May 30, 1928 - October 18, 2022
Funeral Mass for Dolores Mertz will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in West Bend. Burial will be in the West Bend Cemetery.
Dolores Mary Mertz was born prematurely at 1 pound 3 ounces on May 30, 1928, one of three children to John and Gertrude (Erickson) Shay. She grew up in Bancroft where she attended school and graduated from St. John’s High School in 1946. She attended Briar Cliff College, obtaining an A.A. Degree in elementary education.
She began her career working in West Bend as a bank teller. On Dec. 27, 1951, she was united in marriage to H.P. “Pete” Mertz, a local farmer. They moved to the family farm, where they lived with Pete’s parents until they moved to town in 1953. Dolores and Pete remained on the farm where they raised their seven children.
Dolores was appointed to the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors in 1983 following her husband’s death after 32 years of marriage. She served as a supervisor for five years. In 1988, she was elected to the Iowa House, representing the 8th District and later the 15th District, where she served 11 terms. Dolores was appointed House Ag Chair in 2007, the first woman to hold this position, and was on the House Ag Committee for 22 years. She also served as the Senior Democrat on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee with responsibilities for funding conservation and farm programs in the state. Dolores was well known at the statehouse as the “Queen of Drainage”.
Dolores was elected to the Board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a national organization of state legislators and government officials. She was the National Chair of ALEC in 2007 and was chair of ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force for eight years. She served as National Director of Women in Government, was named Legislator of the year by Agribusiness Association of Iowa and was known as a Friend of Agriculture by the Iowa Farm Bureau. She was awarded the first National Crop Life Award for outstanding legislators serving in the agribusiness arena. Dolores did not seek reelection in 2010, but in 2012 was appointed to the State Racing and Gaming Commission.
She served on several state boards, including the Farmers Advisory Council with the Department of Natural Resources, the FFA Educational Advisory Council and the Water-Shed Improvement Board. Also served 13 years as secretary for the Kossuth County Democratic Party, State Regent of the Catholic Daughters of America Iowa Court and as President of the Council of Catholic Women for the Sioux City Diocese.
Dolores was an active member of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in West Bend and a member of the CD of A St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Court #1797. She was very active locally in 4-H Clubs, FFA, Kossuth County Farm Bureau, Algona Soroptimist Club, Humboldt Business and Professional Women and the West Bend Drama Club. She also served as the Superintendent of Expressive Arts for the Kossuth County Fair for over 30 years. Dolores enjoyed crafts, especially painting ceramics and spending time with her Red Hat Ladies group in Algona. She was proud of her Irish heritage and served as Grand Marshal for Algona’s 20th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2003.
Dolores will be remembered for her smile, which lit up the room, and her commitment to the agricultural community, serving 35 years as a public servant. The Dolores M. Mertz Scholarship was recently established to the support education for the next generation in the spirit of leadership and service. The first awards will be made in the Spring of 2023.
Dolores died Tuesday, Oct. 18 at West Bend Health and Rehabilitation in West Bend at the age of 94.
She is survived by her children, Peter (Julie) Mertz of Ottosen; Dr. Mary Simpson of Kalamazoo, Mich.; David Mertz of Algona; Ann (Dr. Joseph) Cornicelli of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Helen (Dr. Steven) Powell of Winter Park, Fla.; and Carol (Mark) Eischeid of Algona. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by parents; husband, Pete on Oct. 8, 1983; daughter, Janice on May 30, 2015; sister, Betty (Blaine) Hoskins and her brother, Jack Shay.
Arrangements were handled by Oakcrest Funeral Services. Condolences may be left at www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.