Representative Fremont Earl Shortess View All Years

F. E. SHORTESS

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character and public services of the late Honorable F. E. Shortess, begs leave to submit the following memorial:

Fremont Earl Shortess was born September 26, 1858, near Sparta, Morrow county, Ohio, and died August 13, 1944. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Thackery Shortess. The family came west to Iowa in the fall of 1864, settling on a farm near Vinton. During the first two years a log cabin was the family home. Mr. Shortess attended Tilford Academy at Vinton in his youth. In 1875 he started to learn the watch and jewelry repair business in Vinton. In 1879 he went to Reinbeck and opened a jewelry store, but early in 1881 returned to Vinton and entered a partnership with the jeweler who had taught him his trade.

He was married September 6, 1881, to Elizabeth Keith, of Vinton. They came to Traer early in 1888, and Mr. Shortess entered the jewelry and optometry business which he operated until April 3, 1930.

During all of his years of business, Mr. Shortess found time for extraordinary public service. He was mayor of Traer seven years, three times elected and once appointed to fill a vacancy. While he was mayor, Traer established its municipal electric light and power and steam heating plant. Mr. Shortess took keen interest in the plant, and gave much personal time to the planning and management of it for years. Earlier he had served six years on the town council.

Mr. Shortess was very active in Republican party affairs. In 1914 he was elected as Tama county’s representative in the lower house of the state general assembly and served two terms. During his second term he was a candidate for speaker of the house, and was defeated by a narrow majority.

During World War I he was chairman of the Red Cross drives and always put Tama county over the top. He was a leader in every movement for public improvements, paving, sewerage system, library, park improvements, the municipal plant, etc. He was one of the earliest advocates of hard surfaced roads for Tama county and did much effective personal work in the state general assembly and as a private citizen to lay the groundwork for the system of roads of which all Iowa is so proud today.

Mr. Shortess was one of the oldest active members of the Masonic fraternity in Iowa, being a member 64 years. He was a member of Traer’s Congregational Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Shortess were the parents of two children, Clifford Keith who died July 7, 1936, and Glen who is employed by the Spartan School of Aeronautics at Miami, Oklahoma.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Fifty-first General Assembly, That in the passing of the Honorable F. E. Shortess, the state has lost a valued and honorable 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 Journal of the House and that the Chief Clerk be instructed to send an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

LAWRENCE PUTNEY,

HARRY E. WEICHMAN,

H. R. FREI, JR.,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted,