Guthrie County >> 1907 Index

Past and Present of Guthrie County, Iowa
Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1907.

F

Chester Fordyce, one of the younger but more successful members of the dental fraternity at Guthrie Center, was born in Glasgow, Iowa in 1880, and is one of the three children of Winfield and Mariam (Fell) Fordyce. The father was born near Winchester, Van Buren county, Iowa*, prepared for the practice of medicine and surgery and has since successfully followed his profession. He is now pleasantly located in Fairfield, Iowa at the age of sixty years. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, while his political allegiance is heartily and unswervingly given to the republican party. His wife was born in Illinois and is now fifty-one years of age. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Dr. Fordyce attended school at Fairfield and was graduated from the high school in 1898. He entered the Iowa State Agricultural College in Ames in 1899 and pursued a one year’s course in mechanical engineering. He afterwards entered the dental department of the Iowa State University at Iowa City and was graduated in dental surgery in 1903. In August he opened a dental office at Guthrie Center and has been very successful in his practice here. He is a member of the Iowa State Dental Association and he belongs to the alumni association of the State University. He also became a member of the Psi Phi, a college fraternity of the State University, and he belongs to the Elks Lodge No. 445, at Atlantic, Iowa. His political allegiance is given to the republican party.

*Note: Winfield Fordyce was born in 1848 in the vicinity of Fort Madison, Lee county, Iowa.

OSCAR FORDYCE, M.D. submitted by John Fordyce

Dr. Oscar Fordyce has engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Guthrie Center since 1885 and in more recent years has successfully conducted a hospital at this place, in addition to a large general practice. Born in Van Buren county, Iowa in 1860, he is a son of the Rev. Lewis and Mary A. (Newby) Fordyce, the former a native of Wabash county, Illinois, and the latter of Indiana. They now reside near Fairfield, Iowa at the ages of eighty-six and eighty-one years respectively. They have long been members of the Christian church, although Mrs. Fordyce was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends. Rev. Fordyce is a retired minister of the church and his life has been a strong element for good and for moral development in the different communities where he has labored in a ministerial capacity. He has, moreover, been prominent in public affairs, and has left the impress of his individuality upon public thought and action. He represented the district composed of Jefferson and Van Buren counties in the Iowa assembly and stood for wise and progressive legislation. He now derives his income from some good landed interests and is one who in the evening of his life receives the honor, respect and veneration which should ever be accorded those who have advanced far on life’s journey and whose career has at all times been worthy of emulation. He came of Scotch ancestry. His wife, too, has led a life of usefulness, winning her the love and esteem of all because of her many good traits of heart and mind. In their family were eight children, including Dr. Winfield Fordyce, who is a man of note in his profession, now practicing in Fairfield, Iowa.

Dr. Oscar Fordyce is next to the youngest in the family and was a student in the schools of Fairfield, Iowa, in the acquirement of a literary education. His professional training was received in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, from which he was graduated in the class of 1885, and on the 21st of April of the same year he arrived in Guthrie Center, where he at once opened an office and entered upon the active prosecution of his profession. He has been successful from the start. He opened a surgical hospital in 1899 and it has been continuously filled by patrons who have taken advantage of the systematic and careful treatment which can be received through hospital service. In 1891 Dr. Fordyce pursued post-graduate work in the Chicago Polyclinic and in 1895 he was again a post-graduate student in the Post Graduate College of Chicago. Usually two or three times a year he visits the city, where he studies for a time or spends a brief period in investigating the methods or practice of the most renowned physicians and surgeons of the metropolis. His individual ability is indicated by the fact that he now has the largest practice in the county. He is commissioner of insanity for Guthrie county and is local surgeon for the Rock Island Railroad Company. He belongs to the County, State, American and Botna Valley Medical Societies and the Rock Island Surgical Society.

In 1888 Dr. Fordyce was married to Miss Anna Fell, who was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1866, a daughter of David and Margaret Fell, pioneer farming people of Jefferson county. She is a member of the Presbyterian church and is an estimable lady, presiding with gracious hospitality over her beautiful and attractive home. By this marriage there were two children, but Georgia, the elder, is deceased. The son, Frank W., is now in school.

Dr. Fordyce is a member of the Masonic lodge and is also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, while his political allegiance is given to the republican party. Whatever tends to promote the interests of his profession and place before man the key to that complex mystery which we call life at once attracts his interest and co-operation. He is an extremely busy and successful practitioner, constantly overburdened by demands for his services both professionally and socially. He is a man of high character, an industrious and ambitious student and a gifted practitioner. Genial in disposition, unobtrusive and unassuming, he is patient under adverse criticism and in his expressions concerning brother practitioners is friendly and indulgent.

