Obituary for Dr. William Daniel Richards
RICHARDS, Doctor for 54 Years, Dies
By HOMER CLONTSDr. W. D. Richards, a friend as well as physician to his patients, died yesterday at Presbyterian Hospital. He was 86.Dr. Richards was one of the few remaining general practitioners in this area who had been active, until his retirement, since the horse-and-buggy days. Healing the sick was the good doctor's life. He would not have been happy doing anything else.He retired in June 1951 after more than 54 years in practice. He had been in ill health for several years and bedridden for the past four years. He had been in Presbyterian for about a month.Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Roberts' chapel, with the Rev. S. Maynard Luttrell officiating. Burial will be in Lynnhurst Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Roberts.Like other old-time doctors, in these parts, Dr. Richards first hung out a shingle in the coal mining areas of East Tennessee. It was in these areas, where a doctor had to travel for miles on horseback through mountains to visit his patients, that Dr. Richards learned his philosophy of life--to be a friend as well as doctor to his patients.He had been a Knoxville physician since 1920. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Johnson Richards, 3138 Linden Ave., and several nieces and nephews.Dr. Richards was born Jan 13, 1881, in the coal-mining section near Ironton, Ohio. His father, Henry Richards, a coal miner there, came to this country from Wales when he was 11. Even at that young age, he had worked in the mines of Wales. Dr. Richards mother was the daughter of native Welsh parents.He was the seventh of 10 children--five boys and five girls. His mother died when he was 5. When Dr. Richards was 7, his father moved to Rockwood. The father became a mine foreman there and later a furniture dealer. He died in 1925.Dr. Richards graduated from Rockwood High School in 1897. He received a bachelor of science degree in 1899 from the old Holbrook College (now Central High School) Fountain City.He taught school at Rockwood for three years and then entered Vanderbilt University. He received his medical degree there in 1906. In June, 1956, his class celebrated the golden anniversary of their graduation. At that time Dr. Richards was one of 14 remaining members of the original class of 37 students.After graduation, Dr. Richards went in the coal area at Briceville, Tenn., where he and another doctor contracted to treat the ills of the miners and their families.An explosion rocked the Cross Mountain Mine in 1911, killing 84 men. Six other miners, entombed in the mine, walked to safety several hours after the explosion.Dr. Richard's' former partner there, Dr. T. H. Phillips, had just left the area on the morning of the explosion after selling out his partnership to Dr. Carol H. Morgan.Confronted with the ordeal of caring for the many dying men, the two doctors managed to contact Dr. Phillips, who had got as far as Coal Creek, and got him to return to the scene to help. Also summoned to the scene was Dr. Carl Martin, a physician at Pless, a mile away.Although most families at the mine were grieved over the loss of loved ones in the explosion, there was "great rejoicing" from all of them when the six survivors walked from the mine several hours after the explosion, Dr. Richards said, in relating the incident some years ago.In 1912, Dr. Richards went to Etowah. He remained there until becoming a World War I Army doctor in 1918. He served with a surgeon's staff in Paris and later in the isolation service at Algiers, France.After his discharge in 1919, Dr. Richards returned to Briceville. He came to Knoxville in 1920 and had been here ever since. His office had been in Hamilton National Bank Building since 1934 until he retired.Dr. and Mrs. Richards were married in 1928. "I wanted to wait until I thought I was old enough," he said.Dr. Richards left most of the social activities to his wife. She is a past president of Knoxville Women's Club and Knoxville Democratic Club. They had no children.He delivered more than 7000 babies during his career. He quit delivering babies in 1945 to devote more time to office work, generally gynecology. But he was always available for house calls when his patients needed him.Unlike most doctors, Dr. Richards had no big interests other than his work. "I have no farm and I don' fish," he once said.Doctoring the sick was second nature to him. About the only other interest he had was the Vanderbilt football team, and he hated to see the team beaten.When he began his career in the coal mining areas, he found he had to prove his worth. When it was necessary, he stayed up all night with a patient. As a result, he made life-long friends.Although reluctant to talk about himself, Dr. Richards did have advice for younger doctors: "Get acquainted with your patients, their families, and surroundings. The ideal doctor should know the family life of the patient."Once during his father's lifetime, Dr. Richards tried to get him to visit Wales with him. But the father refused, saying he didn't want to go back in his homeland "because of too many unpleasant experiences there." So Dr. Richards took his father in a trip to Washington and Philadelphia instead.Dr. Richards was a member of Magnolia Avenue Methodist Church, past master of the Lake City Masonic Lodge, a member of the May Chapter of Eastern Star, Knoxville Academy of Medicine and the Tennessee Medical Association." (From Horse-and-Buggy Days)
