BIOGRAPHIES
Iowa State Representatives
Iowa Official Register 1927-1928

pg. 5

H.C. Pattison
Representative from Jefferson county, was born on a farm near Fairfield, Iowa, March 7, 1868. Farmer. Breeder of pedigreed Shorthorn cattle. Married Eliza Stout march 17, 1896, who died August 13, 1924. Had three children, Earl, deceased, and Paul and Edna still living. Served on the county board of supervisors, was secretary of the school board, township clerk and trustee, and director and treasurer of the Farmers Insurance Company. Member of the Presbyterian church and Odd Fellows lodge. A republican in politics.

Ralph C. Prichard
Representative from Woodbury county. Was born in Monona county, owa, and moved to Woodbury county with is parents a year later, in which county he has since resided. Was graduated from Morningside college in 1915 and from the law school of the University of Chicago in the year 1921. Spent two years in the military service during the World War, one year of which was overseas. Was commissioned first lieutenant in the infantry. Is a member of the American Legion adn Masonic lodge. Has practiced law in Sioux City, Iowa, since 1921. A republican in politics.

L.T. Quirk
Representative from Sac county, was born in Clinton county, IOwa, January 20, 1874, and moved with his parents, in the spring of 1876 to Sac county where he has since resided. He was educated in the rural schools, Sac institute and Morningside College. He taught school for three years, then became actively engaged in farming in which he has remained ever since. Married Miss Fannie L. Fox of Sac county April 18, 1899, and to them was born one son, Edward L., August 20, 1913. Was president of the Sac county farm bureau four years. A member of the Methodist church, consistory, Shrine and O.E.S. Was elected representative in 1922, reelected in 1924 and 1926. A republican in politics.

Z.S. Ratliff
Representative from Henry county, was born November 25, 1862, in the county he now represents in the legislature. He received his education in the rural schools and Whittier college. He was marred to Amelia Dorcis Kramling of Kahoka, Missouri, October 7, 1891. Has one son, Paul, who is operating the home farm. He has engaged in farming and banking. Resigned as member of the executive committee of Iowa farm bureau federation when becoming a candidate for the legislature. Is an active member of the Presbyterian church. Elected to the general assembly in 1924, reelected in 1926. A republican in politics.

O.J. Reimers
Representative from Lyon county, was born March 16, 1878, at Scott, Iowa. Came to Lyon county, Iowa, in 1885, as a boy. Attended the district school and later the Rock Rapids high school. He then entered Northwestern Union college at Le Mars, Iowa, graduating after two years from their commercial course. He taught rural schools three years and then took up the commercial course. He taught rural schools three years and then took up the occupation of farming. He was secretary of a township school board fourteen years, secretary and director of farmers' elevator fifteen years, president of the Lyon county farm bureau 1919-1923, and treasurer of the bureau in 1924. Was married in 1905 to Ella Rohde of Inwood, Iowa. Has one daughter, Elva. Was elected representative in 1924 on the democratic ticket and reelected in 1926. Member of the Congregational church, Masonic Order, I.O.O.F. and other fraternal organizations.

D. Fulton Rice
Representative from Appanoose county, was born on a farm in that county September 13, 1889, son of J.F. and Sarah E. (Hibbs) Rice. For short periods attended the state normal at Kirksville, Mo., and Drake University. Taught school five years, the last being superintendent at Dike, Iowa. Read law in the office of H.E. Valentine. Attended law school at the University of Michigan and was admitted to the bar in June, 1917. Was nominated for congress by the democratic party in 1918. Enlisted in the judge advocate general's department of the army and served in the Seventeenth division during the World War. Has engaged in the active practice of law at Centerville, Iowa, since the war. Married Ruth Rhea of Centerville, Iowa, June 22, 1919. They have two children, David Fulton, Jr., and Eleanor Rhea. Elected to the forty-first general assembly. Was not a candidate for reelection but succeeded himself under the constitution upon the death of Hon. Charles Harvey Scott, who was elected to the forty-second general assembly. A democrat in politics.

J.W. Roberts
Representative from Adair county, was born on a farm in Adair county, July 9, 1861. Received his education in the country schools and business course at Drake University. Taught three years in rural schools. Served six years as county recorder of Adair cuonty. He married Eva Tullis in 1886, a teacher in the public schools, and t htem were born three children, one girl and two boys. Engaged in farming and live stock breeding. Elected representative in 1924 and reelected in 1926. A republican in politics.

Heike A. Rust
Representative from Franklin county, was born in Franklin county, December 12, 1883. Studied at the sheffield high school, Des MOines University and Iowa State college. Occupation, farming. Was married October 8, 1921, to Miss Gladys Stubblefield, Ipava, Illinois. Has one son, Paul Oliver. elected representative in 1922, 1924 and 1926. Republican in politics.

