Arney, Wallace H. (1862-1941)

ARNEY, BEESON, KERR, BINFORD, BUCK

Posted By: C. Tucker (email)
Date: 10/1/2014 at 10:48:22

Times Republican
Marshalltown, IA [2-20-1941] p. 6

WALLACE ARNEY, FORMER SENATOR AND BANKER DIES

Death Comes Wednesday After Long Illness Of Heart Disease

Wallace H. Arney, retired banker of Marshalltown and Albion and former legislator from Marshall county, died at 3:50 Wednesday afternoon in the Deaconess hospital after a long illness. Mr. Arney had been in failing health for two years and frequently was a hospital patient for treatment of a heart ailment, but returned to the hospital for the last time just a day before his death. He was nearly 79 years old. Senator Arney served 12 years in the Iowa general assembly, representing Marshall county. He was a member of the lower house from 1906 to 1910 and then served in the senate from this county from 1912 to 1920. Known as an able legislator, he twice was a candidate for lieutenant governor in 1916 and 1920. He was president pro term of the Iowa senate in 1917-1919, served on the committees on agriculture in both houses and was a chairman of the committee on educational institutions in the senate. ORGANIZED BANK President of the old Albion Savings bank for many years, he was one of the organizers of the Iowa Savings bank of Marshalltown, since succeeded by the Commercial State bank. He became the first vice president of the Iowa Savings when it was organized in 1908 and succeeded to the presidency in 1912. In 1923 he sold his stock in the Albion bank and devoted his entire time to his banking interests here. He retired in 1932 when he sold his stock to J. P. Cooper. A native of this county, he was a prominent farmer in Taylor township long before his banking and political career and was a member of the first group of Marshall county farmers to go to Ames to take part in agricultural courses in 1905, the forerunner of the present farm bureau organization. He was one of the organizers and first president of the Marshalltown Rotary club. Mr. Arney was born on a farm in Iowa township, Marshall county, April 2, 1862. His father, Ira R. Arney, was a pioneer farmer of the north part of this county and his mother was Sarah Beeson Arney, a sister of Gen. B. A. Beeson, civil war hero. He received his early education in the old Albion seminary, attended college at Oskaloosa and later taught school at Dillon, in Vienna township and in Grundy county before returning to farming. MARRIED TWICE Twice married, his first wife was Miss Almira Jane Kerr, whom he married in 1881. She died in 1915 and he married Ruth Binford Buck Aug. 4, 1917. Besides his widow he is survived by four sons, two brothers, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. The sons are K. G. and I. R. Arney, prominent Taylor township farmers, Binford Arney, an attorney of Austin, Texas, and Richard with the Hormel Packing company in Austin, Minn. The brothers are C. E. Arney of Boise, Idaho, and Harry of Dayton, Ohio. The funeral will be held at 11 o'clock Saturday morning at the Estel funeral home in charge of Rev. P. G. Dennis. Burial will be in Riverside.