James D. France 1905-1959

FRANCE, DICKEY, HAHN, EMRICH

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/18/2021 at 18:51:32

31 December 1959 - The Tipton Conservative

Funeral services for Atty. James D. France, 54, were held Sunday, Dec. 27 with the Rev. A. C. Long in charge. The Rose Croix service by the DeMolay Consistory of Davenport was also given. Burial was in the Masonic cemetery.

Pallbearers were Raymond Maurer, Allen Rumble, Dr. Hallett Harris, Steve Yetter, Otto Stender and Gordon Daedlow. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Miller and Mr. and Mrs. Grant White Jr. were in charge of flowers.

Mrs. Wendell Willer was vocalist and Mrs. Irma Crawford organist.

Atty. France died following a heart attack about 4 p.m. Dec. 24. He and Fred Edler were on their way to Davenport when France became ill near Bennett. He died before he could be taken to a doctor.

James Delaplane France, only son of Atty. J. D. and Mary Delaplane France, was born July 18, 1905 at Tipton. He graduated from Tipton high school in 1923. He attended Phillips Exeter academy and graduated from the University of Iowa. He received his legal education at the University of Iowa and from private study in Washington, D.C. He was admitted to the bar in 1935.

He was married to Fern Mae Dickey Dec. 14, 1929. She died March 7, 1932. He was married to Jean Elizabeth Hahn at Davenport June 7, 1935.

From 1933 to 1937 France was secretary to the late Congressman Edward C. Eicher in Washington. Later he was in partnership with his father in the law firm of France and France.

He was twice a candidate for congress. In 1948 he ran against the present U. S. Senator Thomas E. Martin and polled 59,366 votes, the largest vote by a Democratic candidate for congress in the history of the first Iowa District. While he lost by 11,000 votes, he carried Des Moines, Johnson and Lee counties.

Two years later he again ran against Martin, losing 70,058 to 43,140. He also served as an official in the office of price stabilization at Des Moines in 1951.

He was active in Democratic politics throughout his life and served as a delegate to the Democratic national convention.

Atty. France was a member of several Masonic lodges, Delta Chi fraternity, the Elks and Eagles lodges at Iowa City, the Cedar county, Iowa and American Bar associations. He also took part in many civic activities, on city, county and state levels.

He is survived by his wife, a son, James France Jr., a daughter, Mrs. Ronald (Mary Jean) Emrich, and a grandson, Jeffrey Lee Emrich, born Dec. 18.