H. Wayne Black

BLACK

Posted By: John Black (email)
Date: 2/21/2006 at 21:54:13

Howard Wayne Black was an Audubon County resident from the time of his birth( Sept 16, 1904) until his death(July 19, 1956), the exceptions being his education at the University of Iowa and the Federal Housing Authority in Des Moines from 1934-38.

Mr. Black was one of seven children born to Benjamin and Mattie Simmons Black who lived and farmed in Melville Township for many years. He attended Audubon public schools and then the University of Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa Law College in 1932 and was in partnership with Attorney Charles White in Audubon until 1934 when he joined the FHA in Des Moines. In 1938, he returned to Audubon to practice law .

Mr. Black was the Audubon County Attorney from 1938 until 1948 running as a Democrat in a heavily Republican County. As the story goes, he was voted out of office in 1948 as a result of participating in a raid at Johnnnie's Club, North of Audubon, where liquor and gambling violations were occurring. At the time, hard liquor could only be obtained at State controlled liquor stores. After leaving office, Mr. Black returned to practicing law in the Masonic Temple building unitl 1956 when he became too ill and subsequently died that year.

Mr. Black was also a former mayor and served as the Democratic Chairman for Audubon County.

Mr. Black married Helen Francis Redman on March 3, 1933 in Genesco, Ill. She was born in Grandriver, Iowa and lived in that area as well as Iowa City, Iowa. She moved to Audubon in 1933 and lived in Audubon until 1958, when Mrs. Black moved to Arizona. She lived in Arizona until 1972 when she died and in now buried next to H. Wayne Black in the Maple Grove/Arlington Heights Cementery in Audubon.

There were five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Black. James, Howard, John, Neal,and Brian.