Representative John E. McMillan View All Years

HONORABLE J. E. MCMILLAN

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee appointed to prepare a resolution commemorating the life, character and public services of the late Hon. J. E. McMillan of Benton county, Iowa, begs leave to submit the following:

J. E. McMillan, the son of pioneers of Benton county, was born in Harrison township, Benton county, Iowa, November 16, 1860. He was educated in the country schools of that day. On November 2, 1882, he was united in marriage with Miss Nora I. Pitts. To them were born five children, Leslie, Lawrence, Nancy, Glen, and Wilhelmina. Mr. McMillan followed the occupation of farming all the active years of his life. He was a member of the board of directors and chairman of the Farm Bureau of Benton county for many years. He was also county chairman of the campaign to eradicate bovine tuberculosis. Mr. McMillan was always interested in and an advocate of good roads. He made a drag patterned after the one invented by Mr. King of Missouri and used it to drag the roads in front of his farm for several years before the road officials paid for dragging the roads. His was a deeply religious nature. As a young man he united with the Prairie Creek Church of Christ and was always active in the work of the church, being one of a group of people who made possible an active country church that has survived the inroads of the automobile and modern methods of communication on the country churches. He was always a very loyal republican and in 1926 was elected to the House of Representatives, serving in the Forty­second, Forty-second Extra, and Forty-third General Assemblies. His wife preceded him in death several years and since that time he made his home with one or the other of his children. He had planned to spend the winter with his daughter in Arizona, but illness came upon him from which he never recovered and he passed away on the 11th day of January, 1938. His mortal remains were brought back to Iowa where they were interred besode those of his wife in the Bear Creek Cemetery which is in the same township in which Mr. McMillan was born and spent his entire life.

Therefore, Be It Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the Forty-eighth General Assembly, That the state has lost a valued and beloved citizen and the House of Representatives would tender, by this resolution, their sincere and heartfelt sympathy to his beloved 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.

HARRY E. WEICHMAN,

GORDON SMITH,

ARCH W. MCFARLANE,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted, April 12, 1939.