Clande VanEverett David Emmons (1898-1977)

From the Akron Beacon Journal, August 12, 1929.

  The judicial benches of Ohio were peopled with oddly named judges in the first half of the 20th century and following the writeups on Judges Urbanus Saunders and Null Hodapp, we journey to Akron to highlight the life of Clande VanEverett David Emmons. Elected as municipal judge for Akron in 1929, Emmons served thirteen years in office and was later elected as Judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. His tenure extended three decades and at the time of his retirement in 1973 had sat as a judge for nearly 44 years, being one of the longest-tenured jurists in the state. The son of VanEverett David (1868-1936) and Lilly (Williston) Emmons (1871-1951), Clande V.D. Emmons was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on November 25, 1898.

  An impressive figure in Summit County politics, VanEverett David Emmons served three terms in the Ohio House of Representatives and later won six terms in the state senate, where he served until his death. In 1899 the Emmons family had settled in Akron, where Clande attended the Henry Grade School and Central High School. He continued studies at Akron University, where he was a member of the football, track, and baseball teams. A veteran of World War I, Emmons pursued a law degree at the Western Reserve Law School in the early 1920s and graduated in 1924. He married in Akron on August 10, 1926, to Thelma McClister (1904-1995). The couple were wed for fifty years and would remain childless.

  Shortly after his admittance to the bar in 1924 Emmons established his practice in Akron, being a member of the firm of Emmons and Conant. Through the succeeding years, he became a leading club-man in his region, being a member of both the Akron and Ohio Bar Associations, the American Legion, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Moose Lodge, the Eagles Lodge, and Shriners. Emmons further distinguished himself in the masonic fraternity, being commander in chief of the Akron Consistory, Valley of Akron; a past wise master of the Ariel Chapter; an eminent commander of the Bethany Commandery; a past worshipful master of the W. Edwin Palmer Lodge; an illustrious master of the Akron Council; and a most wise master of the Cleveland Valley Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.

From the Akron Beacon Journal, August 5, 1929.

   In 1929 Clande Emmons made the jump into city politics, announcing his candidacy for municipal judge of Akron. Prior to that year's Republican primary campaign advertisements touting Emmons' candidacy appeared in city newspapers, with the Akron Beacon Journal noting that his endorsement "carries the names of over 1,00o people prominent in the business, social, fraternal, and political world." In a substantial notice featured in its August 12, 1929 edition, the Journal published a list of his promises, noting:

"Mr. Emmons' platform--To be punctual, to adjudge each case impartially within the shortest possible time, to strictly enforce the laws, to be guided in decision not by race, creed, class, color, religion or influence, but only and solely by the evidence and law that is applicable; to be courteous and just at all time to attorneys, and their clients and to speed up legal machinery."

  In August 1929 Emmons won the Republican primary and in the November general election was one of two city judges elected, polling 18,740 votes. He took his seat on the bench in January 1930 and served until his election to the court of common pleas in 1942. During his term Emmons sat as a trustee of the Akron Art Institute and won his fourth municipal court term in November 1941, garnering over 38,000 votes. An unsuccessful candidate for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas in November 1940, Emmons was again a candidate in 1942 and in August of that year won the primary. He went on to win the general election in November and took his seat on the common pleas court the following February. 

From the Akron Beacon Journal, August 10, 1942.

  Emmons' tenure on the court extended three decades, retiring in 1973. In December 1971 he set an unusual local record by granting his 15,000th divorce, having first presided over a divorce proceeding in February 1943. Following his retirement, he continued to serve on temporary assignment with the common pleas and Ninth District Court of Appeals until 1976. Emmons was also remarked as having "handled more jury cases annually than any other Summit County jurist." This long period of service saw Emmons gain further prominence in Akron civic affairs, where he had considerable impact. He would serve as a trustee and President of the Akron YMCA Board of Governors; was chairman of the Transportation Fund for Crippled and Burned Children; was a trustee of the local NAACP chapter; a campaign manager for the Akron University Building Levy; and was chairman of the Recommending Committee of the Summit County Draft Board.

  After a year of failing health, Clande V.D. Emmons died at the Akron City Hospital on April 14, 1977, aged 78. He and his wife had celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary the year prior, and following her death in 1995 Thelma Emmons was interred alongside her husband at the Rose Hill Burial Park in Fairlawn. Following his death Emmons was memorialized as a "kind, considerate, and thorough judge", one whose:

"Judicial temperment on the bench was almost legendary. No attorney, winner or loser, ever left his courtroom without realizing that someone had passed on the facts whose legal knowledge was second to none."

From the Akron Beacon Journal, April 15, 1977.

Tancred Burdette Thorson (1898-1949), Tancred Peter Blain (1868-1918)

From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, December 31, 1931.

