[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 166 (Tuesday, November 12, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING ANNA MAE WEEMS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor Anna 
Mae Weems. Anna Mae was a standout citizen from Waterloo, who passed 
away in September after 98 years of life well-lived.
  My wife Barbara and I met Anna Mae during my first congressional 
campaign for elected office in 1974. Little did we know, our fast 
friendship would endure 50 cherished years. We were fortunate to get to 
know the Weems family. I was reminded recently of a story. Barbara had 
shared the Senate bean soup recipe with the Weems family, and they 
enjoyed it together each year.
  Anna Mae was always helping others and bridging connections. She 
fostered relationships for me with countless fellow Iowans, local 
groups, churches, and more. Her passion for civil rights and fierce 
advocacy against racial discrimination drove Anna Mae's work as a 
talented organizer. She facilitated a march in Waterloo to honor the 
20th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington 
and invited me to join. It was an important event that brought the 
community together. Anna Mae had marched on the picket line alongside 
Dr. King during the 1968 sanitation workers' strike in Memphis. At that 
time, she served as a prominent union leader at Rath Packing Company in 
Waterloo. She was the perfect person for the job. Change seemed to 
happen overnight when Anna Mae came around because she refused to rest 
until people paid attention. She never gave up on a cause she felt was 
unjust.
  In fact, I have Anna Mae to thank for bringing many causes to my 
attention. As a Senator, my No. 1 priority is to help Iowans the best I 
possibly can. She identified me as a resource to many Iowans who didn't 
know a Senator could help with their particular cases.
  Over the years, through frequent phone conversations, I learned from 
Anna Mae's insights--and about the ways she was making our community a 
better place. It was a privilege for Barbara and me to know Anna Mae, 
her extraordinary impact, and the positive mark she left wherever she 
went.

                          ____________________