BIOGRAPHIES
Iowa State Senators
Iowa Official Register 1927-1928
pg. 2
O.E. Gunderson
Senator from the forty-first district, composed of Mitchell, Winnebago and Worth
counties, was born in Worth county, Iowa, February 25, 1875. He was educated in
the rural schools, St. Ansgar Seminary and Institute, and the Northern Illinois
Normal School. For several years he was engaged in farming, merchandising and
teaching. In 1903 was elected county superintendent of Worth county and served
nine years. He moved to Forest City in 1913 and has been interested in farming
and banking, being now an active officer of the Forest City National bank. The
communities in which he has lived have called upon him to serve as town clerk,
councilman, member of the county fair board, of the city commercial club and as
president of the board of trustees of the city library. In 1897 he married
Gurine Finnesgard of Kenyon, Minnesota, and has two children, Esther and Harvey.
Another son, Maurice, accidentally drowned at Clear Lake, August 4, 1924.
Elected senator in 1924. A republican in politics.
George S. Hartman
Senator from the fortieth district, composed of Allamakee and Fayette counties,
was born November 13, 1871, in Sharon, Wis., and moved to Iowa in the fall of
1877, locating at Fayette. He received his education in the public schools of
Fayette. In 1892 he entered the mercantile business at Fayette with his father
and brother under the firm name of M.J. Hartman & Sons, which continued
until the death of his father in 1915. The sons still continue the business
under the firm name of Hartman Brothers. Senator Hartman has served on the city
council and as chairman of Fayette county republican central committee and is
director and vice president of the First National bank of Fayette. He was
married to Miss Gertrude Clothier, of Rockford, Ill., in July 1907, who died in
February, 1920. He has two sons. Is a member of the Modern Woodmen, Elks and
Yeomen. He was elected senator in 1920 and re-elected in 1924. A republican in
politics.
Willis G. Haskell
Senator from the twenty-ninth district, composed of Linn county, was born June
5, 1857, in Bradford, Chickasaw county, Iowa. Some three weeks before the
session of the forty-second general assembly closed he was taken ill of
influenza but continued his duties until about a week before the session closed,
when he became worse and was confined to his bed. He failed to rally and his
death took place April 17, 1927, at Des Moines. Senator Haskell's education was
secured in the grade schools of Cedar Falls, Charles City and Independence. As a
young man he was employed as telegrapher, station agent and traveling freight
and passenger agent. In 1893 he entered the wholesale and retail coal business
in which he was engaged at the time of his death. He was also interested in the
manufacturing business and real estate business. Was a director of the Merchants
national bank of Cedar Rapids for a number of years. Served as alderman of
Vinton and of Cedar Rapids. Was chairman of the park commission of Cedar Rapids,
member of the republican state central committee, president of the Cedar Rapids
Commercial club and postmaster there from 1909 to 1913. Was married June 15,
1881, to Mae E. Williams and had four children, two boys and two girls. Was a
member of the Masonic Knights of Pythias and B.P.O.E. lodges. Elected senator in
1916, 1920 and 1924.
Charles Frederic Johnston
Senator from the forty-third district, composed of Franklin, Cerro Gordo and
Hancock counties. Resides at Sheffield, Iowa. He was born January 17, 1866, on a
farm two miles east of Hampton. His father was Irish, coming from the County
Cavin, Ireland, and his mother a native of Ohio of Scotch parents. He is a
graduate of the Hampton high school. Following graduation he attended the law
school at the state university. Was admitted to the bar in 1891 and is at the
present time engaged in banking and the practice of law in Sheffield, Iowa,
being president of the Citizens bank of that place. He was married June 29,
1892, to Delle Haecker. They have two children, a son, C.F., Jr., now associated
with his father in the bank as vice president, and a daughter, Winifred. He was
a member of the house in the twenty-sixth, twenty-sixth extra and twenty-seventh
general assemblies and was the first native son to occupy the position and is
the first native son to occupy a similar position in the senate. Is a member of
the K.P. lodge and the Elks, also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. A
republican in politics.
Charles B. Kern
Senator from the eleventh district, which includes Clark and Warren counties,
was born at Norwalk in Warren county, February 1, 1867. His parents, John and
Miriam Black Kern, came from Ohio to Iowa in the year 1857 and settled in Linn
township, Warren county, on the farm now owned and occupied by Senator Kern and
family. He lived on the farm, spent his school days in the country district
school, Indianola public schools and Simpson college. Married August 25, 1893,
to Mary Frances Spring. They have four children, all of whom are living. He is
actively engaged in farming and feeding. Represented his county in the thirty-seventh
and thirty-eighth general assemblies. Was elected to the state senate from the
Clark-Warren district in 1924. A republican in politics.
