Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-06-09
DEATH OF DIR. SEARl.ES
Pioneer Physician, Who Was One of
the First Specialists to Practice in
Wis.,. Passes Away After Long ILL
ness Paralysis Caused Retirement
Five Fears Ago-Funeral to be Held
SUNDAY.

Dr. William Hamilton ssearles, re-
tired physician and one of the first
specialists to practice in the state of
Wisconsin, passed away this morning,
at the age of seyenty-fiye years. DR..
Searles sustained stroke Of paralysis
five yeals ago, which necessitated his
retirement from active practice, and
during the last year of his illness had
suffered exceedingly.
The funeral will be held Sunday
afternoon, at 2:30 O'Clock, from the
residen(e at 1876 West Irving street.
The services will be in charge of the
Odd Fellows. Interment will take
place at Riverside cemetery. Friends
will refrain from sending flowers, at
the request of the family
William Hamilton Searles was born
in Delaware county, o., i'm 1889. He
came to Wisconsin with his parents
when child, and was educated in the
State Line and Lawrence colleges.
After graduating in medicine at Chi
cagO medical college in 1865, he re-
ceived q commission from Governor
Lewis in the Fortjy-third Wisconsin
volunteer regiment, but as the civil
war was practically at an end he did
ilOO JOAi AilO 4CRlt O0O SCI Do
contract surgeon at Dalton, Ga,
for abOlit four months.
Returning to Wisconsin, DIR. SearleS
located at Wausau, where for twelve
years be followed most ardurous
general practice, which often required
long horseback trips through the.
pine woods to northern lumber camps.
His health beginning to fail, he gave
up practice and spent two years a
Chicago and New York preparing for
special work on the eye, ear, nose and
throat.
In 1852 DIR. Seares located in Osh-
kosn, the first specialist in this city
and perhaps the first in the state out
side of milwaukee, In 1884 he receiv-
ed the appointment from the COM
missioner of pensions as special medi-
cal examiner on eye and ear cases and
continued to work for the government
for seventeen years.
Politically, DR.. Searles was affiliated
with the republican party, and with
his gift for public speaking and a fine
talent la oratory he took an active
part in political campaigns until re-
cent years.
He WIS a deycut member of the
Methodist church, as his ancestors
for generations had been, his father,
Rev. Isaac Searles, having for years
been a member of the Wisconsin
Methodist Episcopal conference. DIR.
Whedon, the eminent commentator,
was great uncle of the Oshkosh ply
stefan. DIR. Searles was for nearly
fifty years affiliated with the order of
Odd Fellows.
Five years ago he had a stroke OF
paralysis, which SO disabled him that
he gave up his office and retired to his
home. While for much of the time
since then he had been quite comfort
able, he was "a great sufferer during
the year preceding his death.
DR.. Ssarles leaves TO mourn his loss
his wife, Mrs. Romelia Searles, one
son, Lieut. H. Rex Searles, who at
present is cruising in the Arctic sea
and will be unable to come home at
this time; also two sisters in Califor-
mia. An older son, Charles E. Searles,
passed away several years ago, and an
only brother, J. M. Searles of Cedar
Rapids Ia, died last AugpsG.-Csh-
kosh Northwestern, Thursday Juns
4th, 1914.
after ais graduation and taught
school in the first building erected for
school purposes, at the corner of Fifth
and Jefferson streets, known as the
white school house. This vas in
1862. He was principal and taught
one year. He later took up the study
of mee icine and came back here to
buildsap a practice. He remained here
until the latter part of the 70's, when
he went to Chicago to study for spec
ial work and then located in Oshkosh.
The doctor often visited and had
many warm friends here.
The funeral took place at his home
in Oshkosh on Sunday, DR.. Samuel
W. Plantz of Lawrence college, otfici-
ating. The Odd Fellows were in
charge.