Senator John Henry Gear 1825 – 1900

GEAR

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 6/9/2020 at 09:43:04

Source: Decorah Republican July 19, 1900 P 1 C 7

JOHN HENRY GEAR, Republican of Burlington, was born in Ithaca, New York, April 7, 1812,{*} received a common school education; removed to Galena, Ill. , in 1836, to Fort Snelllng, Iowa Territory, in 1838, and to Burlington in 1843, where he engaged in merchandising, was elected mayor of the city of Burlington in 1863: was a member of the Iowa house of representative of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth General Assemblies of the State, serving as speaker of the last two terms; was elected governor of Iowa in 1878, 79 and again in 1880-81; was elected to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first congresses, was beaten for the Fifty-second., was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President Harrison, and was elected to the Fifty-third congress; was elected January 23d, 1894, a Senator in Congress from the State of Iowa for six years, beginning March 4, 1895. His term of service will expire March. 3d, 1901.

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DEATH OF SENATOR GEAR.
Death Steals Upon Him like a Thief in the Night.
And he Passes Away without Warning in his Bed Chamber at Washington.
That which was feared and openly expressed in all discussions incident to the senatorial campaign of the last General Assembly, occurred on Saturday morning last. Senator John H. Gear died at 4 o’clock, that morning, in his rooms at the “Portland” in Washington city. The event came with no warning; he was in his usual health and spirits when he retired; but at 2:30, feeling a little ill he called for asistance, and such as he seemed to need was given by Mrs. Gear and his faithful attache, Col. Root. A second attack demanded a physician, and one was called; but the case was beyond his aid, and thus one of Iowa's most honored citizens passed to his final home.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows his gravestone in Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington that he was born April 7, 1825 and died July 14, 1900.