Grover F. Kipsey, who served in the State Assembly and was Somerset County Counsel from 1930 to 1956, was born in the Mount Horeb section of Warren Township in 1886. Kipsey, who died in 1961 at the age of 75, was a lawyer in Bound Brook and Somerville for many years. He lived his adult life in North Plainfield. In 1929, when he was campaigning for the Republican nomination for State Senator, he penned a brief autobiography: "I was born on a farm at Stony Hill, Warren Township, near Liberty Corner in our county. My father was William H. Kipsey whose early life was spent in the stone quarries at Martinsville and who later gathered calves, poultry and eggs from the farmers throughout the northern part of our county and in conjunction therewith served a retail meat market throughout Bernards and Warren townships, leaving the running of the farm to his growing sons. "After a life of toil he left a small estate to his widow, to his children, a strong Christian example. My aged mother still lives, an old-fashioned mother, patient and devout – what greater blessing? "After completing the work of the grammar school in Warren Township and the North Plainfield High School, I was able to pass the examination for a teacher’s license. Warren Township gave me my first opportunity, teaching its one room school at South Stirling at $40 per month and the teacher doing his own janitor work. From there to the principalship of the Fords School, the supervising principalship of the Warren Township Schools, to Dickinson College and to the New Jersey Law School my course led. While working my way along necessity obliged me to take the job nearest at hand which was at times day-worker on a farm, counter man in a lunch wagon, factory hand, or teacher and principal of schools, working by day and attending law school at night. "After being admitted to the Bar I opened my law offices (consisting of one room) in the First National Bank Building at Bound Brook and the good folk of that town gave their patronage which helped me through the starvation period of a lawyer’s beginning in practice." Admitted to the Bar in 1917, Kipsey became involved in County Republican politics. In 1920 and again in 1922 he sought the GOP’s Assembly nomination but failed. Successful in 1924, he served a term in the State Assembly. In l929 he sought the Republican nomination for State Senator but was defeated by Bernards Township millionaire, Dryden Kuser, by a margin of 6,000 votes. "A very proper, straight-laced person," according to his daughter, Kipsey remained active in GOP politics until his death. In 1930 he became Somerset County Counsel, a position he held for the next 26 years. He also served as police court judge in North Plainfield, attorney for South Bound Brook, and assistant attorney general for the State of New Jersey during the acquisition of land for what would become Rt. 22. He was also president of the Good Government Club of Somerset County, originally named the Kipsey Club in his honor. Kipsey was a past president of the Somerset County Bar Association. A 55-year member of the Jerusalem Lodge No. 26, F&AM, member of the Plainfield BPO Elks and Independent Order of Foresters, Kipsey succumbed to heart problems and was interred in the Mt. Horeb Methodist Cemetery. Although he lived in North Plainfield, Kipsey regarded Warren as his hometown. He attended the Mt. Horeb Methodist Church. [Somerset Democrat, 6/7/1929; interview with daughter, Jane Doyle, August 1999] |