Ames, Hon. Asa Lee 1859-1934

AMES, WILDE, RAY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 11/29/2012 at 18:50:04

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; 1934

HON. A.L. AMES
(By W.G. Ray)

Mr. and Mrs. A.R. McMurray of Brooklyn, Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Ray and Faith Willard of Grinnell went to Traer Saturday to attend the funeral of Hon. A.L. Ames, who died Thursday in Chicago. Mr. Ames was visiting at the home of his daughter, and his death was after a very short illness and came as a surprise to a large circle of friends in this county and elsewhere.

I first knew Mr. Ames when he became a student in Grinnell college about 1876, and during the six years of his college life and his entire life we were close and intimate friends. Mr. Ames was a farmer and he went to college with the intention of going back to the farm and running it. He was an intelligent farmer and at one time for three years was president of the Corn Belt Meat Producers' Association and went to Chicago as a representative of that organization in handling cattle and hogs.

He served four years in the state senate with credit and honor and in all things has been an upright and honorable man. He was active in affairs in Traer, where he lived nearly all his life, putting in part of his time managing his farm, which was less than a mile from Buckingham but still in the Traer district.

He was buried with Masonic honors and his death is a severe loss to the community which had honored him and which he had honored for so many years.

Mr. Ames was married twice, the first time to May Wilde of Iowa Falls, by whom he had three children. His second wife was Hattie D. Ray, then a teacher in the high school at Omaha.

Mr. Ames' father was one of the early settlers in north Tama county. He and his wife drove through in a covered wagon in the fifties. Mr. Ames always kept this wagon and a few years ago donated it to the Historical Department of Iowa.