Senator John E. Soorholtz View All Years

JOHN E. SOORHOLTZ

John E. Soorholtz was born on December 19, 1930, in Marshalltown, Iowa, to J. Howard and Edna Mae Soorholtz. He passed away on December 28, 2012, at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his five daughters, Cindy, and her husband, Dave; Sharon, and her husband, Joel; Joni, and her husband, Tom; Patty, and her husband, Joe; and Stacey, and her husband, Curtis; and eight grandchildren, Brad, Stephanie, Kate, Erin, Addy, Ben, Hayden, and Reese.

Soorholtz graduated from Melbourne High School in 1949 and went on to attend Iowa State University. He was a Korean Conflict veteran stationed in Germany during active duty.

He married Barbara Herbert on September 2, 1951, at the Evangelical and Reform Church in Melbourne, Iowa.

Soorholtz raised purebred Hampshire hogs from the time he was young until he retired from hog production. He was devoted to the pork industry and agriculture. He was the president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association from 1969–1972; the president of the Iowa Hampshire Association from 1972–1974; the president of the National Pork Council; the chairman of the Iowa Beginning Farmers’ Program; chairman of the Purebred Swine Council; and a member of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Advisory Committee. He was named the Iowa Master Pork Producer in 1971. He received the National Hog Farmer Award for outstanding work in the hog industry, and he was inducted into the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Hall of Fame and the National Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame.

Soorholtz was a State Senator for ten years. He was instrumental in the initiation of several bills including the pork check-off bill and the pseudorabies bill and the creation of the Iowa Beginning Family Farm Loan Program.

Soorholtz was a Marshall County Republican. He served in the Iowa Senate from 1983–1993, during the 70th, 71st, 72nd, 73rd, and 74th General Assemblies.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE EIGHTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA: That in the passing of the Honorable John E. Soorholtz, 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.

BILL DIX

TIM L. KAPUCIAN

STEVEN J. SODDERS

Committee