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Permanent LinkSenator John O. Shaff View All Years
J. O. SHAFF
MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable J. O. Shaff, begs leave to submit the following memorial:
J. O. Shaff was born January 6, 1885, the son of John H. and Jennie Drips Shaff. He held a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State College and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin. He was a life resident of Camanche Township, a member of a family which came to Clinton County from Sodus Point, New York, in 1837.
He married Gladys Melick of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, in 1909. She passed away in 1918. In 1921 he married Mrs. Evelyn Purcell.
Mr. Shaff was a State Representative in the Thirty-seventh Session and a State Senator in the Fortieth, Fortieth Extra, Forty-first, Fortysecond and Forty-third Sessions of the General Assembly. During his incumbency as a State Senator he worked diligently in establishing Iowa’s primary road system. He was chairman of the Senate highways committee during a special session of the legislature in which the first one hundred million dollar paving bond issue was approved. He worked successfully in behalf of shifting the cost burden for paving highway construction to road users instead of by special assessment. He was a member of a committee of twenty-two which went to Washington after World War I to petition for agricultural tariff protection. He was a member of the Resolutions Committee at the 1928 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Two sons have served in the General Assembly.
Mr. Shaff passed away December 1, 1969. Surviving him are his widow, Evelyn; six sons, Roger J. Shaff of rural Camanche, Jay M. Shaff of Bettendorf, Martin Purcell of Kansas City, Donald Purcell of Rock Island, James H. Shaff of Cedar Rapids and David O. Shaff of Clinton; two daughters, Mrs. James (Jeanne) Kieley of Fullerton, California, and Mrs. Dale (Lynn) Turner of Newport Beach, California; a brother, Heman D. Shaff of rural Camanche; twenty-one grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Second Session of the Sixty-third General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable J. O. Shaff, the state has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and the Senate by this resolution would express its appreciation of his service, and tender its sympathy to the members of his family.
Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the Senate and the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.
ROGER J. SHAFF, Chairman
CLIFTON C. LAMBORN
HAROLD A. THORDSEN
Committee
The resolution was unanimously adopted.