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Also from John Fordyce:

“The Guthrian”, 9 June 1910, page 1:

DR. OSCAR FORDYCE KILLED SUNDAY

Prominent Surgeon and Physician of the State
has automobile accident

Sunday at the noon hour the people of this community were thrown into deep gloom by the word that came from Casey that Dr. O. Fordyce, had been killed by the turning turtle of his automobile. He left here early Sunday morning accompanied by his wife to visit a patient south of Casey. He had made his visit and was returning, on reaching a short grade south of the cemetery, in Adair county and near Casey, the chain on the car broke, letting the car back down the hill. The brake on the car refused to hold it and the Doctor turned the car so that it would back in to the approach of the grade which was eighteen inches to two feet high. The car failed to strike the grade squarly, one wheel running up the grade turning the car over catching the doctor under the back of the seat breaking his neck. Mrs. Fordyce, was pinoned under the car by her clothing, a part of which she had to remove before she was able to get from under the car. She ran back a half mile to get help. Only one man was there and he could not remove the car from the body of the doctor. He then ran on to Casey for help but was so exhausted that he was for some time unable to intelligently express himself, when they did understand the situation help was at once hurried to the scene of the catastrophe. The body was taken to Casey, and from there it was brought home in an automobile. No event in the past years has brought such universal sorrow to so many homes in Guthrie Center, and the surrounding country as this heart rending accident. For the past twenty five years he has gone in and out of the homes of hundreds of families, in this section of the county until they become attached to him and his passing away is a personal loss to them. He was a most skillful surgeon and physician, with a large heart that looked with tenderness upon the suffering of his fellow beings. He brought into the sick room confidence in his power of healing and cheerfulness and sympathy that largely aided him in the curative of the aliment that afflicted the stricken one. In the call of his duty to suffering humanity, he never saved himself, self was forgotten and his only thought was to alieviate the sufferings of those needing his services.

Day and night, in storms and blizzards that took from him his vitality he traveled the highways of our county a messenger of mercy. Socially he was a most genial companion with a sense of humor that brightened up the days of hard work that took so much of his life. In conversation with Mr. Weeks, and the writer the night before his tragic death, he spoke of the great age of his father who is still living and of his grandfather that attained the age of ninety six. We said to him if you do not let up on the strenuous life you are living you will not live to that great age. He said No, I do not expect to, I want to do the work I have to do and then go sudden. When the word came to us that his wish had been granted although not so soon by many years as he no doubt expected we could recall the serious smile that was on his face when he made the remark. Our last conversation with him, although somewhat prophetic will remain as a pleasing memory of a man, a friend, in which there was no guile, and his sudden transition from life of activity to death recalls the immortal poem of William Knox,

Oh, why should the spirit of mortal
be proud?
Like a swift fleeting meteor, a fast
flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning a break of
the wave,
Man passeth from life to his rest in
the grave.

Oscar Fordyce, M. D. was born in Van Buren county Iowa, in 1860. He is the son of Rev. Lewis and Mary Fordyce, who survive him. Rev. Fordyce is a retired minister of the Christian church, and his life has been a strong element for good and the moral development of the communities in which he has lived. He served in the legislature of the state when in his prime, and served his constituency with fidelity, and ability. In their family there were eight children Oscar, being next to the youngest. He acquired his literary education in the schools of Fairfield, and his professional training was received in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, from which he graduated in the class of 1885. In April of the same year he came to Guthrie Center, where he at once opened an office and entered into the active practice of his profession. He was successful from the start, and in 1899, he opened a surgical hospital which has been continuously filled by patients from all over this section of Iowa. In 1888 he was married to Miss Anna Fell, a native of Jefferson County Iowa to this union was born two children, Georgia, a daughter the elder who is deceased and Frank W. a Freshman at Iowa college Grinnell. He was a member of Orange lodge A. F. and A. M. which order will have charge of his funeral. His body laid in state at the home Tuesday, and a constant stream of visitors were there to take a last fond look at the face they had grown to love in the years of his activity among us. The funeral obsequies were held at home on Wednesday June 8th, conducted by the pastor of the Presbyterian church, of which the widow is an active member, after which the members of the Masonic order took charge and conducted the remains to its last resting place, with the ceremonies of the order. A vast concourse of people were present to attest their love and friendship, and a last tribute to the worth of the deceased, it was the largest funeral ever held in this county, it was estimated that the crowd in attendance was over one thousand. The only thing that marred the occasion was the down pour of rain that continued through the services. The brethren of the Masonic order, were out in large numbers there being about one hundred and fifty in the line of procession. Masons were here from all the surrounding towns. The pall bearers were his associate physicians, and masons, Drs, Mc Graw, of Stuart, Thornburg, of Redfield, Bower of this city, Sones of Panora, Wolfe of Coon Rapids, Morman of Linden. The floral gifts from loving friends and associations were profuse, and beautiful, a blanket of roses and lilies of the valley, with a background of smilax, covered the casket. The Dallas and Guthrie, county medical association of which the deceased was an honored member, sent a design of a broken column, which was emblematic, and conspicuous for its beauty. Flowers, gifts of individuals were so profuse that they can not be enumerated. The Guthrian, who welcomed Dr. Fordyce to Guthrie Center, and has rejoiced in his success in the years past, who chronicled his wedding, the birth of his children, now extends its condolence to the sorrowing widow and son, with the hope that time will assuage the grief that now posess them.