He was born on a farm in Indiana, good work ethics were instilled in him by his Father, Caleb, who served in the Civil War. In school, I am sure, he was a good student and always eager to learn. Prior to his death, I had him jot down notes about his life, that link is included on the blog.
He told of three instances where he felt his "guardian angel" intervened in his life. Once, when very littte, when he was crossing a barnyard that he was not supposed to be in, an enraged, large hog charged him. He froze, stared at the hog, and it stopped a few feet from him. If it had completed its charge it probably would have killed him. Another was during WWI. He emerged from a bunker, was going to sit and chat with comrades, something told him to move away, a shell landed and killed all of his friends. The third, after the war he was completing college, undecided about his future. He was offered an attractive future by some "natural" medical practitioners, but he wanted to pursue a career as a medical doctor. In his room at the YMCA in Chicago, he fell to his knees in prayer, asked for help, arose, and knew he was to be a medical doctor, and followed that path.
He became a pillar of the community in Dayton, Ohio. After medical school, he interned at Miami Valley Hospital, and set up his practice in Dayton as a General Practitioner. He eventually specialized in Obstetrics, and is responsible for bringing many people into the world.
I have a picture of he and Mom close by, as well as his WWI medals and some other memorabilia, a very small hat from his youth and his barracks had from WWI. They are displayed in and on an end table, which he made, carpentry was his hobby.
