[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE MEMORY OF FORMER INDIANA CONGRESSMAN MARK SOUDER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM BANKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 4, 2022

  Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, Mark Souder, 72, went to be with the Lord 
on Monday, September 26, 2022. He was born July 18, 1950 in Fort Wayne, 
Ind. to Edward and Irma (Fahling) Souder. Mark grew up in Grabill, the 
area where his great-great-grandfather settled in 1848. He graduated 
from Leo HS (1968), Indiana University at Fort Wayne (1972), and the 
Graduate School of Business at Notre Dame (1974). He also received 
honorary doctorates from Tri-State University, the Indiana Institute of 
Technology and the University of St. Francis. Mark married Diane Zimmer 
of South Bend at the Bremen Apostolic Christian Church on July 28, 
1974. Their first home was in Edina, Minn. where Mark had taken a job 
as the marketing manager for Gabberts Furniture. In 1976, he returned 
to his family business. Upon his return he was recruited by Dan Quayle 
and played a key role in his upset victory for Congress that year. In 
1980, he assisted Dan Coats in succeeding Quayle in Congress. After 
Mark's father died in 1981 and the furniture store closed in 1983, the 
Souder family moved to Washington D.C. for him to serve as the 
Republican Staff Director on the House Committee on Children, Youth and 
Families. In 1988, Souder switched to the Senate with Coats, serving as 
his legislative director until mid-1993 when he moved back to Indiana. 
Souder was hired by Thom Blake as Vice-President of Manufacturing of 
Our Country Home of Grabill. Emmanuel Community Church has been their 
family church since 1993. In the fall of 1994, Souder was elected to 
Congress. He was elected to seven more terms, becoming the second-
longest serving congressman in history representing the Fort Wayne 
region. Souder focused heavily on fighting for the core industrial jobs 
of the region as well as local interests such as saving the Veteran's 
Hospital and the Air Base. He served on three committees and seven 
subcommittees each term. He was the point person in the House on 
illegal narcotics, and co-founded the bi-partisan National Parks 
Caucus. A major accomplishment was introducing and passing the National 
Lighthouse Preservation Program, which had the National Park Service 
manage the transfer of hundreds of lighthouses from the Coast Guard to 
non-profit organizations to preserve access to the public. After 
Congress, he wrote regularly for Howey Politics Indiana, as well as in 
national books and publications on baseball and politics. His last book 
project was co-authoring Television in Fort Wayne, 1953-2018. Mark was 
passionate about his Lord, family, and country. He was a voracious 
reader of the Bible, history, politics, and sports. He adored his 
grandchildren and spent countless hours sharing experiences with them 
while teaching valuable life lessons. For being such a strong and 
courageous leader, he had a very kind and generous heart. When he 
crossed the state line, every time he would sing the song, ``Back Home 
Again in Indiana''. Souder is survived by his wife and best friend of 
48 years, Diane; and children, Brooke (Jeff) Lyons of Fort Wayne, 
Nathan (Sarah) Souder of Grand Junction, Colo., and Zach Souder of 
Albuquerque, N.M.; as well as grandchildren, Grant Lyons, Reagan Lyons, 
Elias Souder and Ethan Souder.

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