George Rix Struble. Iowa judge and politician of Toledo, Iowa

Toledo, Iowa

Toledo is a city in and the county seat of Tama County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,539 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Toledo is located at ....

. Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, 1881-1883. An ardent prohibitionist. A prominent attorney in Iowa, once described as “the pride of the Bar in this community and the admiration of the Court.” One of 12 siblings including: John T. Struble

John T. Struble

John T. Struble was a builder and farmer during the formative years of the state of Iowa. He was an older brother of two prominent Iowa politicians: Congressman Isaac S. Struble and Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives George R...

 of Iowa City, and Congressman Isaac S. Struble

Isaac S. Struble

Isaac S. Struble was a four-term Republican Representative of Iowa's 11th congressional district. Serving from 1883 to 1891, the Plymouth County resident was a noted congressional opponent of plural marriage in Utah.The member of a politically-active family, Isaac's six brothers included John T....

 of Plymouth County, Iowa. Granduncle of Bob Struble

Bob Struble

Robert Struble was a political figure and social welfare reformer in Washington from the post-World War II years until his death in Seattle on July 26, 1967.He was a U.S...

, Sr. and great-granduncle of Bob Struble, Jr.

The following biography appears in the Journal of the House, a memorial resolution of the Iowa state legislature, adopted 3/23/1921:

Hon. George R. Struble.

Mr. Speaker – Your committee appointed to prepare resolutions commemorating the life and work of the Honorable George R. Struble, late of Tama county, Iowa, beg leave to report the following memorial:
Judge Struble departed this life at his home in Toledo, Iowa, December 15, 1918. He was born July 25, 1836, in Sussex County, New Jersey

Sussex County, New Jersey

The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...

. His parents, Isaac and Emma (Cox) Struble, removed to Fredericksburg, Virginia, when he was quite young. They afterwards removed to Chesterville, Ohio, in 1847. In 1856, Mr. Struble came to Iowa, locating first at Iowa City and remaining there until the following spring. He then located in Toledo, Iowa, where on April 19, 1860, he was married to Miss Sophia J. Nelson.

He also was later in partnership with C.B. Bradshaw, M.M. Goodrich and L.G. Kinne, and in 1881, the firm of Struble & Stiger was formed, which continued as long as he remained in active practice.

From 1870-1872, he served acceptably on the circuit bench and in 1879 was elected to the General Assembly where he served two terms, the last term as speaker of the House of Representatives.
He was affiliated with the First Congregational church of Toledo for many years and was zealous in his church life and in the support of all those things which are for the uplift of the community.

The life and work of Judge Struble remain as an inspiration to those who knew him. He gained his position and influence in life by arduous, painstaking labor and appreciated to the utmost the opportunities that life had afforded him. His energy, his intellectual powers, his untiring efforts for those he served, all characterize him as a man and citizen of whom it may well be said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Judge Struble was a director of the Toledo Savings Bank; in politics, a republican. Socially, he was pleasant, affable and courteous; however, always considering business paramount to social ties.
As a lawyer, he was quick to see a point and possessed a ready flow of language to push it; a forcible speaker well educated in his profession and withal, a most successful lawyer. He was a man in whom not only his county but his state took pride.
Six children survive him as follows: Agnes N., Mary T., Gertrude N., Jessie F., Geo. Herbert, who was a member of the law firm at the time of his father’s death, and Grace T.
The funeral was held in Toledo and burial in Woodlawn cemetery.

Whereas, The Honorable George R. Struble, has been called from this life, therefore,

Be It Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with deep sorrow and regret of his death and that it recognizes the high character of his service to his state and in his death the state has lost a worthy and noble citizen, and

Be It Resolved, Further, that these resolutions be spread upon the journal, that engrossed copies of the same be sent to members of his family.

F. W. Ingersoll,
J.M. Ramsey,
F.C. Sampson,
Committee,

Adopted March 23, 1921.


Judge G.R. Struble, wife Sophia, and their six children. Photo likely taken in April, 1910, on the occasion of the celebration in Toledo IA of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary.