Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-07-23
On. SIMEON sELkNAP.
Death at Niles, Mich, Of Q Promi-
nent Native vermontee

nent Native vermonter.
The sudden death of DR.. Simeon Bel.
KNAPP of Niles, Mich, was briefly noted
last week. From Niles papers, the fol.
lowing extracts are taken:-
DR.. Belknap was in the midst of appar-
ent health at midnight last week Mon
day, when he returned from Buchanan,
whittier he had gone to visit a patient,
but at 5 o'clock be was taken sick with
neuralgia of the heart and at 6:15 he
passed away. Five minutes before the
end came he sat up in bed and it was not
then thought he was seriously ill.
Simeon Belknap, NJ. D., was born in
Barnard, Windsor county, Vermont, Oct.
16, 1887, and came of English and Scotch
ancestry, the early representatives of the
name in America having crossed the At
lantic during the colonization period of
the new world. They made settlement in
Connecticut, where Simeon Belknap,
grandfather of DR.. Belknap OF this re-
view was born, and when about 81 years
of age moved to Randolph, VT, where
| Seymour Belknap, his father, first opened
his eyes to the light of day. Thus for
several generations the family was repre-
sented in Vermont. Seymour Belknap
married Miss Lydia Campbell, daughter
of Sylvanus Campbell, and was a native
of Vermont and of Scotch lineage.
| DIR. Simeon Belknap spent bis early
boyhood days in the state OF his nativity
and prepared for college as student in
the school at Newbury, VT. Upon the
completion of his literary course, he en-
tered upon the study of medicine, which
he carried on under the preceptorship of
DR.. Huntington of Rochester, VT, until
he matriculated in the medical depart
ment of the state University of Vermont.
He therein pursued the regular course
and was graduated in the class of 1860,
subsequent to which time he spent one
year in hospital at Boston, Mass, thus
experimenting his theoretical training by
broad and varied experience. He then
located for practice in Rochester, VT, en-
tering into partnership with his former
preceptor, DR.. NJ. w. Huntington. They
conducted large practice there but, at
tracted by the West with its broader pos
sibilities, DIR. Belknap came to Michigan
in 1873, settling in Niles, where he built
up an extensive and lucrative practice.
For eleven years he was partner of the
late DIR. z. j. Bonine under the firm
name Of Bonine & Belknap, and on the
dissolution of that partnership he entered
into business relations with his son. Fred
r. Belknap. To his profession he
brought a well trained mind, great physi-
cal endurance and abilities of an unusual
high order. His talents, both native and
acquired, entitled him to prominence in
the ranks of the medical fraternity and
his labors have been an important ele-
ment for good in the localities in which
he has resided.
DIR. Simeon Belknap was married in
1851 at Rochester, VT, to Miss Addie NJ.
Rice, who was a resident of Cincinnati,
o., although the state of her nativity was
Vermont. She was born in 1910. Her
father, Uriah Rice, was prominent citi-
zen of Cincinnati, o., and for many years
filled the position of superintendent of
schools there. Unto DR.. and Mrs. Bel
KNAPP were born two sons, DIR. +. X. Bel
KNAPP of Benton Harbor and Simeon Bel
KNAPP, Jr., who lives in Niles.
In the line of his profession he was
connected with the American Medical as
ISOLATION, to which he had belonged since
1855 and since 1880. ne had beenia member
of the Kalamazoo Academy OF Medicine.
He was also member of the Pan Ameri
can Medical congress and was United
States pension examiner and surgeon APP
pointed in 1876, but during President
Cleve,and's administration he was re-
Of office for four years. When the Re
putlicans again came into power he was
re-appointed and filled the position until
the time of his death, acting all the time
as secretary of the board of Niles. He
was q member of the National Associa-
tion of Railway Surgeons, also member
of the Big Four Railway Surgeons associ-
alton and physician and surgeon for the
Big Four railroad, the Interurban rail-
road and surgeon for the Michigan Cen
trail railroad. In 1898 he was called upon
to mourn the loss of his wife, who died
on the 22d of June OF that year. DIR.
Belknap practiced his profession and
throughout the years of his active con-
nection with the medical fraternity, kept
abreast with the advancement that has
been continuously made as investigation
and research have broadened the knowl-
edge and promoted the efficiency OF the
members of the medical fraternity. Fra
ternally he was Unidentified with the Roy
al Arcanum.
From 80 till o'clock Thursday after
noon the city showed no sign of CONNER
cial activity. Every store and place of
business was closed and the downtown
district was all but deserted. All that
could be done to show the city's tribute.to
the memory of the late DR.. Belknap was
accomplished.
In the home the casket was in the
midst of a profusion of beautiful bios
SONS, and the room in its fragrance and
solemn beauty resembled tropical gar
den. The features of the dead we're in
calm repose and no trace OF suffering was
evident. To all appearances he lay as il
sleeping, and it seemed almost impossi-
BILE for the many friends of the deceased
to believe that he was dead.
At 4 O'Clock the remains were conveyed
to Trinity church, where the services
were conducted by Rev. r. H. Fortesque
Gardner OF Chicago, and Rev. G. J. De
Coux, the rector. The Rev. Mr.. Gardner
gave the address and prayer.
After the services at the church, the
cortege left for Silver Brook cemetery.
In the procession were representatives of
the Royal Arcanum, the physicians OF
Niles and city officials, and many Of the
ueighbors and friends of DR.. Belknap.
The pallbearers were Lewis F. Brown,
J. E. French, E. B. Storms, B. F. Earl,
R. G. Atkinson and Myron Mars. The
honorary palltearers were Drs. Scott, st.
Joseph, Bell. Benton Harbor; Billiard,