 

    Although he lived to just fifty-one years old, Tancred Burdette 'Ted" Thorson figured prominently in South Dakota law circles for over twenty years. A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Thorson served as state's attorney for Brule County and was afterward appointed as special counsel for the state banking department. In the 1930s he was again elected state's attorney (this time for Pennington County)  and also gained distinction in two decidedly non-political areas: polo-playing and show horses. Thorson was severely injured in 1949 after being struck by a vehicle in  Rapid City and succumbed to his injuries several days later. 

  Born in Cabery, Illinois on February 18, 1898, Tancred Burdette Thorson was the son of Thor Endreson (1855-1927) and Helen (Gaard) Thorson (1870-1959), both natives of Norway. The family removed to South Dakota during Thorson's childhood, where he grew up "on a farm northeast of Centreville." He would graduate from the Canton High School in Lincoln County, where he won first prize in an April 1916 oratorical contest, speaking on "The Injustice of Justice." 

  Following graduation, Thorson pursued a law degree at the University of South Dakota Law School. After graduating in the early 1920s he removed to Kimball in Brule County, where he established his practice. He married in 1921 to Bernice Margaret Byrnes (1897-1970), to who he was wed until his death. The couple would be childless. 

  Thorson quickly advanced to the front rank amongst the lawyers in his community, and in 1922 was elected to the first of two terms as state's attorney for Brule County. He served from 1923-27, and in October of the last-named year was appointed as special counsel for the state banking department in Pierre. Thorson's appointment necessitated his removal to South Dakota's capital, where he was acknowledged as "one of the youngest men ever hold a major official position in the state government". His time as special counsel extended four years, and on January 1, 1931, he resigned to return to private practice in Rapid City, where he specialized in criminal cases. 

From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, December 31, 1931.

  After leaving the state banking department Thorson wasn't out of the political spotlight for long, and in November 1932 was elected as state's attorney for Pennington County. He served two back to back terms from 1933-37 and was succeeded by Charles H. Whiting. He continued in private practice after leaving office and gained additional repute through his musical and horsing interests. 

  Remarked in his Rapid City Journal obituary as "one of the few polo players in the state", Thorson had a lifelong interest in horses and in addition to polo owned several show horses, participating in the West River Horse Show and the Black Hills Range Days rodeo. He was also musically inclined, founding a civic choral club in Rapid City and held memberships in the Elks Male Chorus and the Trinity Lutheran Church choir. 

  Thorson continued his law practice in Rapid City until May 1949. On the night of May 5, he was severely injured while crossing the street in downtown Rapid City during a rainstorm. While crossing, Thorson ran into the side of a panel truck driven by local businessman Grover Ru'we and was struck by the truck's rear fender. He was thrown to the pavement where he sustained cranial injuries and was transported to a hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Thorson succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on May 15, 1949, aged 51, and was survived by his wife Bernice. Following her death in 1970, Bernice Thorson was interred alongside her husband at the Mountain View Cemetery in Rapid City.

"Ted" Thorson, from the Rapid City Journal, January 16, 1940.

From the Deadwood Pioneer Times, May 16, 1949.

From the 1905 South Dakota Legislative Manual.

   Prior to Tancred Thorson's political activity, another South Dakotan with that curious first name entered public office. That man was Tancred Peter Blain, a resident of Redfield. Like Tancred Thorson, Blain's early life began in Illinois, being born in Kankakee County in November 1868. The son of Nazaire and Marie Louise Blain, his formative education was obtained in Illinois, and in 1882 he removed with his family to Spink County, South Dakota.

  Following his family's resettlement, Blain continued his schooling and later enrolled at the South Dakota Agricultural College at Brookings. By 1895 he was residing in Redfield, and in that year was awarded a patent for "a combined tongue and thills", utilized in farming equipment. Blain married in the early 1890s to Alberta Estella Bull (1872-1942), with who he had two daughters, Gleva Lucille (1894-1964) and Gladys Augusta (born 1896).

  Blain made his first foray into local politics in 1890, when he assumed the post of deputy clerk of courts for Spink County. He served until January 1895 and continued in public service with his appointment as assistant engrossing and enrolling clerk of the state house of representatives.

  Active in banking concerns in his region, Blain became cashier of the First State Bank of Ashton, South Dakota in December 1901, and was for many years a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His membership in that organization saw him designated receiver for its grand lodge in South Dakota, a post he occupied for several years. 

  In November 1904 Blain was elected as one of two Spink County representatives to the South Dakota state legislature, and during his term became vice president of the state bank of Ashton. In his last year in office, Blain announced his candidacy for state treasurer. Hoping to garner the nomination at the Republican state convention in June 1906, Blain's candidacy didn't extend past the June primary, with victory going to Charles H. Cassill. Cassill went on to win the general election and served as treasurer from 1907-09.

