Levi Morton Tidrick

BELL, GEIGER, HARGER, HUDSON, LANNING, TIDRICK, WHITE

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/14/2004 at 00:22:54

“The History of Madison County, Iowa”
Union Historical Company, Des Moines, 1879
page 553

L. M. Tidrick, Winterset, a physician, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, in 1829. He studied medicine, commencing at an early age, and in 1850 came to Des Moines, and in 1851 to this county, and commenced the practice of his profession. At the present time he is the oldest medical practitioner in Madison county.

He graduated from the St. Louis college of Medicine. He is a member of the Madison County Medical Association, and was one of its chief organizers, and is also a member of the State Medical Society. Dr. Tidrick is a man of acknowledged ability as a physician, and his services as such are recognized by a host of appreciating friends, and his kind and sympathetic nature makes him a welcome visitor in the sick room. His calls have been numerous and remote. He is well known in every township in the county, and the respect shown him is as wide as his acquaintance. He is very kind to the poor, and has ridden hundreds of miles to administer to their necessities without expectation of any compensation. At all seasons of the year, day and night, he has answered the calls, regardless of the pecuniary circumstances of the summoner. Genial, open-hearted and generous, he is at the same time positive in his character, but kind and obliging. He was elected county treasurer in 1855 without solicitation or effort on his part.

He married Miss Martha Bell in 1854, a native of Holmes county, Ohio. They have seven children: Mary F., wife of T. J. Hudson, Addie, Lee B., Charles, Grace, Hoyt and Joseph.
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“A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa”
The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1896

Levi Morton Tidrick, M. D., deceased, was one the most prominent physicians of Madison county. The world applauds a story of heroism, but the record of heroic action is often never given to the world. Our interest and admiration are excited by those who go forth to battle for a cause and justly does the brave soldier deserve the plaudits of his fellow men, but his bravery is often no greater than that of the physician, and the hardships which the latter has to bear are equal to those that fall to the lost of the former. Especially is this true of one who devotes his life to the medical profession in a new country. Often upon cold, dark nights s he called upon to ride many weary miles and then probably spend the long hours before dawn in battle with the dread enemy, death. He is not encouraged and stimulated by the noise of the battle, the call of the bugle and the music of martial strains, as is the soldier; nut often silent and alone he will await the issue which tells whether his science and skill have triumphed over disease. To this band of quiet heroes belonged Dr. Tidrick, who was one of the most honored citizens of Winterset.

The Doctor was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, July 7, 1829, and was a son of Michael and Elsie (Lanning) Tidrick. The former was of German descent and was a farmer by occupation. Our subject attended the common schools and afterward read medicine with Dr. Meredith, of Cambridge, Ohio, and subsequently attended a course of lectures in the Medical College of St. Louis, Missouri, at which he was graduated in the class of 1860. He first came to Iowa in 1850, locating in Des Moines, and in 1851 he came to Madison county, where he entered upon the practice of medicine, forming a partnership with Dr. Gaff, of Winterset.

He soon succeeded in building up an excellent practice, and his superior ability was widely acknowledged, not only by the public, but by his professional brethren as well. He possessed a kindly, sympathetic nature which made him a welcome visitor in the sick room and his cheery presence was like a ray of sunshine. He always answered a call, whether he expected to receive from it a large pecuniary reward or none at all. If his fellow man was suffering and he could afford relief, the question of gain was not one to be considered. In the early days of the county when settlements were widely scattered, he has driven many miles over desolate prairies, through the cold and rain, and his generosity, his kindness and his obliging spirit won him the love of all.

He was a close student of his profession and his superior skill won him the confidence of the community. He was a member and one of the organizers of the Madison County Medical Society and also belonged to the State Medical Society.

In 1855 Dr. Tidrick was elected Treasurer of Madison county, was officially connected with the schools and was honored with other public trusts, whose duties he always faithfully performed. He was deeply interested in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and withheld his support from no enterprise that was calculated to prove of public benefit. He took considerable interest in civic societies, was a member of Eastern Star Lodge of the Masonic fraternity, and was also a Royal Arch Mason. His political support was given to the Democracy.

In 1853 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Bell, the third daughter of Robert F. And Eleanor (Harger) Bell, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, while their daughter was born in Holmes county, Ohio. To the doctor and his wife were born ten children – Addie, now the wife of Oliver M. White, of Patterson, Iowa; Lee B. of Winterset; Charles D. who resides in South Dakota; Grace M., wife of E. W. Geiger, of Ottawa, Kansas; Hoyt H., who is living in South Dakota; Joseph E., an attorney at law, of Winterset; Mary F., deceased wife of T. J. Hudson; and three who died in infancy. The family is one of prominence in the community. They were called upon to mourn the loss of the husband and father in April, 1895. The previous winter he went to Florida for the benefit of his health and there passed away. All who knew him mourned his loss, and in his death Winterset lost one of her most valued and honored citizens.