Representative Gustave Alesch View All Years

GUSTAVE ALESCH

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

Gustave Alesch was born January 25, 1877, in Friesingen (Esch) Luxembourg. He came to the United States in 1895 at the age of eighteen years and worked as a farm hand in the Remsen, Iowa, area.

He married Justine Kass at St. Donatus, Iowa, on January 28, 1902, settling on a farm north of Marcus, Iowa, for four years. They then moved to Kingman, Kansas, where they owned land and lived for three years. They returned to Iowa, living one year on a farm north of Marcus and in 1910 moved to a farm six miles east of Remsen where they lived until retirement to Remsen in the fall of 1941. They had seven children, and at the time of his death there were twenty-nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mr. Alesch was a member of Holy Name Catholic parish in Marcus, and for fifteen years served as a member of the advisory board of that parish. He was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters sixteen years, and a member of the Knights of Columbus forty-three years. He was director of the Remsen rural board of education, secretary of the Farmers’ Elevator Co. of Marcus, secretary-treasurer of the shippers' association, president of Co-operative Community Oil Company of Marcus, and for twelve years a member of the Plymouth county board of supervisors. He was always keenly interested in affairs of the day, in his home community, the state, and in the national affairs of the land of his adoption.

Mr. Alesch served as a member of the Forty-fifth, Forty-fifth Extra, Forty-sixth, Forty-sixth Extra, Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth, and Forty-ninth sessions of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa. He served on agricultural committees principally, and many other important committees. His tenacity for what he deemed the right course of thought and action won him many admirers over the state.

He retired from active political office in 1943, but remained active in political and community affairs. Following World War II Mr. Alesch was one of the organizers of a local committee which raised more than $5,000 in aid toward rehabilitation in his native land, Luxembourg, which had been badly torn by the invading German army.

He passed away October 6, 1957, at the age of eighty, at his Remsen, Iowa, home, after a long illness.

Surviving him are his widow and seven children, namely: Lee Alesch, Ray Alesch, Mrs. Olivia Beeson, Arnold Alesch, Mrs. Mildred Delaney, Nicholas Alesch, and Mrs. Rose Marie Meylor. There are also two brothers, Joseph Alesch and Leo Alesch, and one sister, Mrs. Kremer. One brother and six sisters preceded him in death.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Fifty-eighth General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Gustave Alesch the state has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and the House 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 House and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

J. HENRY LUCKEN,

A. C. HANSON,

W. J. JOHANNES,

Committee.