Janet Wentz
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Janet Wentz (''
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
'' Neff, July 21, 1937 – September 15, 2003) was the
speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...
of the
North Dakota House of Representatives The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate. North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts apportioned by population as ...
from January 7, 2003, until her death. She was elected in December 2002 to serve from January 2003 and was the second woman to become speaker of the North Dakota legislature. Representative Matthew Klein succeeded her as speaker.


Early life

She was born Janet Marie Neff on July 21, 1937, to her parents, Charles and Martha Neff, in McCulsky, North Dakota. She attended McClusky High School and graduated in 1955. Wentz went on to study at
Westmar College Westmar University was a private four-year liberal arts college in Le Mars, Iowa, United States. It permanently closed on November 21, 1997. Westmar University was founded in 1887 as the Northwestern Normal School and Business College by Jacob ...
, in
Le Mars, Iowa Le Mars is a city and the county seat of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. It is located on the Floyd River northeast of Sioux City. The population was 10,571 at the time of the 2020 census. Le Mars is located within America Township an ...
, the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
, in Minneapolis, and
Minot State University Minot State University (MSU or MiSU) is a public university in Minot, North Dakota, United States. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, MSU evolved into a university in 1987 and is currently the state's third-largest, offering undergraduate and ...
in North Dakota. She married Thomas Wentz in 1957.


Career

Wentz first won election to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1974. In her time at the legislature, she served as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. In December 2002, she became Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives. She remained speaker until she died in office, on September 15, 2003.


See also

*
List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States This is a list of women who have served as speakers and leaders of federal, state, and territorial legislatures in the United States. Congress State Territorial and the District of Columbia Notes References

{{Women in U.S. ...


References


External links


North Dakota Legislature biography page
Women state legislators in North Dakota Republican Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives Speakers of the North Dakota House of Representatives 1937 births 21st-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly 2003 deaths Westmar University alumni University of Minnesota alumni Minot State University alumni 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly {{NorthDakota-politician-stub