Dr. Dwight Reuben BEMENT, M.D.

BEMENT, WILSON, WHEELER, LONG, TERRELL, HUCKE, KING, LESAN, HUSS, ORR, HOLTZMAN, SLOAN, MOONEY

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/4/2010 at 04:34:47

Ringgold Record
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Tuesday, January 11, 1910

DR. D.R. BEMENT DIES SUDDENLY

Prominent Physician of Mt. Ayr Succumbs to Heart Failure

Dr. D. R. [Dwight Reuben] BEMENT, one of the most prominent physicians of Ringgold County, died suddenly last evening [January 10, 1910] about 7:30 o'clock. Death came very suddenly and unexpectedly and was due to heart failure. The doctor had just returned from a drive in the country, upon which he had been accompanied by his wife and little daughter. He drove up in front of H. H. WILSON & Co.'s store, alighted from the sleigh and carried the baby into the store. Returning to the sleigh he helped the wife out and drove the team to WHEELER'S barn. He seemed in his usual spirits and upon entering the barn called to the men in charge and Harry WHEELER and Ed LONG came out to unhitch the team. The doctor threw back the robe, made some passing remark about having been given the wrong robe, and without attempting to move from the seat grasped for breath, and Bent TERRELL and Henry HUCKE came out of the office to see what was wrong. They went to support the doctor while George KING telephoned for Dr. C. T. LESAN. Dr. LESAN responded at once, but when he arrived the beating of the pulse had almost ceased.

Dr. BEMENT was one of the best physicians in Ringgold County. He was a man of good habits, and was always cheerful. He was conscientious in his practice and was ever ready to sacrifice is own comfort and pleasure for the benefit of his patients. The passing of Dr. BEMENT is a distinct loss to the community. No one was better liked and his death casts the shadow of sorrow over the entire community.

Dr. BEMENT was born in Indiana [September 24, 1846, the son of George Dwight and Margaret Jane (HUSS) BEMENT], but removed to Ohio where he grew to young manhood and from that state as a mere youth he volunteered as a private in the 169th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving several months during the close of the war [May 3, 1864 to September 4, 1864 in Company H]. He saw some severe service and took a manly pride in his civil war experiences. He was a very modest man and never boasted. All knowledge of his war experiences had to be drawn from him.

The doctor came to Ringgold County in 1874 and practiced medicine at Goshen, a village in Grant township which has since passed away. He was the leading physician in that part of the county for eleven years. In 1885 he moved to Kansas and remained there six years, returning to Mount Ayr in the spring of 1891.

Here he has enjoyed a lucrative practice. He has passed through many home sorrows, having lost his first wife in Kansas and the second one here. He lost two promising sons when just entering a bright manhood. In all these sorrows he bore himself as a Christian gentleman. Some years ago he was united in marriage to Miss Anna SLOAN and a daughter came to the home. A devoted wife, little daughter Hortense, and two sons, L. O. BEMENT, of this [Ringgold] county, and Fred BEMENT, of Escanaba, Mich., mourn his sudden death.

Dr. BEMENT early made a profession of faith in Christ and honored that profession by a consistent Christian life. He was a living epistle of Christ, known and read of all men. The time and incidents pertaining to the funeral will be announced later.

NOTE: Upon Dr. BEMENT'S death the Town of Mount Ayr resolved the the council chamber and the twon shall be draped in mourning for 30 days.

Dr. BEMENT married 1st January 25, 1874 Anna M. ORR (ca. 1846-ca. 1865); 2nd June 3, 1886 Clara M. HOLTZMAN (ca. 1846 - ca. 1897; 3rd February 14, 1886 Anna SLOAN.

Hortense Mary (BEMENT) MOONEY was born March 2, 1849, Fostoria, Ohio, and died February 16,1913, Sandusky County, Ohio; married March 30, 1871, Luther MOONEY, born March 5, 1847, Carrolton, Ohio.

Transcription and notes by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2010