Mrs. Carolyn Pendray, 1881-1958

JAY, PENDRAY

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 3/28/2008 at 08:04:48

MRS. PENDRAY, LEGISLATOR 4 TERMS, DIES
Mrs. Carolyn Pendray, 76, Iowa woman legislator for many years, died at the Holland nursing home here Sunday morning about four o'clock. She had been ill after suffering a stroke in August.

She was the first woman to serve in the Iowa legislature, and the only woman to serve in both the house and senate. She served two terms in each. She was elected to office in 1928 from Jackson county where Mr. Pendray was a Maquoketa merchant. She was reelected in 1930, was elected to the senate in 1932 and 1934, but was not a candidate for reelection in 1936.

She was born in Henry county, Dec. 9, 1881, and was graduated from the Mt. Pleasant high school in 1899. She taught in Henry county rural schools, in the Mt. Pleasant schools and in Des Moines schools until 1912. She became county superintendent of schools in Henry county that year.

On March 24, 1920, she and William Pendray were married. He predeceased her in 1938.

They resided in Ottumwa and later went to Maquoketa. In 1950 she returned to Mt. Pleasant to reside. After coming here, she continued her political interest and gave her support to the Democratic party in the county. She became a member of P.E.O. at Maquoketa. She also was a member of the D. A. R. and of the Federated church in Mt. Pleasant.

Services will be held at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon at the Crane Funeral Home with the Rev. H. Russell Jay, pastor of the Federated church officiating. Interment will be a Forest Home cemetery.

[unnamed, undated newspaper obituary, probably the 'Mt. Pleasant News', November 24, 1958]

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MRS. PENDRAY IS DEAD AT 76
Mount Pleasant, IA. - Mrs. Carolyn Pendray, 76, the first woman to serve in the Iowa legislature and the only woman to serve in both the Iowa house and senate, died Sunday in a nursing home here.

She had suffered a stroke in August and had not regained her health.

Women weren't qualified to sit in the Iowa legislature until 1926. Mrs. Pendray was elected to the office in 1928 from Jackson county, where her husband was a Maquoketa merchant.

She won re-election in 1930, and in 1932 was a successful candidate for the state senate. Her legislative career ended when she decided not to seek re-election in 1936.

Mrs. Pendray was born in Mount Pleasant and spent 20 years in the teaching profession, including seven years as Henry county superintendent of schools.

Mrs. Pendray, a Democrat, worked for legislation on women's rights and education. Mrs. Pendray was responsible for the law permitting a wife to hold exempt from seizure for debt certain property of her own. Prior to its enactment, only the husband was recognized as the head of a household and only he could claim property exempt from seizure for debt.

She was a member of P.E.O., the D.A.R. and the Congregational church.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Crane's Funeral Home here. Burial will be at Mount Pleasant.

[unnamed newspaper obituary, probably the 'Des Moines Register', handwritten date of 11-23-1958]