[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JUDGE WILLIAM O. (BILL) ISENHOUR, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my 
good friend, the late Judge Bill Isenhour, of Mission, Kansas, who died 
on April 10.
  Bill Isenhour was born in Kansas City, Kansas, where he graduated in 
1960 from Wyandotte High School. Bill attended Kansas City University, 
UMKC, where he was student body president, editor of the newspaper, 
member of the varsity debate team, including being the undefeated 
regional champions and participation in the National Debate Tournament 
in West Point in 1964. He graduated with a BA in speech in 1964. He 
married Karen Kay Peterson on June 26, 1965. While Karen taught school, 
he attended law school at UMKC, where he was the recipient of the 
Dean's Merit Scholarship and graduated in the top of his class in 1968 
with a J.D. Bill served as law clerk to Chief Judge Arthur J. Stanley, 
Jr., U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, from 1968-1969.
  Bill resigned his clerkship to begin private law practice in Johnson 
County and practiced law with the firm Soden, Eisenbrandt, Isenhour & 
Gates--which eventually became Soden, Isenhour & Cox--until 1994. In 
the early 70s, he served as Municipal Judge in Merriam and Mission, 
Kansas. In 1994, he was appointed by Governor Joan Finney as District 
Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District in the State of Kansas, 
Johnson County. Judge Isenhour served as a civil court judge until 
2005, when he became one of the first members of the Johnson County 
Family Court. He was a member of the Johnson County Bar Association, 
Kansas Bar Association, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 
the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, 
the American Judges Association, the Association of Family and 
Conciliation Courts, and was a member of the National Council of 
Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He presented at numerous legal 
education programs, primarily in the area of family law. In 2008, he 
received the President's Award from the Heartland Mediators' 
Association for the work in his court encouraging mediation. Bill 
retired from the bench in the fall of 2008.
  Judge Isenhour was a member of St. Michael and All Angel's Episcopal 
Church in Mission, where he served in numerous roles, including Sunday 
school teacher, usher, lector, stewardship chairman, delegate to 
diocesan convention, member of the vestry, Junior Warden and Senior 
Warden. He was involved in helping start Breakfast at St. Paul's--a 
hot-breakfast program for families in KCK--which serves more than 200 
persons each week at the church in which he grew up. Judge Isenhour 
also served on the boards of the Mission Chamber of Commerce, the 
Milhaven Homes Association, the Saint Michael's Day School and served 
as secretary of the Johnson County Bar Association.
  Bill loved spending time with his family, his friends from church, 
traveling--particularly to his cabin in the mountains of Colorado, and 
spoiling his two grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of almost 45 
years, Karen Isenhour; his son, Kirk Isenhour and partner Doug Anning 
of Kansas City, Missouri; his daughter, Stephanie Price and husband 
Warren of Overland Park; and two grandchildren, Dillon and Katie Price. 
He is also survived by his three sisters and brother, Diana Patterson 
(Jeff) of Merriam; Mary Isenhour (Bill Patton) of Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania; Victoria Charlesworth (Jim) of Overland Park; and Phillip 
Isenhour (Ellen Zipf) of Elm Grove, Wisconsin; three aunts, Mary Clark 
of Kansas City, Kansas, Kathleen Noe of Alexandria, Virginia, and Dee 
Isenhour of Manteo, North Carolina, along with many loving nieces, 
nephews and cousins.
  Madam Speaker, Bill Isenhour was my good friend and former law 
partner. I join with his extended family and many friends in mourning 
his passing and paying tribute to his decades of dedicated service to 
our community.

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