Null, Frederick F. Dr. 1878-1953 & Edith Empey Family

NULL, EMPEY, FREDRICHS, EMBURY

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/9/2023 at 06:40:24

Null, Frederick Folkert Dr. 1878-1953 & Edith L. Empey Family

This story was taken from page 441 of the Ireton Centennial Book (1882-1982). Author unknown. The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added. Toward the end of this narrative is an obituary of Dr. Null which is basically a biography of his life.

Dr. F.F. Null was a physician and surgeon and practiced medicine in Ireton from 1911 to 1923. Prior to this he had practiced in Struble and Craig. He was born Feb. 25, 1878 at LeMars to William Richard and Etta (Frerichs) Null and raised on a farm north of LeMars.

After attending country school, he graduated from Morningside Academy in 1903, Sioux City Medical College in 1907, Illinois Post Graduate School of Medicine, Chicago, Il., and Poly Clinic of Surgery, New York City.

Dr. and Edith L. Empey were married Sept.7, 1904 in Sioux City. Edith graduated from Sioux City High School, Morningside College Musical Dept., and attended American Conservatory, Chicago, for post graduate work.

The family moved to Hawarden in 1923 and Dr. Null was connected with the hospital there. Many people in the area owe their safe arrival on this earth to Dr. F.F. Null.

Dr. Null and Edith’s children are: Hobart, Raymond, Wilson, and Lois (Mrs. Raymond Gregory). Dr. Null passed away in the 1950’s.

RESEARCH NOTES: Added by Wilma J. Vande Berg Family record taken from ancestry.com public member trees submitted by others. Obituaries from this page. www.iagenweb.org/sioux.

Fredrick Folkert Null born 25 Feb 1878 LeMars IA died 13 Oct 1953 Hawarden IA. He was the son of Wilhelm Rieken Null 1950-1925 and Etta Catharina Fredrichs 1857-1930. He married Edith Louella Empey 1880-1950 on 7 Sep 1904 Sioux City IA.

Edith Louella Empey was born 24 may 1880 Napanee, Ontario CAN died May 1950 Hawarden IA Her parents were John Flecher Empey 1846-1990 and Clarissa Ann Embury 1853-1921. They had the following children:

1. Lois Clarissa Nell 12 Aug 1905 Battle Creek IA and died 31 Jan 1988 Houston TX, husband Raymonf Leslie Gregory 1901-1988, Three children listed only one named as Charles H. Gregory II 1931-1997.

2. Hobert Ellsworth Null born 26 Apr 1907 Struble IA died 14 Feb 1956 Crow Wing MN Wife was Nancy Graham 1910.

3. Raymond Sealy Null 24 Aug 1909 Struble IA died Jun 14, 1986 Franklin Park, IL Wife was Alta Gertrude Esser 1910-1991, They had three children one named Robert Embury Null 1936-1999

4. Frederick Wilson Null born 24 Mar 1917 Ireton IA died 15 Apr 1993 Carson City NV Wife was Doris Caroline Barto 1921-2014 They had four children listed as private.

