Representative James J. Wengert View All Years

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James J. Wengert

Woodbury County

JAMES WENGERT

James “Jim” Wengert was born on March 23, 1934 in Sioux City, Iowa. He attended Central High School in Sioux City. He grew up in the ‘bottoms’ area of Sioux City which was located near the Floyd River and worked in the packing plants. He married Joanne Wehde in 1951 and together they raised seven children.

He worked 14 years for Swift & Company where he became a butcher. In 1964 he was elected to the Federation’s Executive Council representing the United Packinghouse Workers. He will be remembered for helping to start Labor Oral History Project to document the rich history of Iowa workers.

Leadership was in his blood, retiring as a leader of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO at the end of the 1997 convention and was named president emeritus. He served in many different capacities, secretary-treasurer, vice-president and then president in 1979. This was a career that saw him traveling the state lobbying for workers’ rights. He spent his career standing up for the “working people.”

While in Sioux City he served as the former president of the Young Democrats of Woodbury County, former president of the Woodbury Labor Council, a member of the Mayor’s committee for International visitors and was active in United fund Campaigns.

He was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Sioux City and St. Catherine Catholic Church in Des Moines. Jim was a Democrat from Woodbury County. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1965, serving in the Sixty-first General Assembly.

Representative Wengert passed away on October 13, 2011 at the age of 77.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA, That in the passing of the Honorable James Wengert, 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.

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.

CHUCK SODERBERG

DAN MUHLBAUER

Committee

House District 58