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Permanent LinkSenator Samuel Albert Brush View All Years
SAMUEL ALBERT BRUSH
MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Samuel Albert Brush, begs leave to submit the following:
Samuel Albert Brush was born on a farm near Castalia in Winneshiek County on March 19, 1873, and passed away at his home in Chelsea, September 8, 1951, at the age of 78.
He spent his boyhood on a farm near Madison Township in Poweshiek County, northwest of Chelsea.
He attended the rural schools and Chelsea High School. He also attended the University of Iowa one year.
For seven winters he taught rural schools while farming in the summer. On August 8, 1900, he was united in marriage to Miss Cathryn Wilkinson. To this union six children were born. Two daughters and two sons survive: Mrs. H. B. (Marie) Cobet, Cecil W., Merle B. Brush of Chelsea, and Mrs. J. R. (Amber) Vermazen of Phoenix, Arizona.
Mr. Brush was a member of the Chelsea Methodist Church, and Zenith Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of Chelsea.
In 1913 he purchased the two elevators and business in Chelsea. He was always interested in civic and political affairs, and was a life long Republican. He served on both rural and town school boards several terms. He served as Mayor of Chelsea from 1914 to 1918 and 1932 to 1936. He was elected State Senator for the Tama-Benton district on the Republican ticket and served one term from 1927 to 1931. He helped organize the Chelsea Savings Bank in 1936 serving continuously as its president from the time it was organized until his death.
Mr. Brush was always a man of great courage and one of the stories told of him concerns the dark days following his financial crash of 1929. He lost heavily at that time. After he had lost much of his property he went out to look over one of his farms which it appeared he would also lose. Asked what he was going to do, his reply was classic in showing his courage. He replied: “Well, I suppose some people would get a rope when they were hit as hard as we have been, but I reckon I’ll just hang on. If I made it once, I guess I can do it again.” “S. A.,” as he was familiarly known, did hang on, and redeemed much of his losses.
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-sixth General Assembly: That in the passing of the Honorable Samuel Albert Brush, the state has lost a valuable and honorable citizen and one who contributed unselfish service to the State of Iowa.
Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread on the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the members of the family of the deceased.
LAWRENCE PUTNEY,
ARCH W. MCFARLANE,
W. ELDON WALTER,
Committee.
The resolution was unanimously adopted.