Senator John N. Nystrom View All Years

JOHN N. “JACK” NYSTROM

John N. “Jack” Nystrom was born on June 16, 1933, in Boone, Iowa, to Clifford and Agnes Smiley Nystrom. He passed away on December 5, 2004, at the age of seventy-one. He is survived by son Eric of Eagan, Minnesota; daughters Ellen Nystrom of Boone, Iowa, and Monica McHugh and her husband Jamie of Zwingle, Iowa; four grandchildren, Erinn Nystrom and Andrew Nystrom both of Eagan, Minnesota, and John McHugh and Juli McHugh both of Zwingle, Iowa; former wife Joanne Nystrom of Boone, Iowa; and two cousins, Dean Nystrom of Boone, Iowa, and Don Nystrom of Ames, Iowa.

Nystrom graduated from Boone High School in 1951. He graduated from Boone Junior College and attended Iowa State University. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1953 to 1954. In 1955, he married Joanne Barnes at the First Baptist Church in Boone.

Nystrom was a Boone businessman along with his father, former state senator Clifford “Dutch” Nystrom, in Nystrom Implement Company and Nystrom Motors, Inc. He operated the Nystrom Motors, Inc., from 1955 to 1982.

Nystrom was chairman of the Young Republicans and 5th District Republicans from 1968 to 1970. He served on the State Republican Central Committee from 1968 to 1970. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1970 and served one term. He was then elected to the Senate where he served until 1991. From 1991 to 1994, he was Director of the Iowa Department of Commerce, and from 1994 to 2000, he was the Administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Nystrom was active in his community. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks Lodge BPO #563, Za-Ga-Zig Shrine, and Mount Olive Lodge #79 AF & AM.

Nystrom was a Boone County Republican. He served in the House from 1971–1972 during the 64th General Assembly and in the Senate from 1973–1991 during the 65th, 66th, 67th, 67th Extraordinary, 68th, 69th, 69th Extraordinary, 69th Second Extraordinary, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 72nd Extraordinary, 72nd Second Extraordinary, 73rd, and the first half of the 74th General Assemblies.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE EIGHTY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA: That in the passing of the Honorable John N. “Jack” Nystrom, the State has lost an honored citizen and 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.

JERRY BEHN

STEWART E. IVERSON, JR.

HERMAN C. QUIRMBACH

Committee