Representative Riley A. Dietz View All Years

RILEY DIETZ

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

Riley Dietz was born in North Dakota May 17, 1905. He attended Walcott elementary school and graduated from Davenport High School in 1922.

In 1924, he married Velma Pahl of Blue Grass, Iowa, and to this union were born two daughters and three sons.

Mr. Dietz moved to Scott County, home of his father and grandfather since 1847, at the age of one month. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Philip Dietz, who served in the Twenty-first and Twenty-second General Assemblies of the Iowa legislature. He farmed until 1930 and was then associated with the Economy Roofing and Insulating Company of Davenport from 1930 to 1942 and from 1955 to 1959, and in the electrical contracting business from 1942 to 1955. Since 1959 he was owner and operator of Powell Roofing Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mr. Dietz was state president of the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Iowa in 1953 and 1954, and was given a life membership by that association. In 1970, he was elected president of Iowa Property Taxpayers Association, Inc. Mr. Dietz was a member of the Moose and Elks lodges and the Izaak Walton League. He had a life membership in the Iowa Historical Society.

Mr. Dietz, a Republican, served in the House of Representatives in the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth and Sixtieth Extra sessions of the General Assembly as a Representative from Scott County.

He passed away August 29, 1970. Surviving Mr. Dietz are his widow, Velma, of Walcott, Iowa; two daughters, Mrs. Louis (Edith) Harksen, Walcott, Iowa; Mrs. Raymond (Helen) Muhs, Eldridge, Iowa; three sons, Darold of Walcott; Emmett of Canoga Park, California; and Riley, Jr., of North Las Vegas, Nevada; his stepmother, Mrs. Christina Dietz, Walcott, Iowa; a brother, Donald, of Stewart, Florida, and nineteen grandchildren.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty-fourth General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Riley Dietz, 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.

EDGAR H. HOLDEN

ELIZABETH SHAW

JOHN CAMP

Committee