Conrad Hollenbeck (November 19, 1847 – January 21, 1915)Judge Hollenbeck Called to Rest
, ''The Lincoln Star'' (January 21, 1915), p. 1. was a lawyer and politician who served in the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...

, and later served as chief justice of the

Nebraska Supreme Court The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice is initially appointed by the governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each ju ...

for fourteen days, from January 7, 1915 until his death on January 21, 1915.

Early life, education, and career

Born on his father's farm in Hebron, Potter County, Pennsylvania, Hollenbeck was the son of John and Emily (Parker) Hollenbeck.Julius Sterling Morton,
Illustrated History of Nebraska, Volume 2
' (1907), p. 682-84. He fought for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, enlisting as a private in

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popul ...

, on September 6, 1864 at the age of 16, and serving with the

207th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment The 207th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Union Army in the American Civil War. Raised mostly in northern and central Pennsylvania in mid-1864, the regiment initially served with the Army of the James durin ...

. He participated in all of the battles of the Army of the Potomac from the Battle of the Wilderness to the surrender of Lee. After attending the district schools of his native county, Hollenbeck graduated from

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a campus of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and it is located it in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the campus' total enrollment is 1,63 ...

(then called Mansfield College) in June 1869, and then began the study of law in the office of Isaac Benson at

Coudersport, Pennsylvania Coudersport is a borough in and the county seat of Potter County, Pennsylvania. It is located approximately east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The population was 2,371 at the 2020 census. History The Coudersport and Port Allegany Rai ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1871, and for about six years practiced his profession at Coudersport.

Political and judicial service

Hollenbeck was twice elected as a Democrat to the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

, in 1874 and 1875. He sought reelection to a third term in 1876, but was defeated. He left for the west in May 1877, settling in

Fremont, Nebraska Fremont is a city and county seat of Dodge County in the eastern portion of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 27,141 at the 2020 census. Fremont is the home of Midland University. History From the 183 ...

. In 1890 he was elected county attorney of Dodge county, continuing in the office until 1895. He was a delegate to the

1896 Democratic National Convention The 1896 Democratic National Convention, held at the Chicago Coliseum from July 7 to July 11, was the scene of William Jennings Bryan's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate for the 1896 U.S. presidential election. At age 36, Br ...

in Chicago, and in 1898 he was elected judge of Nebraska's 6th judicial district, where he remained until 1915. In the fall of 1901 he was the candidate of the fusionists for judge of the supreme court of Nebraska, but was defeated at the election with the rest of his ticket. In 1914, Hollenbeck was elected chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, defeating incumbent Chief Justice

Manoah B. Reese Manoah ( ''Mānoaḥ'') is a figure from the Book of Judges 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the Hebrew Bible. His name means "rest". Family According to the Bible, Manoah was of the tribe of Dan and lived in the city of Zorah. He married one woman, who w ...

, a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

, in an election that was broadly swept by Democrats.Final Returns
, ''The Blair Pilot'' (November 18, 1914), p. 4. Hollenbeck took office at the beginning of January 1915, but died just fourteen days into his term, having been plagued by heart problems for the preceding two years.

Personal life and death

On May 9, 1877, Hollenbeck married Jannett Knox at Coudersport, with whom he had one son. He died at the age of 57 from

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollenbeck, Conrad 1847 births 1915 deaths Mansfield University of Pennsylvania alumni U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court Pennsylvania Democrats Nebraska Democrats