Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Dr. James Stewart Gaumer

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Wednesday, July 22, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

DR. J. S. GAUMER

Dr. J. S. Gaumer, second oldest physician in Fairfield in point of service, is a product of Hardscrabble, Parsons college and Rush Medical college. He passed from one to the other in natural sequence, and because he held a diploma from Parsons, he was allowed to take the four-year course at Rush in three years.

While he worked industriously during vacations, he was able through the sacrifices made by his parents, to devote his college days to study. His vacation pasttime was working with a threshing crew, cutting corn and other like farm tasks, and some of the older farmers hereabouts, can remember his agricultural activities.

When he was graduated from Rush in 1900, he bought out a doctor's practice in Danville, Iowa, and, with a horse loaned him by his father, and a cart which he had contrived to buy himself, he started out as a doctor. The germ theory of disease was well established by that time, but the auto had not arrived, so he traveled weary miles to reach his patients, much of the time by night, for in those days it was quite fashion to wait until nightfall to summon medical aid. Snow and storm and flood--all were in the routine. Typhoid and the intestinal diseases of children were the leading ailments.

For more than four years Dr. Gaumer practiced in Danville. Then he moved to Fairfield, That was in 1906. Now he is driving his tenth automobile--five Fords, three Chevrolets and two Overlands.

Dr. Gaumer was born in Victor, Iowa, September 13, 1872. His father was S. G. Gaumer, and his mother Anna Mary Stewart of Beckwith. They moved to a farm five miles northwest of Fairfield when he was a year old. The farm is still owned in the family. It was in the celebrated Hardscrabble district, the community made famous by John Williamson and M. A. McCoid's book about him. It was an exceptional school, noted for its literary societies and debates, participated in by the leading men of the district. Dr. S. F. Hammond was Dr. Gaumer's first teacher, and even then was looking toward a medical career. He went to medical college the next year, and his ambition inspired his pupil to a like career. Dr. Gaumer can remember when John Williamson visited the Hardscrabble school and recited the whole of Enoch Arden for the edification of the pupils.

When he was through the district school he set out as a teacher and, although not yet eighteen, was allowed to begin the school at Vega, which then was a post office. He taught also at Prairie Gem and No. 9 Center. His salary at Vega was $20 a month for a three months term. His board cost $12 a month. In 1892 he entered the academy of Parsons college, and five years later received his bachelor of science degree from the college proper. He saw football established at Parsons in 1894 and for three years played at tackle on the team. He also played on the medical college teams three years.

He studied under noted physicians and surgeons at Rush--Dr. Nicholas Senn, Dr. Frank Billings, Dr. Christian Fenger, Dr. B. W. Sippy. And he attended clinics conducted by Dr. J. B. Murphy.

While he was still at Danville, June 18, 1902, he married Miss Minnie Marie Corey, who had been his classmate at Parsons. They have one son, Stewart, aged 13. Their home is at 808 South Main street, the former home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ricksher.

While still in Parsons college, he joined old Company M, of the 50th Iowa Vols., just being formed, and in 1898 went with it to the Spanish-American war, getting as far as Jacksonville, Fla. He held the rank of sergeant. He was first lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the Second Iowa National Guard in 1914-6, and saw service on the Border.

He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, has appeared a number of times on the programs of the Iowa State Medical Society, has served as the chairman of the section on medicine. He has been coroner of Jefferson five times--three times elected and twice filling vacancies. He helped to establish the Jefferson county hospital and has been an instructor in the nurse's training course there for years. He is a Mason, and since 1910 a district Lecturer. He is a charter member of the Lion's club and a member of the Golf club.