  In the years following his defeat for treasurer Blain continued in business in his native Redfield, being secretary of both the Blain Lumber Co. and the Blain Automobile Co. In 1912 he was an unsuccessful candidate for alternate delegate to that year's Republican National Convention, with little else being known of his life after this date. Blain died aged 49 on June 10, 1918, in Minnesota, and was survived by his wife and children. He was returned to South Dakota for burial at the Greenlawn Cemetery in Redfield.

Uno Sylvanus Augustus Heggblom (1898-1978)

From Memorabilia "Minneskrift" of the International Order of Runeberg, 1968.

    As 2014 comes to a close the "Strangest Names In American Political History" makes a stop in Michigan to highlight the life of a man who has duly earned the title "strangest name of the year", and after stumbling across an individual with the initials "U.S.A.", I had an inkling that I was about to unveil a very unusual name. Needless to say, I was not disappointed! After some quick searching via ancestry.com, I found that those patriotic initials stood for "Uno Sylvanus Augustus Heggblom". How's that for strange and unusual!

   Despite his being in possession of truly unusual name, little information exists online in regards to Mr. Heggblom, and beneath this odd name rests the interesting story of a Michigan attorney who (in addition to being a seven-time candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives between 1924 and 1948) was active in the affairs of the Augustana Lutheran Church, as well as being a leading figure in the International Order of Runeberg, a fraternal organization devoted to Finnish-Swedish culture and traditions. 

   A lifelong resident of Michigan, Uno Sylvanus Augustus Heggblom was born in the city of Manistique on March 21, 1898, being the son of John and Christina Heggblom. Sadly I have no interesting tidbits as to how Heggblom came to receive the name "Uno Sylvanus Augustus", but one's imagination can run wild thinking of the possibilities! Young Uno's early schooling occurred at the "Newberry and Munising public schools" and would graduate from the high school in Manistique. Following his graduation, he continued schooling at the Detroit Institute of Technology, the Detroit Teachers College, and Wayne University. In 1922 he earned his bachelor of laws degree from the Detroit College of Law and two years later received his L.L.M (Master of Laws degree) from the University of Detroit.

    After his collegiate studies, Heggblom returned to the Detroit College of Law as a faculty member and later held a teaching position at the Detroit Hudson School. In the early 1920s, Heggblom began the practice of law in Detroit and would be retained as counsel for several businesses in that city, including the Morton and Co. Investment Bankers, the Corporation Finance Co., and the Union Mutual Life Insurance Co. 

    In 1924 Heggblom made his first move into politics, announcing his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district. Running in that year's primary, Heggblom's candidacy was highlighted in the August 1, 1924 edition of the Escanaba Daily Press, which described him as a "Law Enforcement candidate" who conducted a vigorous campaign "through the West Detroit district." Sadly Heggblom's candidacy didn't last past the primary election and another congressional candidacy in 1926 brought more of the same. In total, Heggblom would run for U.S. Representative on a total of seven occasions (1924, 1926, 1932. 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948) but was unable to get his candidacies to extend past the primary election season. One can think that his lengthy name may have been a contributing factor, but, as the Piqua Daily Call notice below illustrates, why would anyone want to vote against a candidate with such patriotic initials?

   In 1925 Uno S. A. Heggblom married in Michigan to Ms. Sima Soderback (1902-1982). Heggblom and his wife were wed for over fifty years and their lengthy marriage would see the births of two daughters, Helen (1926-1947) and Ruth Arlene (1927-2010). Prior to his marriage Heggblom began a law practice in Wayne County, Michigan which he would operate for many years afterward, and was later tapped to serve as assistant prosecuting attorney for Wayne County. The Mancelona Herald (which profiled Heggblom's congressional candidacy in 1940) further notes that he established "a record number of convictions without sending innocent men to prison." 

    Active in Republican Party circles in Michigan, Heggblom was a longstanding member of the Michigan Republican State Central Committee, and, while unsuccessful in his numerous candidacies, would subsequently gain distinction as a public speaker on a variety of topics, including politics, the economy, religion, and the law. As a forceful lecturer (one notice refers to him as a "bull-throated Detroit attorney") Heggblom was in demand as a speaker throughout Michigan as well as in other states. The notice below (featured in the Lima, Ohio News in May of 1940) records that Heggblom would speak on the "Cause and Cure of Depressions and War", a theme that would play a substantial role in his candidacy that year for a seat in the U.S House of Representatives from Michigan.

A Heggblom speech write-up from the Lima News, May 29, 1940.

