Representative George Nelson Pierson View All Years

GEORGE N. PIERSON

Mr. Speaker: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character, and public service of the late Honorable George N. Pierson begs leave to submit the following Memorial:

George N. Pierson was born on March 28, 1904 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. On June 28, 1926 he married Lucile Krizer and they had two sons. Lucile Pierson died in 1966. On November 9, 1969, Mr. Pierson married Elizabeth Picken, who had one daughter from a previous marriage, on November 9, 1969.

George Pierson graduated from Penn Academy in 1922 and from William Penn College in 1926, and later did post-graduate work at Iowa State University in Ames and at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He was employed by the Young Men’s Christian Association for thirteen years at Ottumwa, and as the YMCA boys’ program director in St. Louis. In the 1940’s, he began producing and marketing hybrid seed corn with N. H. Krizer. This partnership later became Pierson Seed Producers, of which Mr. Pierson was president and operated with his sons until his retirement in 1979.

Mr. Pierson was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Oskaloosa; he served on the Salvation Army Board, the William Penn College Board of Trustees, the Quad County Grain Board of Directors; and was a member of the Rotary Club, the Men’s Club, the Penn College Alumni Club, the Mahaska County Ag Council, the Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee, the YMCA Finance Committee, the Community YMCA Council, and International Flying Farmers. He was active on the Mahaska County Republican Central Committee and organized the Summer Sweet Corn and Chicken Roast.

A Republican, Mr. Pierson represented Keokuk, Mahaska, and Monroe Counties during the Sixty-second, Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth General Assemblies.

George N. Pierson died on August 26, 1989. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth of Carol Stream, Illinois; his two sons: Royce of Oskaloosa and Arvid “Shorty” of Pella; his stepdaughter, Judy Picken, of Wheaton, Illinois; a brother, Robert of Oskaloosa; seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Now Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-third General Assembly of Iowa, That in the passing of the Honorable George N. Pierson, 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.

HAROLD VAN MAANEN

PHIL TYRRELL

ROBERT KISTLER

Committee