R.L. Rutledge
Representative from Webster county, was born on a farm near Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1888. Was graduated from Fort dodge high school in 1908; won a scholarship to Iowa State college in the state judging contest at the Iowa state fair in 1908. Entered Ames in fall of 1908, called home by sickness of father in the spring of 1912, and has operated the farm near Fort Dodge ever since, with the exception of seven months in the aviation service in 1918. Interested in farm bureau work and agricultural activities before and since the war. Member of the international committee on agriculture of Kiwanis International. Elected representative from Webster county November 2, 1926.

John Ryder
Junior member of the house of representatives from Dubuque county, was born and reared in Dubuque, Iowa. He was educated in the parochial schools. He graduated from the Bayless Business college. For twenty-five years he was the junior member of the Ryder Brothers' wholesale grocery firm. In 1919, he organized the Ryder Realty Co., and served as vice president until January, 1925, when he retired from the firm. For the past fifteen years he has served as State Chief Ranger of the Catholic Order of Foresters of Iowa. In March, 1925, he was elected member of the board of education of the city of Dubuque, and was appointed chairman of the finance committee. He is, and has been for a number of years, a director of the Hotel Julien Dubuque. He was married in November, 1917, to Miss Anna L. Killeen, who died in May, 1923. He was elected to the general assembly November, 1924, and reelected in 1926. A democrat in politics.

Wm. E.G. Saunders
Representative from Palo Alto county, was born in Blairgowrie, Scotland, in 1865. Came to the United States in 1882. Lived four years in New Mexico and moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa, in 1886. Was quarter-master 52nd Iowa volunteer infantry during the Spanish-American war. Elected representative in 1922, reelected in 1924 and 1926. Republican in politics.

Leonard Simmer
Representative from Wapello county, was born in Wapello county, 1890. Graduate public schools of Agency, Iowa, of Iowa Wesleyan college in 1914, of law school of State University of Iowa in 1920. Engaged in the practice of law in Ottumwa, Iowa, since 1920. Married in 1915 to Agnes Shank of Agency, Iowa. Has four children.

George W. Smith
Representative from O'Brien county, was born in Richland county, Ohio, January 24, 1868, coming to Benton county, Iowa, in 1884. He was educated in the public schools of Ohio and Tilford Academy at Vinton, Iowa. Moved to Sioux county in 1889 and was married in 1890 to Effie Troutman of Benton county. Four sons were born to them, Clarence E., Orlo H., Jesse E. and Marvin W. Jesse E. died while in S.A.T.C., Morningside college in 1918. Mr. Smith moved to O'Brien county in 1902, where he engaged in farming and the raising of pure bred cattle and hogs. He retired from the farm in 1920 and has since lived in Paulina. He is a member of the M.E. church, a Thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the Eastern Star and Modern Woodmen of America, and is a republican in politics. Member of the forty-first and forty-second general assemblies.

Michael F. Springer
Representative from Decatur county, was born on a farm in that county January 15, 1870. Lived continuously on the farm until 1920, when he moved to Leon, but still continues the active management of the farms. Received his education in the rural schools. On December 25, 1895, he was married to Mary Frances Stone and to this union three children were born, George, John and Helen, who are graduates from the State University of Iowa. Has been a life-long democrat. Has served in various township offices. Was chairman of the county central committee, secretary of the farm bureau, president of Leon school board, state representative for the farmers union. Was a member of the fortieth general assembly, defeated in the forty-first and reelected to the forty-second general assembly.

W.H. Stepanek
Representative from Forty-eighth district (Linn county). Was born on a farm in Johnson county May 8, 1868, and gained his early education in the public schools at Ely and the Cedar Rapids business college. At the age of twenty-one he left the farm to take a position with a hardware company, remaining four years. In 1894 organized the Stepanek-Vondracek Hardware Company in Cedar Rapids. Was married June 11, 1892, to Josephine Chastek, and has one son, Leo. Is a member of the People's Church. Active in civic affairs, having been a director in the old chamber of commerce, a city councilman, commissioner of finance under the commission plan, chairman of the court house committee that was instrumental in location the county seat at Cedar Rapids, and is at present chairman of th emercantile bureau of the chamber of commerce, a director in the Western Bohemian Fraternal association, member of the Rotary club and the zoning commission, as well as all bodies of the Masonic order. A republican in politics.

E.B. Thomas
Representative from Audubon county, was born October 9, 1884, in Marshall county, Iowa. Attended district schools of that county and the high school at Marshalltown. Graduated in 1905 from the four-year course in animal husbandry at Iowa State college. Moved to Audubon county in 1909, where he has been actively engaged in the business of farming, making the breeding of Shorthorn cattle a specialty. Served as township trustee, director of the Audubon County Fair association, and as president of the county farm bureau. Has served as secretary of the Iowa Beef Producers Association. In 1906 was married to Minnie Maharg and to them three children were born, Frances Ada, Elbert Maharg and Homer Earl. Member of the Presbyterian church and Masonic bodies. Elected representative in 1924 and reelected in 1926. A republican in politics.

