Null, Fredrick Falhert Dr. 1878-1953

NULL, EMEPY

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:37

Null, Fredrick Falhert. 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. Hu 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.