David W. Kimberly
Senator from Scott county, was born in Deadwood, S.D. August 6, 1878. When he
was six years old his parents moved to West Liberty, Muscatine county. He has
lived on the farm most of his life. He received his education at the West
Liberty, Springdale high school and Bryant-Strattons business college of
Chicago. He was married to Elsie King, of Chicago. He is a member of the Mystic
Shrine, Knights Templar, Scottish Rites, Mohassan Grotto, Eastern Star, Elks,
Owls, Odd Fellows and Turner society. Was elected representative in 1914 and
re-elected in 1916, and to the senate in 1918, 1922 and 1926. A republican in
politics.
William H. Klemme
Senator from the forty-second district, composed of Winneshiek and Howard
counties, was born in Franklin county, Ind., February 17, 1849. He came to Iowa
with his parents in the spring of 1862 and located on a farm of 200 acres, which
his father purchased from the government in 1857 for a dollar and a quarter per
acre. He remained there until he was twenty-one years old. He was married to
Mary Augusta Bolles in 1870. They have one daughter, Mrs. J.G. Parker, of
Fayette, Iowa. He was postmaster during McKinley's term of office, and justice
of peace in Lincoln township for thirty-two years. He was a member of the house
of representatives during the twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh
general assemblies and the extra session. Elected senator in 1926. Has been
engaged in the lumber and coal business since 1873. A republican in politics.
Otto F. Lange
Senator from the thirty-fifth district, composed of Dubuque county, was born
February 16, 1869, in Dubuque, Iowa and has always lived there. He is the son of
Robert W. and Ottilie Lange. Robert W. Lange, Senator Lange's father, settled in
Dubuque in 1854. Senator Lange became a commercial traveler at the age of
eighteen and followed that occupation until 1907, when he became the general
agent of the Royal Union Life Insurance company of Des Moines at Dubuque, which
position he still holds. He was married to Lyde Brendel of Galena, Illinois,
August 29, 1892. Has three children, Harvey Malcolm, Philo Brendel and Neva Hope
Lange. His election as senator is his first venture in politics. He is a
republican.
John N. Langfitt
Senator from the sixteenth district, composed of Adair and Madison counties, was
born in Scott county, Iowa, May 9, 1866. On his father's side he is of
Scotch-Irish descent. His mother was of English descent. His early education was
received in the rural schools. He also attended Wilton academy and Davenport
business college. when twenty-one years of age he went to Adair county. Four
years later he married Clara A. Martin of Greenfield. Mrs. Langfitt died July
14, 1924. There are four surviving children, Harry M. of Chariton, Iowa; Bernice
Louise of Des Moines; Clara Milred and John N., Jr., students in college. He
lived for several years in western Washington but returned to Adair county in
1898, purchasing the family homestead on which he still resides. In religion, a
Presbyterian. He is a blue lodge and thirty-second degree Mason. He was
representative from Adair county in the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth general
assemblies and was elected senator in 1924. In politics, a republican.
Arch W. McFarlane
Senator from Black Hawk-Grundy district, was born in Waterloo, Iowa, April 14,
1885, educated in the public schools and was graduated from high school in 1904.
Was married April 6, 1908, to Miss Elsie V. Hawkins. He is now engaged in the
wholesale fuel business, with headquarters at Waterloo. Is a member of the
Christ Episcopal church, being a vestryman of that church. Is a member of the
Knights of Phthias, B.P.O.E., El-Kahir Shrine, and a supreme officer of the
United Commercial Travelers. Elected a member of the Iowa house of
representatives in 1914, re-elected in 1916-1918 and 1920. Was speaker pro tem
of the thirty-eighth special and thirty-ninth general assemblies. In politics he
is a republican.
Wm. E. McLeland
Senator from the twenty-eighth district, was born in Van Buren county, Iowa,
April 16, 1867. In 1869 he moved with his parents to Marshall county, Iowa, and
has been a resident of that county ever since. He was educated in the public
schools and in the Marshalltown high school. He was elected and served as county
auditor from 1903 to 1907, and again in 1916 to 1919. Was married to Minnie M.
Robinson January 25, 1889. They have four children, two boys and two girls. He
is a farm owner and is engaged in general farming and breeding of registered
Shorthorn cattle. Elected to the state senate in 1924. A republican in politics.
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