RICHARDS, Doctor for 54 Years, Dies
By HOMER CLONTSDr. W. D. Richards, a friend as well as physician to his patients, died yesterday at Presbyterian Hospital. He was 86.Dr. Richards was one of the few remaining general practitioners in this area who had been active, until his retirement, since the horse-and-buggy days. Healing the sick was the good doctor's life. He would not have been happy doing anything else.He retired in June 1951 after more than 54 years in practice. He had been in ill health for several years and bedridden for the past four years. He had been in Presbyterian for about a month.Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Roberts' chapel, with the Rev. S. Maynard Luttrell officiating. Burial will be in Lynnhurst Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Roberts.Like other old-time doctors, in these parts, Dr. Richards first hung out a shingle in the coal mining areas of East Tennessee. It was in these areas, where a doctor had to travel for miles on horseback through mountains to visit his patients, that Dr. Richards learned his philosophy of life--to be a friend as well as doctor to his patients.He had been a Knoxville physician since 1920. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Johnson Richards, 3138 Linden Ave., and several nieces and nephews.Dr. Richards was born Jan 13, 1881, in the coal-mining section near Ironton, Ohio. His father, Henry Richards, a coal miner there, came to this country from Wales when he was 11. Even at that young age, he had worked in the mines of Wales. Dr. Richards mother was the daughter of native Welsh parents.He was the seventh of 10 children--five boys and five girls. His mother died when he was 5. When Dr. Richards was 7, his father moved to Rockwood. The father became a mine foreman there and later a furniture dealer. He died in 1925.Dr. Richards graduated from Rockwood High School in 1897. He received a bachelor of science degree in 1899 from the old Holbrook College (now Central High School) Fountain City.He taught school at Rockwood for three years and then entered Vanderbilt University. He received his medical degree there in 1906. In June, 1956, his class celebrated the golden anniversary of their graduation. At that time Dr. Richards was one of 14 remaining members of the original class of 37 students.After graduation, Dr. Richards went in the coal area at Briceville, Tenn., where he and another doctor contracted to treat the ills of the miners and their families.An explosion rocked the Cross Mountain Mine in 1911, killing 84 men. Six other miners, entombed in the mine, walked to safety several hours after the explosion.Dr. Richard's' former partner there, Dr. T. H. Phillips, had just left the area on the morning of the explosion after selling out his partnership to Dr. Carol H. Morgan.Confronted with the ordeal of caring for the many dying men, the two doctors managed to contact Dr. Phillips, who had got as far as Coal Creek, and got him to return to the scene to help. Also summoned to the scene was Dr. Carl Martin, a physician at Pless, a mile away.Although most families at the mine were grieved over the loss of loved ones in the explosion, there was "great rejoicing" from all of them when the six survivors walked from the mine several hours after the explosion, Dr. Richards said, in relating the incident some years ago.In 1912, Dr. Richards went to Etowah. He remained there until becoming a World War I Army doctor in 1918. He served with a surgeon's staff in Paris and later in the isolation service at Algiers, France.After his discharge in 1919, Dr. Richards returned to Briceville. He came to Knoxville in 1920 and had been here ever since. His office had been in Hamilton National Bank Building since 1934 until he retired.Dr. and Mrs. Richards were married in 1928. "I wanted to wait until I thought I was old enough," he said.Dr. Richards left most of the social activities to his wife. She is a past president of Knoxville Women's Club and Knoxville Democratic Club. They had no children.He delivered more than 7000 babies during his career. He quit delivering babies in 1945 to devote more time to office work, generally gynecology. But he was always available for house calls when his patients needed him.Unlike most doctors, Dr. Richards had no big interests other than his work. "I have no farm and I don' fish," he once said.Doctoring the sick was second nature to him. About the only other interest he had was the Vanderbilt football team, and he hated to see the team beaten.When he began his career in the coal mining areas, he found he had to prove his worth. When it was necessary, he stayed up all night with a patient. As a result, he made life-long friends.Although reluctant to talk about himself, Dr. Richards did have advice for younger doctors: "Get acquainted with your patients, their families, and surroundings. The ideal doctor should know the family life of the patient."Once during his father's lifetime, Dr. Richards tried to get him to visit Wales with him. But the father refused, saying he didn't want to go back in his homeland "because of too many unpleasant experiences there." So Dr. Richards took his father in a trip to Washington and Philadelphia instead.Dr. Richards was a member of Magnolia Avenue Methodist Church, past master of the Lake City Masonic Lodge, a member of the May Chapter of Eastern Star, Knoxville Academy of Medicine and the Tennessee Medical Association." (From Horse-and-Buggy Days)
Obituary for Dr. William Daniel Richards
