Brownson, Dr. Jason D. 1868-1929

BROWNSON, BUCKMAN, PENMAN

Posted By: researcher
Date: 9/16/2011 at 09:24:17

Dr. J. D. Brownson

1868-1929

Dr. Jason Daniel Brownson, perhaps the most widely known citizen of Monona,
passed out of this life on April 23, 1929 at the Monona Hospital. He was
the son of Freeman and Lana Brownson, and was born on the old Brownson farm
near National November 19, 1868. His mother died when he was a very young
child leaving him to be mothered by his grandmother who with the grandfather
made their home with the family. Later his father remarried. Of this
union three children survive, Mrs. Lois Buckman of Farmersburg, Herbert C.
who lives south of Monona and Lloyd who lives on the old home farm. To
these brothers and sister Doctor has not only been a brother but taken the
place of a father since their father's death. Their children have been to
him a source of joy.

Doctor graduated from a five year course of study in Cornell College, Mt.
Vernon, Iowa in 1892. While there he met Miss Minnie Penman to whom he was
united in marriage on Sept 4, 1895 At Rock Rapids, Iowa. They made their
home the first year in Chicago while Doctor finished his medical Course in
Northwestern University Medical College from which he was graduated in 1896.
In a class of nearly ninety graduates he ranked fifth in scholarship thru
four years of study. He was immediately appointed interne in DeLee's
Lying-In Hospital on the north side of Chicago. Here he received the
training that has enabled him to meet with such success in his maternity
practice. In 1900 they moved to Monona, having bought Dr. Brown's practice,
since which time the Doctor has been one of the most active citizens of the
vicinity.

For some time there has been a feeling that the Doctor's health was not what
it should be, but his professional duties seem to never permit his giving
attention to his own health until he was stricken down less than two weeks
ago. From that moment until the last everything thinkable was done for his
recovery, and the entire community hoped and prayed that his life might be
spared. The best medical and surgical skill was furnished and all that
loving hands could do was lavished upon his weakened body. But he could not
rally from the severe shock of the affliction and quietly slipped away in a
peaceful sleep. He is survived by his wife, two brothers and a sister,
nephews and nieces, and other relatives besides a numberless host of
mourning friends.

His influence has been felt in every breach of community life. He was
elected Mayer of Monona in 1904, only a few years after the incorporation
of the town. It was during his administration the town began to build up
and improve under stimulus of incorporation. Twice he served on the Monona
School Board, the last time covering the years 1920-1923. He was president
of the Board during the last two years. It was under his administration
that a movement for a new school property was launched. He was a strong
supporter of Agricultural Education an d the High School system, and had an
important part in establishing agricultural instruction in the Monona
school. For ten years he was a very active member of the Volunteer Fire
Company and never missed a fire call when within reach. He was
enthusiastic about men's organizations and the necessity of organization in
a progressive town. He was chairman of the committee on Aesthetic
Improvement the first year the present Commercial Club was in existence and
as part of the activity launched the Northern Clayton County Garden Club.
He was vice-president of the Monona Commercial Club at the time of his
death. The effort to beautify the town and vicinity, and to stimulate
greater interest in more beautiful homes was almost a passion with him. He
was president of the Northern Clayton County Garden Club from the beginning
to the time of his death. One of his greatest delights was to distribute
seeds and plants of shrubs and flowers . He was deeply in love with bird
and tree life, and was always concerned about the protection of both trees
and birds. he had plans developed for the establishment of a bird preserve
on his home property. He was also a member of the Clayton County Fair
Association and an untiring worker in its promotion. Every year he would go
out into the country and gather up exhibits of fruits , flowers, and
vegetables and enter them in the name of the grower. Many of these exhibits
took prizes because Doctor was well informed on quality in all of these
lines. He inherited the Brownson trait of interest and love for all that
would be produced on the farm. It was his father who introduced the first
imported Percheron horses into northeaster Iowa and who was among the first
to foster the raising of pure bred swine. There was nothing which promised
improvement and in living conditions and prosperity which failed to arouse
his enthusiasm.

His social inclination no doubt accounts for his far reaching and wide
circle of friends. He was recognized as a friend everywhere he went. His
education and progressive spirit made him a delightful man with whom to have
a conversation. He was a member of the several bodies of the Masonic Order;
Clayton Lodge No.70 A. F. & A. M., Monona, Iowa; the DeMolay Consistory of
Clinton, Iowa; El Kahir Temple of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the Grotto of
Dubuque, Iowa, the Order of the Eastern Star of Monona and the M. W. A. of
Monona, Iowa. He was the Past Master of the Clayton Lodge No. 70, and Past
Worthy Patron of the Monona Chapter of the Eastern Star, He was raised
under the influence of the Methodist Church and always maintained a warm
interest and generous support of the churches of his community.

