Edward Elisha 8 BIGELOW
Children of Edward and Ella (Ecles) Bigelow, born in Owatonna, MN:
15336.8451 Edna Louise, b 19 Dec 1979; d _____ ; m 22 Dec 1911 Hugh M. Fredenberg.
15336.8452 Ella Marion, b 13 Aug 1884; d ______ ; m 01 Sept 1909 Julius H. Huntley.
Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy, Vol II, pg
373-374;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
Correspondence between family descendant and Bigelow Society
historian/genealogist
and her records.
\
From: C. Wm. Rothman < theglide@satx.rr.com
>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2013 6:31 PM
Subject: Photo and extract from book (source cited) for: 15336.845
Edward Elisha 8 BIGELOW, son of Thomas Sumner
Here’s something pertinent to Bigelow family history which might be
useful – the photo at least.
Warm regards – C. Wm. Rothman, LtCol,
USAF-retired
Edward Elisha Bigelow, the oldest physician
and surgeon residing in Owatonna, was born in Akron, Ohio, July 1,
1842, his father, Thomas Sumner Bigelow, being a descendant of the
Bigelow and Sumner families of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont,
emigrating from the latter state to Akron with his parents at the age
of 18 years. His mother was Clarissa (nee. Jacobs), daughter of Dr.
Jacobs of Elmira, New York. Both families spring from purely English
blood.
His mother, Clarissa, died in 1848, leaving a
family of eight children: four boys and four girls. He was the fifth
born child of the family.
In 1850 he joined his father who earlier had emigrated to Lake Mills,
Wisconsin, There Edward received a common school and academic education
and was prepared for college work when the war of the rebellion
interrupted. He enlisted in the fall of 1861 with what was known as
General Fremont's body guards and went to rendezvous at Milwaukee, from
whence the company went to St. Louis and reported to Gen. Fremont.
However, he was finally rejected as being unfit for service and
returned home. Determined to serve, in July, 1862, he procured a
commission to recruit a company of infantry and soon, being joined by
an old friend, C. H. Bryant. The two soon secured a full complement of
volunteers and organized the company which subsequently became Company
D of the Twenty-ninth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, in which he was a
sergeant. Bryant became the captain of the company, after completing
just three-months’ service.
From the over exertion of his duties, Edward
was prostrated and taken to the post hospital at Helena, Arkansas. Army
measles followed and, in turn pneumonia. Then he suffered a relapse of
the pneumonia and ended up lying in the hospital at Helena during the
months of January, February and March, 1863. Subsequently, he was
removed to Memphis Hospital where he was finally discharged from
service by a general order such as those extended to all similar cases.
He returned to his home in the North under the care of the sanitary
board conducted by the ever-to-be-remembered soldiers' friend, Mrs.
Governor Harvey of Wisconsin, who had, after the death of the governor,
dedicated her service to the caring for the sick and disabled soldiers.
Thereafter, in the procuring of sanitary stores and forwarding them to
the front, he felt that he had been able to do a fraction of good in
the cause.
In the winter of 1864 and 1865 he taught the
village school of Milford, Wisconsin, and in September following, that
is 1866. He entered the University of Michigan, from which he received
the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery in March, 1867. While a
student at the university he had been honored by the position of an
assistant to the demonstrator of anatomy, professor of anatomy, and
professor of gynecology and diseases of women and children. Though
there were no paid assistants at the university, as such, except in a
few instances, the experience received in that capacity was later of
priceless value to the doctor in his private practice enabling him to
render better service to his patrons. After leaving the university he
immediately began work at the village of Milan, a few miles south of
Ann Arbor. As such, he was able to continue in close touch with the
university and add knowledge from an association with the teachers of
the institution as a member of the Washtenaw County Medical Society
where that society read Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge et aland discussed
advanced papers and medical practices. At Milan he immediately entered
upon a large and lucrative practice and continued to have his old
teachers ever ready to render good council when needed.
During his sojourn in Michigan he met Miss
Ella A. Eeles (an English lady) from Waterloo, New York. On July 5,
1877, he was united with her in marriage, and they soon moved to
Owatonna, Minnesota.
He was actively associated with James A. Goodwin Post, Grand Army of
the Republic, and was a charter member at its organization.
The doctor has served sixteen years upon the
Owatonna United States board of pension examining surgeons, which
through his instrumentality was established at Owatonna, and is still a
member of the board. In 1864 he joined the Christian Church, there not
being a church of that denomination in Owatonna; and believing that
every person should be identified with some form of a Christian church
organization, joined the Methodist Episcopal denomination and in later
years, with his family, united with the First Congregational Church. He
was also a member of Steele County Medical Society, the Southern
Minnesota Medical Society, the Minnesota State Medical Society, the
American Medical Association, and was an accredited member of the ninth
session of the International Medical Congress held at Washington, D.
C., in 1887, from which he received full and voluminous reports of the
complete papers read before the congress by the representative members
of the medical and surgical profession of the world.
In early life, the doctor became a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic fra-ternities,
many years ago honored by being promoted to the offices of high priest
in Chapter 15, Royal Arch Masons, and eminent commander of Cyrine
Commandery, No. 9, Knights Templar, at Owatonna. At the age of 68 years
was still an active member of the Masonic Orders, and also a member of
Osman Temple, Ancient Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at St. Paul,
Minnesota.
Among the papers contributed upon medical
topics, he has stood staunchly in favor of advanced sanitation and as
early as in 1875 read a paper before the Washtenaw County Medical
Society at Manchester, Michigan, in support of what at the time was
called his pet theory "that tuberculosis is a contagious disease and
that all cases should be isolated and be placed under governmental
control in order that its ravages could be brought under subjection," a
theory he has always since held and from time to time advocated before
medical associations. Different states are now rendering aid in that
direction and he still believes it to be the general government's duty
to take the matter in hand and give its full force to the end that the
disease may be wiped from our country. Dr. Bigelow was always
enterprising in doing his full part in the building up of and
beautifying the city of Owatonna, and for a time owned and published
the Owatonna Daily and Weekly Journal.
Extracted and modified from source: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, et al.,
History of Rice and Steele Counties, H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.,
Chicago, 1910. pp 1245-47
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