RICHARDS, Doctor for 54 Years, Dies
By HOMER CLONTSDr. W. D. Richards, a friend as well as physician to his patients, died yesterday at Presbyterian Hospital. He was 86.Dr. Richards was one of the few remaining general practitioners in this area who had been active, until his retirement, since the horse-and-buggy days. Healing the sick was the good doctor's life. He would not have been happy doing anything else.He retired in June 1951 after more than 54 years in practice. He had been in ill health for several years and bedridden for the past four years. He had been in Presbyterian for about a month.Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Roberts' chapel, with the Rev. S. Maynard Luttrell officiating. Burial will be in Lynnhurst Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Roberts.Like other old-time doctors, in these parts, Dr. Richards first hung out a shingle in the coal mining areas of East Tennessee. It was in these areas, where a doctor had to travel for miles on horseback through mountains to visit his patients, that Dr. Richards learned his philosophy of life--to be a friend as well as doctor to his patients.He had been a Knoxville physician since 1920. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Johnson Richards, 3138 Linden Ave., and several nieces and nephews.Dr. Richards was born Jan 13, 1881, in the coal-mining section near Ironton, Ohio. His father, Henry Richards, a coal miner there, came to this country from Wales when he was 11. Even at that young age, he had worked in the mines of Wales. Dr. Richards mother was the daughter of native Welsh parents.He was the seventh of 10 children--five boys and five girls. His mother died when he was 5. When Dr. Richards was 7, his father moved to Rockwood. The father became a mine foreman there and later a furniture dealer. He died in 1925.Dr. Richards graduated from Rockwood High School in 1897. He received a bachelor of science degree in 1899 from the old Holbrook College (now Central High School) Fountain City.He taught school at Rockwood for three years and then entered Vanderbilt University. He received his medical degree there in 1906. In June, 1956, his class celebrated the golden anniversary of their graduation. At that time Dr. Richards was one of 14 remaining members of the original class of 37 students.After graduation, Dr. Richards went in the coal area at Briceville, Tenn., where he and another doctor contracted to treat the ills of the miners and their families.An explosion rocked the Cross Mountain Mine in 1911, killing 84 men. Six other miners, entombed in the mine, walked to safety several hours after the explosion.Dr. Richard's' former partner there, Dr. T. H. Phillips, had just left the area on the morning of the explosion after selling out his partnership to Dr. Carol H. Morgan.Confronted with the ordeal of caring for the many dying men, the two doctors managed to contact Dr. Phillips, who had got as far as Coal Creek, and got him to return to the scene to help. Also summoned to the scene was Dr. Carl Martin, a physician at Pless, a mile away.Although most families at the mine were grieved over the loss of loved ones in the explosion, there was "great rejoicing" from all of them when the six survivors walked from the mine several hours after the explosion, Dr. Richards said, in relating the incident some years ago.In 1912, Dr. Richards went to Etowah. He remained there until becoming a World War I Army doctor in 1918. He served with a surgeon's staff in Paris and later in the isolation service at Algiers, France.After his discharge in 1919, Dr. Richards returned to Briceville. He came to Knoxville in 1920 and had been here ever since. His office had been in Hamilton National Bank Building since 1934 until he retired.Dr. and Mrs. Richards were married in 1928. "I wanted to wait until I thought I was old enough," he said.Dr. Richards left most of the social activities to his wife. She is a past president of Knoxville Women's Club and Knoxville Democratic Club. They had no children.He delivered more than 7000 babies during his career. He quit delivering babies in 1945 to devote more time to office work, generally gynecology. But he was always available for house calls when his patients needed him.Unlike most doctors, Dr. Richards had no big interests other than his work. "I have no farm and I don' fish," he once said.Doctoring the sick was second nature to him. About the only other interest he had was the Vanderbilt football team, and he hated to see the team beaten.When he began his career in the coal mining areas, he found he had to prove his worth. When it was necessary, he stayed up all night with a patient. As a result, he made life-long friends.Although reluctant to talk about himself, Dr. Richards did have advice for younger doctors: "Get acquainted with your patients, their families, and surroundings. The ideal doctor should know the family life of the patient."Once during his father's lifetime, Dr. Richards tried to get him to visit Wales with him. But the father refused, saying he didn't want to go back in his homeland "because of too many unpleasant experiences there." So Dr. Richards took his father in a trip to Washington and Philadelphia instead.Dr. Richards was a member of Magnolia Avenue Methodist Church, past master of the Lake City Masonic Lodge, a member of the May Chapter of Eastern Star, Knoxville Academy of Medicine and the Tennessee Medical Association." (From Horse-and-Buggy Days)
RICHARDS, Doctor for 54 Years, Dies
