Dr. William Hugh Thompson (1940)
COOPER, CRAWFORD, FRENCH, THOMPSON
Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 7/3/2007 at 10:25:15
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 22, 1940DR. W. H. THOMPSON DIED LAST THURSDAY AFTER LONG ILLNESS
HAD PRACTICED MEDICINE MOR THAN HALF CENTURY
Veteran Physician Succumbs at Home Here at Age of 83 Years
A highly useful and honored life ended at the age of 83 years last Thursday in the death of Dr. William H. Thompson, who succumbed at his home on West Court avenue in Winterset after a prolonged illness of 10 months.
One of 10 children, Dr. Thompson was the son of James and Sarah Cooper Thompson, and was born 10 miles east of Pittsburg, Pa., on March 28, 1857. He was educated in the public schools of Allegheny county, in the Pennsylvania State Normal in Allegheny City, and in the Jefferson Medical college of Philadelphia. He taught school before taking up the study of medicine, and was graduated in medicine and surgery in March, 1884.
He practiced for three years at Braddock, Pa., 11 years at Monroe, Iowa, and came to Winterset in 1897, practicing medicine a total of 56 years. He was an able, thorough and trusted physician, highly esteemed for both his character and abilities. He celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his beginning the practice of medicine in 1934.
In 1884 he was married to Miss Emily Crawford. They were the parents of two children, William Wallace, who died in 1906, and Helen Louise, who is now a teacher in-----. His wife died in August of 1890. He was again married on Oct. 24, 1893, to Miss Gertrude French of Monroe. They were the parents of one son, Russell, who graduated from Grinnell college in 1917, served with the Y.M.C.A. World war service, and taught a year at Kingisher college in Kingfisher, Okla. When about to complete his medical course at Boulder, Col., and practice with his father, the young man fell ill and died on Jan. 19, 1925, at the age of 28 years.
Dr. Thompson was the last to die of his family. His last remaining brother succumbed 11 months ago. He is survived by his wife and daughter, Helen.
Over the long period of years in which Dr. Thompson practiced in Winterset, he maintained an influential position in the civic and spiritual affairs of the community. He served 20 years as a member of the Madison County Sanity commission. He was an early trustee of the old Chautauqua, and was one of those who helped to erect the Chautauqua pavillion here. He took a deep interest in all public concerns.
From boyhood a member of the United Presbyterian church, he was an elder of that church for 25 years. Since 1919 he had worshipped as a member of the Presbyterian church of Winterset.
Funeral services were conducted by his pastor, the Rev. W. P. Fink, Sunday at the Presbyterian church. H. V. Huntoon sang Psalm 23 to the old tune "Evan". Dr. Frank Ely, an old friend, sopke words of appreciation of a brother physician. The Rev. W. C. Porter, pastor of the First United Presbyterian church of Waterloo, a family friend, delivered the funeral sermon.
Burial was made beside his son, Russell, in the Winterset cemetery. Pallbearers were John Sawyer, Phil R. Wilkinson, Judge W. S. Cooper, Melvin Johnson, Vern Ritter and Fred Kuntz. Attendants of honor were the Doctors D. J. Glomset, Frank Ely, W. E. Baker, E. J. Harnagel, R. F. Throckmorton, E. J. Kelly and W. R. Hornaday of Des Moines, together with the members of the Madison County Medical association who attended in a body, lead by their president, Dr. Glenn J. Anderson.
________________________Coordinator's note: Middle name taken from his Iowa Death Certificate.
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Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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