Dr. Philip L. Bettler 1909- 1988

BETTLER ALLISON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/27/2014 at 18:40:41

Dr. Philip L. Bettler, 78, 3660 Country Club Blvd., retired longtime Sioux City surgeon, died Sunday in a Sioux City hospital after a short illness.

A Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Nelson-Berger Northside Chapel. There will be no visitation at the funeral home. The body was cremated and the ashes will be buried at a later date.

Dr. Bettler was born Feb. 12, 1909, at Beatrice, Neb., and was raised at Wapello, Iowa. He received a B.S. and M.D. Degree from the University of Iowa. On June 18, 1931, he married Ruth Allison at Oak Park, Ill. He completed his residency in General Surgery at Iowa University Hospital in 1935. The couple then came to Sioux City where he maintained a practice in general surgery and consultation until his retirement in 1981.

Dr. Bettler was a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, Iowa State Medical Society, Iowa Clinical Surgical Society and a life member of the Woodbury County Medical Society.

He had been an avid river boat enthusiast since 1948 and was a member of the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Riverman and a charter member of the American Sternwheel Association. He was one of the founders of the National Rivers Hall of Fame.

Dr. Bettler served in the Army Medical Corps during World War II as assistant chief of surgery of the 147th General Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii and was awarded the Bronze Star for service as chief of surgery of the Station Hospital on Leyte and Mindoro during the invasion of the Philippine Islands.

Survivors include his wife.

A memorial has been established in Dr. Bettler's name with St. Luke's Coronary Care Unit.