Hultman remembered as ‘good friend’

Montgomery County said goodbye to a Stanton native and Iowa political figure late last month.

Cal Hultman, who grew up in Stanton and served as a member of the Iowa State Senate for 18 years, passed away Oct. 19. He was 76. During his term at the statehouse, he spent most of his tenure as the Iowa Senate Majority/Minority Leader. Following his retirement from the Senate, he started a political consulting firm, Hultman Company, and served as a lobbyist.

Stanton resident Harriet Olson was in Hultman’s class from first grade through senior year, and said they were a tight-knit class.

“We were a small class. I think we graduated about 15 from our class. We were good school friends and stayed in touch frequently,” Olson said.

Olson remembered Hultman as a good student who always added spark to the class.

“His father was in the legislature at the time we were going to school together. His mother would come every year and take movies of us on the last day of school heading out for summer vacation. He usually spent his summers in Wyoming. He loved being out west and working with ranchers,” said Olson.

Additionally, Olson said Hultman was a good athlete, and during their senior year, they had excellent basketball teams.

“Our senior year, both our girls and boys won the county tournament. He played football, baseball, and basketball. Cal was always a happy person, and always interested in politics. I’m sure a lot of that was because of his father,” commented Olson.

Hultman later graduated from Iowa State and moved to Washington, D.C., and then came back and ran for the state legislature.

“One thing I think is kind of interesting is that in our eighth- grade class prophecy, we had him pegged as becoming Iowa governor. Instead, he became the Iowa State Senate Majority and Minority leader for 14 of the 18 years he was in office.”

Olson said there are a number of things she will miss now that Hultman is gone.

“He had a beaming smile, and I will miss his positive attitude for Stanton and our area. He was always a really good friend,” Olson advised.

Olson said she believes Hultman’s loyalty is one of the things he’ll be most remembered for.

“He was a big believer in giving people second chances. He had a heart for those who battled alcohol problems, because he’d dealt with that himself, and I know he was really fond of his family. They were very important to him.”

During his tenure as a legislator, Olson said she’d heard he worked with everyone, whether in leadership or not.

“He had a way of bringing different sides together, and he was a good negotiator. Joni Ernst would have coffee with him when she was at the statehouse and he was working as a lobbyist,” advised Olson.

Olson said she believes the loss of Hultman is being felt beyond Stanton, and across southwest Iowa.

“Stanton and southwest Iowa have lost a good friend, and a good advocate for our area. He hasn’t been lobbying for the past two years, but he did up until then. He was always looking for ways to help people, and I think he chose the right way to do it.”

Margaret Stoldorf, Chair of the Montgomery County Republicans, said she was saddened to hear of Hultman’s passing.

“He was a great asset to us with the Senate in Des Moines. He was always a gracious person and willing to talk to his constituents. He was a great person, and I’m glad we could call him part of our home,” said Stoldorf.