    As the Republican candidate in the 1940 congressional primary from Michigan's 11th district, Heggblom's candidacy was boomed in several newspapers of the time, including a substantial write-up in the September 5, 1940 edition of the Mancelona Herald (shown below). While touted as "The Anti-War Candidate", Heggblom's campaign notice made sure to note that he was still "Pro-Preparedness but Anti-War" and also issued the following quote on his behalf:

"He says he would resign as Congressman rather than send one American boy to die on foreign soil. He wants our boys to LIVE for their country rather than to DIE for it. He says that if America wants a foreign war let it so decide by a referendum vote of the people. He is on the PEOPLE'S side of every public question."

  Intoning "to win in November, vote for Heggblom in September", the Mancelona Herald's booming of Heggblom's candidacy seemed to ensure a lock for him at the polls in September, but it was not to be, the nomination instead going to Fredrick Van Ness Bradley. While his congressional candidacy may have come to naught, Heggblom did aid the Republican Party in another facet when he served as part of the Michigan delegation to the Republican National Convention (held in Philadelphia in June of that year) that nominated Wendell Wilkie for the Presidency. 

A Heggblom congressional campaign notice from the Mancelona Herald, 1940.

Another Hegbloom campaign advertisement, Munising News, Sept. 5, 1940.

   Following his defeat in the primary election of 1940 Heggblom returned to practicing law in Detroit whilst also continuing to accept speaking engagements. In 1944 he again served as part of the Michigan delegation to the Republican National Convention (then being held in Chicago) and in July 1947 made yet another attempt for high office, once again seeking a seat in the U.S House of Representatives. This special primary election had been occasioned by the May 24th death of Representative Frederick Van Ness Bradley, who several years earlier had beaten Heggblom for the Republican nomination for Congress. Bradley's sudden passing had left a vacancy in the House, and in the wake of his death, several Republican candidates (including Heggblom) began vying for the nomination to fill the seat.

   In the special primary election held on July 31, Heggblom placed a distant sixth in a field of seven candidates, polling only 1,080 votes compared to winner Charles E. Potter's 5,040. Following his victory Potter would go on to win election to Congress on August 26th, 1947, defeating Democrat Harold Benton. Not one to let a loss get the best of him, Heggblom reentered the political field in September 1948, again throwing his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for U.S. Representative. In the September 14th primary Heggblom placed fifth in the vote count out of seven candidates, polling just 2,047 votes.

U.S.A. Heggblom in May 1953, from the Munising News.

    While Heggblom's status as a leading Republican in Wayne County remains an important attribute, his many years of church work also deserves high praise. A member of the Augustana Lutheran Church, Heggblom was described in the Ironwood Globe as having been a "student of the Holy Writ for years" and that he:

"Often substituted for pastors of the church from the pulpit. Hundreds of sermons have been preached by Heggblom in churches of different denominations. For more than 20 years he served as deacon. His activity as a churchman is well known. He taught adult and high school bible classes."

    In addition to filling in for absent pastors, Heggblom attained high rank in several organizations connected with the Augustana Lutheran Church, including the presidency of the Eastern Michigan District Churchmen and was convention secretary of the Lutheran Men's Organization of Michigan Synod. He was also the only native of Michigan to hold the post of President of the church's Central Conference, which comprised "180 churches." 
   As a man of Scandinavian descent, Uno S. A. Heggblom spent a good majority of his life heavily involved in the promotion of Finnish-Swedish culture and traditions, being a member of the International Order of Runeberg for over three decades. A fraternal organization devoted to maintaining the cultural traditions of Finnish-Swedish immigrants in the United States, the Order of Runeberg was established in 1920 from a merger between two other fraternal groups, the Swedish-Finnish Benevolent Association, and the Swedish-Finnish Temperance Association.  A past vice president of the Order of Runeberg, Heggblom became President of that order in August 1963 upon the resignation of Hannes Sutherland, who had served as President since 1958. Heggblom held the Runeberg presidency until 1966, and in the following year became "local president" of the Runeberg lodge in Manistique. 
   Even in his later years, Heggblom continued to be active in political life in Michigan, and at some point in the latter period of his life switched allegiance to the Democratic Party, serving as chairman of the Schoolcraft County Democratic delegation to the 1968 Michigan Democratic Convention held at Detroit's famed Cobo Hall. In 1965 Heggblom and his wife Sima moved from Detroit back to Manistique, and in July 1975 celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. 
  After many decades of public prominence, Uno S.A. Heggblom died in Manistique on April 11, 1978, shortly after celebrating his 80th birthday. He was survived by his wife Sima, who, following her death in 1982, was interred alongside her husband at the Lakeview Cemetery in Manistique. 

Uno S.A. Heggblom at an Order of Runeberg gathering held in 1967.