It was thru his professional contact with the community that he has won an
abiding place in the hearts of the people. No case was ever too trifling to
give attention to, and he was never too tired to look after the serious
cases.

Many a time he has gotten up from his bed to make a call and feel confident
that the patient was resting as well as possible. He served as the city
Health Officer at different times and was so serving at the time of his
death. He was active in the county Medical Association when the society was
flourishing. He established in recent months the Monona Hospital and
equipped it for a thorough surgical practice. Besides his hospital he
helped Dr. Clark some years ago establish the McGregor Hospital and was the
last Consulting Physician. He was often called upon to assist in
neighboring hospitals, and had a wide practice far out from Monona. The
outstanding characteristic of his professional life was his freshness of
mind in medical matters. He kept himself abreast of the science and art
which he so honorably represented.

This life sketch could not be fully written without notice of his Patriotic
service to his country and his patriotic service at all times. At the
outbreak of the World War he was attending a medical meeting in Chicago when
he heard his country's call, and enlisted on June 20th, 1918. He was called
to duty on August 15 and left very soon for Camp Greenleaf, Chattanooga,
Tennessee. The commanding officer assigned his as head of a company of
nearly 300 boys, and they received orders on October 27th to embark for
overseas. In this company were five physicians whom the Doctor had
authority to appoint. The sea voyage was made on a small boat, which became
lost form its convoy in a severe storm. For hours they had no hope of ever
again sighting land, but managed to weather the raging sea, and landed in
England just as the Armistice was signed. After a pause on British soil
they were assigned to Base Hospital No. 53 located at Longres, France, under
the direction of Lieut. Lee Hart of the Medical Corp of the U. S. Army.
Here Captain Brownson was assigned to the Sanitary Division of the Base
Hospital and made a member of its Medical Staff. His company had much to do
in road and water supply improvement besides duty in the hospital.
Eventually his time came to return home, and about eleven months after
embarking for France he arrived in New York city and was mustered out of
service. Had he remained in the service one week longer he would have been
a Major for the commanding Officer had appointed him to that rank some time
before, and the commission arrived soon after his enlisted service ended.
Each Christmas time has brought him large numbers of greetings from enlisted
boys, nurses, doctors, and Army officers with whom he came in contact during
his service. Col. Hart, the commanding officer has never failed to send the
doctor his personal greetings at Christmas season, and often has written
long letters. Such was the high esteem in which he was held by his comrades
over seas. Soon after his return home he launched the proposal to organize
a local unit of the American Legion and was its first commander. His
interest in the Legion movement has not wavered in all these years.

So extensive has been his range of interest that it is hard to draw this
sketch of his life to a close. His service ableness to the community was
because of his several strong qualities of personality. He was fearless in
his support of anything he believed was for the betterment of the community,
and gladly sacrificed anything personal for the sake of the ideal. He was
dominated by a high idealism, that the best was none too good for the
community. He would not take hold of a proposal unless he saw that there
was liberty to do it the best that was possible. Half-way measures and
doing things in a half-way manner or in a half-way spirit made no appeal to
him. He was never too tired to give thought and time and energy to
community welfare. In his professional practice he was generous almost to a
fault, and knew no distinction between the poor and the rich. The principle
of Development and Improvement was his compelling motive of action. He had
carried all these ideals into his plans for his own home. Only a few days
before he was taken ill he called the writer into the office and showed him
a landscape plan embracing his entire town home property , which he had just
received from a landscape artist. He expressed his purpose of carrying the
plan into effect this summer and just as soon as sickness slackened so that
he could have a little time at home. During his illness it was his plan to
rest this summer and carry them out next year. When he realized that he
would be unable to practice this summer he then planned how he would spend
his time resting about the home and watching the birds and flowers. They as
he realized that he was not going to be able "to make the grade" he
contemplated the Mansion above and told his family that it would not be long
until he should go to it. Several times during the last day he reassured
the loved ones about him that " It is all right, " "It is all right."

_________________

Extracted from THE MONONA LEADER, MONONA, IOWA April 25, 1929

Page 1 Left Hand columns

No byline but I can only assume it is the editor of the paper.

I tried to keep the same syntax as the original article in the newspaper.