Thore Thompson
Representative from Fayette county, Iowa, was born August 23, 1877, at Wadena, Iowa. He received his education in the district school, attended Upper Iowa university for two terms, also attended the agricultural college at Madison, Wisconsin, for two terms. Has been engaged in farming and live stock feeding. in June of 1908 he was married to Miss Olive Gunderson of St. Olaf, Iowa. To them were born seven children: Orvin, Tillman, Evelyn, Floyd, Torvald, Glen and Earl. He is a member of the Lutheran church, a director in the Wadena Savings bank and has been farm bureau director and township trustee. Republican in politics.

S.R. Torgeson
Representative from Worth county, was born in the county which he represents on May 28, 1892. He received his early education in the rural schools. Being a farmer's son, he was also schooled by the various teachings which farm life offers in hard knocks. In 1912 he completed his high school work at Waldorf college, Forest City, Iowa, and was graduated from St. Olaf college, Northfield, Minnesota, receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1917. He taught in the public schools for a shorth period. In 1919 he entered banking in the Citizens Saving bank, Hanlontown, Iowa, and had the position of assistant cashier. The Farmers Trust and Savings bank, Joice, Iowa, elected him cashier in 1922, which office he now occupies. He married Miss Emma Dahl of Worth county. They have one son, Dean Nathan, born May 2, 1926. Besides his regular duties, he has held the following offices: Justice of the peace, town clerk, secretary of the school board and telephone companies, treasurer of Joice Cooperative Creamery, president of St. Ansgar Circuit Young Peoples Luther League, member of the county board of education, secretary of the Worth County Bankers Association, secretary of the Waldorf College Association, and treasurer of the International Young Peoples Luther League. He is a member of the Lutheran church. He was elected to the legislature in 1926. Republican in politics.

Martin H. Troup
Representative from Story county, was born on a farm in Washington township, Polk county, Iowa, March 30, 1877, the third son of Rev. Henry H. Troup, now deceased. Was reared and grew to manhood upon the farm and after marriage operated a farm for himself for some years. Upon leaving the farm he engaged in the grain, coal and lumber business. From this employment accepted an opportunity to enter the banking business, which was followed for a number of years until he disposed of his banking business and engaged in the investment and farm loan business which he now handles, together with the settlement of estates. He has always been a supporter of the republican party, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal chrch, Masonic and Eastern Star orders. Served in the forty-first and forty-second general assembies of Iowa.

J.B. Truax
Representative from Buchanan county, was born in Indiana in 1859. In 1864 he moved to Iowa with his parents who settled on a farm in the northern part of Buchanan county. He followed the occupation of farmer until 1884, when he met with an accident which made it impossible for him to continue. He worked in a general store for a number of years, and in 1892 was elected county recorder for Buchanan county and served five consecutive terms. During that time he purchased a set of abstract books and followed that occupation for a number of years. He was married to Ella O. Lawrence of Hazelton, Iowa, November 7, 1880, and to them was born one daughter who is now the wife of A.J. Schuette, who is the proprietor of the book store in Independence. Mr. Truax is a member of Independence Lodge No. 87 A.F.&A.M and has been its secretary for twenty-six years. He is also a member of O.E.S. and of the Methodist church. He has always been a republican in politics. He was elected representative of the sixty-seventh district in 1924 and reeelected in 1926.

D.A. Vaughn
Representative from Ringgold county, was born on a farm in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 14, 1872. Moved with his parents and sister to Ringgold county, Iowa, in october, 1882. Received his education in the schools of the county and attended the old Shenandoah college for one term. From early manhood he has been engaged in general farming, live stock breeding and feeding. He has held a number of township and other offices of trust, is a member of all of the branches of the I.O.O.F. Order of the Modern Woodman. He was married to Susie E. Hutchinson of Benton, Iowa, in January, 1901, to which union eight children were born, seven of whom are living, Perry, Lela, Orlo, Ethel, Bernice, Viona and Merle. He was elected to represent the seventh district in 1926. A republican in politics.

G.L. Venard
Representative from Sioux county, was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, August 7, 1860. His parents came from Indiana in 1856, taking up land in Muscatine county. Received his education in the rural schools. Attended the Wilton academy two years. Hes been actively engaged in farming for the past twenty-eight years in Sioux county. Served on the board of education eighteen years, was township clerk fourteen years and assessor four years. Was elected representative in march, 1921, to fill vacancy, reelected in 1922, in 1924, and again in 1926. A republican in politics.

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