By HOMER CLONTSDr. W. D. Richards, a friend as well as physician to his patients, died yesterday at Presbyterian Hospital. He was 86.Dr. Richards was one of the few remaining general practitioners in this area who had been active, until his retirement, since the horse-and-buggy days. Healing the sick was the good doctor's life. He would not have been happy doing anything else.He retired in June 1951 after more than 54 years in practice. He had been in ill health for several years and bedridden for the past four years. He had been in Presbyterian for about a month.Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Roberts' chapel, with the Rev. S. Maynard Luttrell officiating. Burial will be in Lynnhurst Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Roberts.Like other old-time doctors, in these parts, Dr. Richards first hung out a shingle in the coal mining areas of East Tennessee. It was in these areas, where a doctor had to travel for miles on horseback through mountains to visit his patients, that Dr. Richards learned his philosophy of life--to be a friend as well as doctor to his patients.He had been a Knoxville physician since 1920. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Johnson Richards, 3138 Linden Ave., and several nieces and nephews.Dr. Richards was born Jan 13, 1881, in the coal-mining section near Ironton, Ohio. His father, Henry Richards, a coal miner there, came to this country from Wales when he was 11. Even at that young age, he had worked in the mines of Wales. Dr. Richards mother was the daughter of native Welsh parents.He was the seventh of 10 children--five boys and five girls. His mother died when he was 5. When Dr. Richards was 7, his father moved to Rockwood. The father became a mine foreman there and later a furniture dealer. He died in 1925.Dr. Richards graduated from Rockwood High School in 1897. He received a bachelor of science degree in 1899 from the old Holbrook College (now Central High School) Fountain City.He taught school at Rockwood for three years and then entered Vanderbilt University. He received his medical degree there in 1906. In June, 1956, his class celebrated the golden anniversary of their graduation. At that time Dr. Richards was one of 14 remaining members of the original class of 37 students.After graduation, Dr. Richards went in the coal area at Briceville, Tenn., where he and another doctor contracted to treat the ills of the miners and their families.An explosion rocked the Cross Mountain Mine in 1911, killing 84 men. Six other miners, entombed in the mine, walked to safety several hours after the explosion.Dr. Richard's' former partner there, Dr. T. H. Phillips, had just left the area on the morning of the explosion after selling out his partnership to Dr. Carol H. Morgan.Confronted with the ordeal of caring for the many dying men, the two doctors managed to contact Dr. Phillips, who had got as far as Coal Creek, and got him to return to the scene to help. Also summoned to the scene was Dr. Carl Martin, a physician at Pless, a mile away.Although most families at the mine were grieved over the loss of loved ones in the explosion, there was "great rejoicing" from all of them when the six survivors walked from the mine several hours after the explosion, Dr. Richards said, in relating the incident some years ago.In 1912, Dr. Richards went to Etowah. He remained there until becoming a World War I Army doctor in 1918. He served with a surgeon's staff in Paris and later in the isolation service at Algiers, France.After his discharge in 1919, Dr. Richards returned to Briceville. He came to Knoxville in 1920 and had been here ever since. His office had been in Hamilton National Bank Building since 1934 until he retired.Dr. and Mrs. Richards were married in 1928. "I wanted to wait until I thought I was old enough," he said.Dr. Richards left most of the social activities to his wife. She is a past president of Knoxville Women's Club and Knoxville Democratic Club. They had no children.He delivered more than 7000 babies during his career. He quit delivering babies in 1945 to devote more time to office work, generally gynecology. But he was always available for house calls when his patients needed him.Unlike most doctors, Dr. Richards had no big interests other than his work. "I have no farm and I don' fish," he once said.Doctoring the sick was second nature to him. About the only other interest he had was the Vanderbilt football team, and he hated to see the team beaten.When he began his career in the coal mining areas, he found he had to prove his worth. When it was necessary, he stayed up all night with a patient. As a result, he made life-long friends.Although reluctant to talk about himself, Dr. Richards did have advice for younger doctors: "Get acquainted with your patients, their families, and surroundings. The ideal doctor should know the family life of the patient."Once during his father's lifetime, Dr. Richards tried to get him to visit Wales with him. But the father refused, saying he didn't want to go back in his homeland "because of too many unpleasant experiences there." So Dr. Richards took his father in a trip to Washington and Philadelphia instead.Dr. Richards was a member of Magnolia Avenue Methodist Church, past master of the Lake City Masonic Lodge, a member of the May Chapter of Eastern Star, Knoxville Academy of Medicine and the Tennessee Medical Association." (From Horse-and-Buggy Days)
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
