Erwin, William

ERWIN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 00:00:28

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.791

WILLIAM ERWIN, M. D.
Dr. William Erwin, deceased, who practiced as a physician and surgeon in Indianola for many years, was born in Hopkinsville, Ohio, December 11, 1838, his parents being Benjamin and Martha Finley (Cooke) Erwin, the former a native of Nicholas County, Kentucky, and the latter of Pennsyl­vania. The Erwin ancestors emigrated to America from the north of Ireland in 1710. Benjamin Erwin was born in 1805 and began practice as a phy­sician and surgeon in his twenty-fourth year. Removing to Hopkinsville, Ohio, and later to Twentymile Stand, he there followed his profession until the time of his demise, which occurred in 1862 when he had attained the age of sixty-two years. His wife survived him until 1870, when she, too, was called to her final rest. Only one of their children still survives, namely: Mrs. Margaret Huffman, the wife of G. T. Huffman, of Indianola.
As a young man William Erwin taught school for several years, both prior to and after the Civil War. On the 1st of June 1862, he enlisted for three months' service in the Eighty-sixth Ohio Infantry, going with his com­pany to West Virginia and being discharged at Camp Delaware, Ohio, on the 24th of September, 1862. On the 1st of October, 1862, he enlisted at Camp Denison, Ohio, as hospital nurse and served in that capacity for six months. Returning home, he was made orderly sergeant of militia during Morgan's raid in 1863. On the 19th of February, 1864, he enlisted in Com­pany K, First Ohio Cavalry, and was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, being there made clerk at headquarters and assisting in discharging soldiers after the order was given to reduce the army. He was honorably discharged July 7, 1865, and returned home with a most creditable military record.
Learning the printer's trade in Illinois he came to Indianola, Iowa, in February 1870, and followed his trade here. He spent the year 1876 in Knoxville, Marion County, writing a set of abstract books for that county. During his residence in Indianola he served the public in various capacities, acting as deputy treasurer for several years and as a member of the library committee from the time of its organization, being almost continuously chairman of the pur­chasing committee. He was likewise a member of the school board for seven years and acted as city clerk from April 1900, until the time of his demise, while for many years he was alderman of his ward. While in the treasurer's office he studied medicine, attending the winter sessions at the State University at Iowa City and being graduated from the homeopathic department in 1882. During the succeeding twenty years, or until the time of his demise, he suc­cessfully engaged in practice in Indianola, his skill and ability as a physician and surgeon being widely recognized and bringing to him a liberal and profit­able patronage. He passed away at the age of sixty-three years, on the 26th of February 1902, and his demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret throughout the entire community.
On the 2d of April, 1874, occurred the marriage of William Erwin and Miss Anne Cooke, of Indianola, a daughter of William Harrison and Eleanor M. (Vliet) Cooke. William H. Cooke was descended from Francis Cooke, who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620. He was a native of Warren county, New Jersey, and was there married to Miss Eleanor M. Vliet, who was also born in that county. He followed agricultural pursuits as a life occu­pation and passed away in 1856, when forty-one years of age. Having re­moved to the Buckeye state from New Jersey, Mrs. Cooke and her five chil­dren came to Warren County, Iowa, in 1868, her son having purchased a farm near Norwalk, where they resided for several years, later removing to Indianola. Mrs. Cooke was called to her final rest in 1898, having attained the seventy-fifth year of her age. The record of her five children is as fol­lows: Theodore is engaged in farming in the state of Washington, Emma and Edna Cooke are residents of Indianola. Elizabeth is the wife of Dr. Martin, the author of this work, and for several years was prominent as a school teacher. She was the first school superintendent of her sex in the state of Iowa, a special session of the legislature sitting to permit her to run for that office. Anne is the widow of Dr. William Erwin, of this review, and is an artist, her paintings receiving merited praise from competent judges.
Unto Dr. and Mrs. William Erwin were born four children, all of whom are highly educated and talented. Richard Patton is a graduate in music of Simpson College and for two years pursued his musical studies in Europe. He is now professor of piano and pipe organ at Boise, Idaho. Edmund Paul, who represents the third successive generation of the family as physician, is a graduate of the class of 1908 of the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, and is now located at Allerton, Iowa, having been ad­mitted to practice in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. He was married July 29, 1908, to Dr. Minnie Olive Bowersox, of Bellville, Kansas, who was a member of his class. Ruth Edna was graduated from the training school for teachers of public school of music of Chicago. She is now supervisor of music in the public schools at Hiawatha, Kansas. Hubert Cooke Erwin, a cello musi­cian, is a member of the class of 1910 in the osteopathic school at Kirksville, Missouri.
Dr. Erwin gave his political allegiance to the Republican Party where national questions and issues were involved and cast his first ballot for John C. Fremont. He was a charter member of the Ancient Order of United Work­men, of which he served as medical examiner for twenty-eight years, and like­wise held all the offices in the lodge. He was also connected with the Masonic fraternity, having been a member of the Indianola blue lodge and chapter since 1873, while of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows he was a promi­nent representative, serving as noble grand, past noble grand and district deputy grand delegate to several sessions of the grand lodge. He was a genial, courteous gentleman and his demise was not only deeply mourned by the members of his immediate family but also by the host of friends whom he had made in professional and social life.