Chuck Grassley

Beth, a trusty tan Hoover vacuum cleaner with a burgundy cloth dust bag that for years tended to the floors of the Iowa farmhouse of Senator Chuck Grassley, earning admirers in both parties, has died. She was believed to be 49.

The cause was apparently an electrical problem, said Mr. Grassley, a Republican who often admiringly posted images of his cleaning companion on social media around Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and family reunions.

“U willl see Beth no more,” Mr. Grassley, 92 and the oldest senator, wrote on social media on Saturday, attaching an image that showed Beth’s electrical cord connector scarred by sparks. “See black that’s from electrical sparks. It’s not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH.”

He declared it a “sad day at Grassley household” and recalled that Beth had worked “dependably” for 34 years at his home, and for 15 years before that at his mother-in-law’s house. He wrote of Beth, “U hv been a real workhorse,” adding, “I will miss u.”

Year after year, around the holidays and during other occasions when cleaning was in order, Mr. Grassley would fire up Beth. The vacuum, he said, allowed him to make a contribution to the festivities as others in the family prepared food.

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