Representative Joseph Herman Anderson View All Years

JOSEPH H. ANDERSON

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Joseph H. Anderson, begs leave to submit the following memorial:

Joseph H. Anderson was born in a log cabin two and one-half miles north of Forest City, Iowa, April 12, 1871, and passed away at his farm home, southwest of Thompson, Iowa, September 25, 1953.

After attending the local country schools of his day on approximately a four month basis per year, he received his degree from Iowa State Teachers College in 1898. Upon graduation be served as superintendent of schools at Fairbank, Iowa, for two years. Except for a period of eight years during which he was clerk of courts for Winnebago County, he spent the rest of his lifetime farming.

In the educational field he served on the board of education for Waldorf College, on the board of education of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and on the Iowa State Board of Education.

He was married in 1898 to Matilda Keil.

He was elected Representative from Winnebago County in 1914 and served in the Thirty-sixth, Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and Fortieth Extra sessions of the General Assembly. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Fortieth General Assembly.

In the agricultural field, he was active in local cooperatives. He worked on the Iowa State Agricultural Foundation in connection with Iowa State College, was president of the Iowa State Co-operative Creamery Association, and later of the National Co-operative Creamery Association. He was a lifetime member of the Linden Evangelical Lutheran Church of Linden township.

Mr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Matilda, two sons, Orland of Thompson and Merlin of Ames; four daughters, Mrs. A. J. Field of Forest City, Mrs. R. F. Wunder of Sanborn, Joy of Cedar Rapids, and Mrs. Wilbur O. Bowers of Long Beach, California. Also surviving are one brother, John A. Anderson of McClusky, North Dakota, thirteen grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Fifty-sixth. General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Joseph H. Anderson, the state has lost an honored citizen and a faithful, useful public servant, and the House, by this resolution, would express its appreciation of his service, and tender its sympathy to his wife and members of his family.

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.

HENRY C. NELSON,

CURTIS G. RIEHM,

W. R. CHRISTIANSEN,

Committee.