of Sioux county whom he knew so well, will always hold him in tender memory. He was the type that justifies humanity at its best, and the purity, zeal and efficiency of his career are a lesson to all of us.

Be It Resolved, By the House of Representatives of the Thirty-ninth General Assembly, That in the passing of David Orland Stone we are conscious of a vital loss to the state, and of a deep personal loss as well; that we commend his career in the four General Assemblies in which he served as exhibiting the finest qualities of American citizenship; that we shall hold his quiet, kindly and genial personality in the tenderest remembrance, and would express to those who survive him the very high appreciation in which he was held by the members of this House.

Be It Further Resolved, That a duly enrolled copy of this resolution be forwarded to the family of deceased.

G. L. VENARD,

J. B. WEAVER,

J. H. ANDERSON,

Committee.

Adopted April 4, 1921.