“Today has been a sad day of tragic loss in the “family” of the Iowa Senate. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families and friends of Senator Ward and Senator Gronstal. For the rest of us, this may be an opportunity to reflect that each public servant is also someone’s wife, or dad, or daughter, or grandfather. Each of them who makes the decision to serve their neighbors, does so at some expense to spending time with the people that are closest to them. Today seems like a time to remind ourselves of that.”
– Sue Dvorsky, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party
A second death strikes Iowa Senate family today
Oct 15, 2012 | by William Petroski |
Today was one of the saddest days in memory at the Iowa Senate.
Earlier today was announced that Sen. Pat Ward, R-Clive, had lost a three-year battle with breast cancer. Then this afternoon it was learned that Dennis Sigafoose, the son-in-law of Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Michael and Connie Gronstal of Council Bluffs, died unexpectedly this morning.
Sigafoose and Kate Gronstal were married in March 2011. There was no immediate word on a cause of his death.