Representative Jim O. Henry View All Years

JAMES O. HENRY

Jim Henry, son of Tom and Lottie Henry, was born on October 28, 1896, on a farm in Pottawattamie County near Macedonia, Iowa, and entered into rest on July 1, 1997, at the age of 100 years, 8 months and 3 days.

Jim Henry attended Lone Star country school and later graduated from Macedonia High School. He was united in marriage to Lorraine Pilling, his high school sweetheart, on February 20, 1918. Jim and Lorraine had two children, James W. Henry and Marilynn Houser. They were married seventy-nine years and raised Lorraine’s three younger brothers, John, Joe and Paul Pilling.

Jim Henry began farming in 1918, lost his farm in the depression and had to start over. He had a grain and livestock operation of over 1000 acres at the time of his death. His dedication to public service spanned a lifetime. He began public service in 1920 as a Grove Township Trustee. In the Great Depression of the 1930s, he joined the Farmer’s Holiday Movement. He was one of the 36,000 Iowa farmers who took control of the Iowa Capitol by gun and pitchfork. The first time he saw the Iowa Capitol was from the back of an old Reo livestock truck. In 1934, he was elected to the East Pottawattamie County Corn Hog Board (this was the first USDA agricultural subsidy committee). In 1938, he was elected to the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, where he served for 14 years. During those years, he served as President of the Iowa Association of Counties and as President of the Iowa Good Roads Association. In 1952, he was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives where he served in the 55th and 56th General Assemblies. In 1956, he was elected to the Iowa Senate and served in the 57th and 58th General Assemblies. In 1959, he was appointed to head the State Board of Control. Later, he served for a number of years as President of the Iowa Property Taxpayers Association.

His parents and his brother, John M. Henry, preceded Jim in death. Jim is survived by his wife, Lorraine; his son, James and daughter, Marilynn Houser; six grandsons; eighteen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA: That in the passing of the Honorable James O. Henry, the State has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and that the Senate by this Resolution, expresses its appreciation of his service to the State and tenders its sympathy and kindest regards 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 that the Secretary of the Senate be instructed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

MICHAEL GRONSTAL, Chair

NANCY BOETTGER

DERRYL McLAREN

Committee