OBITUARY OF FREDERICK FOLKERT NULL
Null, Fredrick Folkert. Dr. born 1878 died Oct 1953
Hawarden Independent of October 22, 1953
Dr. F. F. Null of Hawarden Dies at age 75.
Dr. F. F. Null a physician and surgeon in Hawarden the past 30 years and in northwest Iowa for nearly half a century, died last Thursday at the Hawarden Hospital at the age of 75.
Dr. Null spent much of the past summer at his cottage at Lake Ponto MN, which had been his summer vacation home for many years. Fishing was his hobby.
He came to Hawarden in 1923 from Ireton after a partnership had been formed between him and Dr. A. J. Meyer. In 1930 this partnership was dissolved and Dr. Raymond Gregory, his son in law, came here and practiced for three years. In 1948 Dr. Null entered into a partnership with Dr. D. K. Haggar and later Dr. E. M. Eneboe became a member of the firm, Dr. Null had not been active fore the past year. Many Experiences In a reminiscent mood several weeks before his death, Dr. Null recalled dozens of incidents, many of them humorous and some of them sad, in which he participated.
Because he did not keep a record, the number of babies delivered by Dr. Null will never be known except that it is a large number. In recent years, it was possible that when he delivered a baby he also had been the doctor at the birth of both the child’s mother and grandmother. Dr. Null began his long career as a "family doctor" at Sloan, Iowa, in 1907. First Delivery It was at Sloan -when he was 29 years old that he delivered the first of many hundreds of babies and it was that delivery which probably was performed under the most difficult circumstances. That first baby was born in an unheated box car on a railroad siding at Sloan in the winter of 1907. Problems of cleanliness, the lack of hot water and the necessity of building a fire and improvising other necessities made that first experience with babies memorable for Dr. Null.
The doctor, whose experience covered a historic period of medical improvements and developments, spent nearly all of this spare time in the early part of his career studying text books to increase his knowledge of medicine.
College Instructor At one time he accepted the instructorship of a class of students at the Sioux City College of Medicine in order to further increase his knowledge in a particular field. Dr. Null spent two years at Sloan and then moved to Struble for two more years, 1909 and 1910, before he established another extensive "horse and buggy’ practice at Ireton.
It was at Ireton where he experienced one of the most grueling tests of stamina in all of his medical practice during the disastrous influenza epidemic when he carried on for as many as seven days without sleep except for an occasional nap while someone else drove him to the home of his next case. More Difficult Years Dr. Null was considerably older when, like many other physicians throughout the country, he was called upon to help maintain the health of people at home while other physicians were serving with the armed services. That, too, was a long and difficult period and many of his friends believed that it considerably shortened the length of his life.
The advent of ‘miracle drugs’ and other medical advancements in recent years were seen and appreciated during his-active practicing of medicine by a physician who also had advanced in his own field from horse and buggy days to powerful automobiles and jet airplanes. Helped Establish Hospital Before the Hawarden hospital was built Dr. Null and 'his partners operated a private-hospital. He was active t in the establishment, of the local Hawarden Community hospital.
A son of William and Etta Null, pioneers of Plymouth county, Frederick F. 'Null was born February 25, 1878, at Le Mars. He graduated from Morningside Academy in 1003 and from the Sioux City Medical college in 1907. He was a post graduate of the Illinois School of Medicine of Chicago and of Polyclinic of Surgery of New York City. Married in 1901 He married Miss Edith Empey of Sioux City September 4, 1904. To this union were born, four children, a daughter and three sons. Mrs. Null preceded him in death four years.
He is survived by his four children. Dr. Null took a keen interest in the political affairs of Hawarden. He was a past member of the city council. He was a staunch democrat throughout his life. He was a member of the Sioux Valley, Northwest Iowa and Iowa Medical societies and American Medical association. He was a member of the Hawarden Cham her of Commerce, Rotary club Hawarden Golf club, Fraternal Order 'of Eagles, Eastern Star Dale Lodge, A. f. and A. M., Scottish rite No. 5, 32nd degree and the Associated church.
Survivors are one daughter, Mrs. Raymond Gregory of Galveston, Tex.; three sons, Hobert of Backus, Minn., Raymond of Chicago and Capt. Wilson Null of Scott Field, IL.; four sisters, Mrs. Etta Albert of Le Mars, who spent the past three years helping care for Dr. Null, Mrs. Katherine Champion of Mapleton, Iowa, Mrs. Margaret Bauer of Brunswick NE, and Mrs. Lilliam Faulkner of Akron; two brothers, Albert and George Null both of Le Mars, and Nine grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at the Associated Church with Rev. John C. Thorns officiating. Hal Shoemaker, with Mrs. Shoemaker .as accompanist, sang "The Lord's Prayer." Burial was in Grace Hill cemetery under the direction of the Barnard Funeral Home. His four children and Dr. Raymond Gregory and Mrs. Hobert Null and his six sisters and brothers attended the services. Hawarden medical men attended the funeral in a body. Persons who were not able to get into the main part of the church heard the service over an amplifying system in the church basement.

OBITUARY OF EDITH NULL
Null, Edith L. nee’ Empey born 1880 died 1950, mother, buried Grace Hill Cemetery Hawarden IA
Hawarden Independent May 25, 1950
Mrs. F. F. Null Dies At Hospital In Hawarden
Funeral Services to Be Held Friday for Wife of Prominent Physician
Mrs. P. F. Null, 67, a resident of Hawarden 27 years, died early Tuesday morning at the Hawarden hospital. Mrs. Null had suffered from a heart ailment for some time and since last January her condition had been serious. She was in the hospital the, first of the year and later returned home. Her last hospitalization was for three weeks. Dr. Null and E. T. Dunlap went to Lake Ponto, Minn., Saturday on a fishing trip. When word reached Dr. Null of the death, of his wife, Mrs. Hobart Null accompanied him and Mr. Dunlap to Hawarden.
Services Friday Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon at the Associated church, with Rev. T. A. Mansen in charge. Interment will be in Grace Hill cemetery under the direction of the Barnard Funeral service. Mrs. Null was a prominent leader in church, fraternal and social circles. She was a past worthy matron of the Order of Eastern Star, and a member of the P. E. 0., Mutual Improvement club, Rebekah lodge, Royal Neighbors, and Woman's club. The past year she served as P. E. 0. president. She was also a past president of the M. I, C. and the Woman's club. At one time she was a member of the Iowa Board of Federated Women's clubs. When Hawarden had a Parent-Teacher association, she was one of the leaders.
Earlier in her life, when she lived in Ireton, she was active in the Women's Relief Corps. Active in Church Phillip Embray, an ancestor, was the founder of the" John Street Methodist chapel in New York City and she was reared in this faith. After coming to Hawarden she transferred her membership from the
Presbyterian Church in Ireton to the Associated Church. At various times she served as organist here and while at Ireton was choir director. She was a member of the Ladies Aid and Entre Nous club in the Associated Church.
Edith Louella Empey, daughter of John and Clara Empey, was born at Napanee, Canada. She came to Woodbury county, Iowa with her parents when 7 and attended school at Battle Creek. After the death of her father, who was a Civil War veteran, the family moved to Sioux City and she attended Morningside college. She was a graduate of the Morningside Conservatory of Music and she also studied in the Conservatory of Music at Northwestern University in Chicago. Married in 1904.
On September 7, 1904, she married Frederick F. Null, while he was still a student at the Sioux City medical school. After her husband completed his medical schooling they moved to Sloan where Dr. Null practiced about six months. In 1908 they moved to Struble and in 1910 to Ireton where they lived 13 years. They came to Hawarden in 1923.
She is survived by the widower, Dr. Null; one daughter, Mrs. Raymond Gregory of Galveston, Texas; three sons, Hobart of Backus, Minn., and Frederick, Jr, and Raymond of Franklin Park, IL; one brother, Bruce Empey of Junction City, Ore., and 8 grandchildren.