Representative John Cunningham View All Years

HONORABLE JOHN CUNNINGHAM

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare resolutions commemorative of the life, character and public services of the late Honorable John Cunningham, of Humboldt county, Iowa, beg leave to submit the following report:

John Cunningham was born February 28, 1870, in Illinois. He came to Humboldt county in 1881. His boyhood days were spent on the farm, and in his early life he was a rural school teacher. He was always active in public affairs and held nearly every office of public trust that could be bestowed upon him by the citizens of his county, having held the office of township trustee, assessor and a member of the board of education, while living upon the farm. He was elected county auditor of Humboldt county and served in this capacity from January 1900 until January 1, 1909. While in the auditor’s office he studied law and was admitted to the bar in June, 1907. He was elected county attorney in the fall of 1908 and served in this capacity for several terms. During the time that he was practicing law in Humboldt, from January 1909 to the date of his death on July 10, 1935, he served as a member of the city council of the city of Humboldt, as mayor, as a member of the board of education and as president of the board of education. He was a member of the Forty-sixth General Assembly from Humboldt county. He discharged the duties of his various offices with fidelity and ability.

No citizen of his community was held in higher esteem. He was beloved by his friends and neighbors, and reared a family of eight children for whom he willingly and gladly made every sacrifice.

In his passing the community in which he lived suffered a distinct loss and his place as a citizen and a public officer is difficult to fill. As county attorney he was a courageous prosecutor and was notably just and fair. To the mind of the writer, the salvation of this nation is dependent upon citizens of the type and character of John Cunningham.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Forty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That in the passing of the Honorable John Cunningham, the state has lost a valuable and honored 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 these resolutions 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.

FRANK S. LOVRIEN,

ROBERT D. BLUE,

JENS A. THOMPSON,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted, April 19, 1937.