Polly Getzwiller

Legislative Resolution

View Legislative Resolution File for Polly Getzwiller

Biographical Information

The following is from the Legislative death resolution:

Polly Getzwiller, longtime member of the Arizona Legislature, died on March 18, 2008.

A native Arizonan [born in Luna, New Mexico, seven miles from the state line, and brought to Arizona as an infant], Polly Getzwiller was raised on the Blue River just outside of Alpine in the White Mountains.  Her parents were pioneers in the area.  She attended Florence High School.  On graduation she married a cotton farmer named Bill Thomasson.  After being married a few short years Polly lost her husband in a tragic automobile accident.  Polly inherited the cotton farm on the Greens Reservoir, where they lived until the mid-1960s.  With no prior experience in farming and young children, Polly entered the world of agriculture and became successful.

A few years later, Polly met her second husband, Marion.  Marion was a cattleman and Polly was the farmer.  They became a team.  The family moved to the Casa Grande area in the late 1960's and lived there until making a permanent move in the late 1970's to the Gila Bend area.  They raised three children, Billie Lou, Bill and Joe.

Polly Getzwiller became interested in politics and was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1962.  She ably served her constituents in Casa Grande and the greater Pinal County area in that capacity until 1976, when she was elected to the Arizona Senate where she served until 1984, for a total of twenty-two years of legislative service.  During her legislative tenure, she served on such vitally important committees as agricultural, appropriations, finance, natural resources and transportation.  She was known and respected for her support of women’s equality and for work in resolving Arizona’s water issues.

In 1990, she again ran for public office as Justice of the Peace in the Gila Bend precinct where she served until retiring in 2001.  Her son, Joe, succeeded her and continues in office today.

Polly Getzwiller earned her pilot's license, and flew her airplane back and forth to the legislature.  She was active in numerous community and civic organizations, including the Arizona Cotton Growers Association, the Pinal County Farm Bureau, the Eloy Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Hoemako Hospital Auxiliary.  Polly Getzwiller gave freely of her time, energy and efforts to better the world around her, and her dedication to public service and to her community earned her the respect and admiration of all who knew her.  Her life story is one of service to her family and to the state.  She presented an example of the strong leadership and commitment of the pioneers of Arizona.

Education

Pilot's License

Employment

Arizona Legislative Service

Sources

Birth:  DOB:  SSDI:  Name: Polly Getzwiller, Born: 8 Mar 1923, POB:  Arizona Legislative Biography sheet (4 Legislative bios show birth 3/8/1924 (sic) in Luna, New Mexico. 1 Legislative bio had 3/8/25 (sic) in "Upper Blue, Arizona."), parents:  W. T. and Grace (Ross) Johnson, based on the 1926 AZ birth record of Polly's sister, Willie Virginia Johnson, her parents were William T. and Grace Mae (Ross) Johnson, in the 1930 federal census of Clifton, Greenlee Co., Arizona showing Grace and Willie V. Johnson, Polly's name was Grace L. Johnson born in New Mexico; Death: obituary:  "Polly Getzwiller."  The Arizona Republic, March 28, 2008, p. B 6; Occupation(s): Arizona Legislative Biography sheet and Legislative death resolution