A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for David William Reid
D.W. and Molly Reid were boarding with the Vance family in the 1880 census in Marshall, MO (Annette Wilson Vance was David's first cousin, once removed). See the notes for Mollie Turner Reid, which have more about this.
His name is given as David Wilson Reid in the Foster/Reid Family Tree, but David William Reid in the Reid manuscript. Since Mollie Turner Reid was his wife, she should know his middle name! This is confirmed in an entry in "1845-1890. Catalogue of Phi Alpha Society ... Illinois College", Jacksonville, IL, 1890, p. 85 (available on Google Books), which says:
361. David William Reid, b. 13 April, 1845, near Cambridge, Mo. He entered the freshman class of Illinois College in 1863 remaining one year. He attended Michigan University one year, and then studied medicine at the St. Louis medical college where he was graduated in 1868. In 1868-70 he practiced at Oregon, Mo., in 1870-80 at Cambridge, and since then at Slater, Mo., where he now lives with his wife and two sons.
From the Reid manuscript, written by Mollie Turner Reid in 1931 (obtained from the Foster/Reid Family Tree web site):
Dr. David W. Reid
Was born near Cambridge, Mo. April 13, 1845, the son of Dr. Jas. and Eliza Reid. His mother died when David, or "Bub" as he was generally called, was 2 1/2 years old, leaving a daughter, Ada, only a week or two old. (Some other troubles, perhaps flux, developed while she was still in bed, I think.) This baby only lived to be 4 months old and the only recollection Dr. Reid had of his mother was when he climbed over her to "see the baby", hurting her probably, & she gave him a little spank to drive him back, & he crawled back, howling, to be petted by his aunt.
After his mother's death, his grandmother & aunts seem to have had charge of him. Whether his father stayed in their home or in his own farm home I do not know, but I know that at some time he was in his own home and Polly Patrick, a colored servant, kept house for him -- & it was a custom on Sunday morning before his starting to church, for a plate of cookies & a pitcher of butter milk to be placed on the table for his disposal. The fondness for these lasted to his old age when he lived with us (until death 1883) & his son, D.W. seemed to have inherited the same.
I do not think that Dr. Reid had a happy childhood. His father was devoted & kind, doing everything a man could do for him, studying his interest always, but he was with old people altogether, & he said Polly was more like a mother than anyone else.
At an early age he was boarded at Judge Gilliam's (a widower whose grown daughters kept house for him) & he roomed with several men. This was in order to go to school I presume. Later, he boarded at the teacher's, Mr. Price, grandfather of "Bob" -- who guarded him conscienciously [sic] on the way to school &c &c. I don't suppose anyone was ever intentionally unkind to him in his life, but circumstances gave him no youth. In town, he & his father lived in their own home & ate at an aunt's "Aunt Mary Grove's" & she & "Aunt Sarah" looked after his clothes. [These were sisters of David's father, James W. Reid.]
Later, when the war was on, his father tho't best to send him over into Illinois -- Jacksonville -- to school. Still later, he went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for one year I think -- & here, I think he had some of the home boys with him -- Clay Grove, Steve Claycomb, & Taylor Goode -- a company of four. I know they were together somewhere & I think it was here -- or Taylor Goode may have been at the medical school in St. Louis.
He studied medicine & was graduated from a school in St. Louis, later incorporated into Washington University. He had previously studied with Drs. Wilson (his uncle) & Alexander in Cambridge, & afterwards became their partner & practiced there a number of years. However, he had previously moved to Oregon, Holt Co. where he had a drug store & practiced medicine for about a year or two.
He married Annie Beeding, daughter of E. L. Beeding, merchant & banker of Cambridge -- & who was a very dear friend of my sister Julia, & one of the bridesmaids at her wedding. I, as a young girl, knew her too, as she had often visited in our home, & she had once taken me home with her for a few days -- & I was very fond of her.
This marriage lasted only about 3 yrs. when she died.
He was a widower about 7 yrs. & lived, whenever in Cam., with Mr. & Mrs. Beeding at their urgent request -- until some time after the death of Mr. Beeding -- & when he afterwards married me, Mrs. Beeding seemed pleased & with her daughter-in-law came to Boonville to the wedding, bringing me a present.
We were married April 21, 1880, & lived together nearly 49 yrs. -- in Marshall, Slater, Wellsville, Kas, & Wichita Kas, until he died in Wichita Jan. 16, 1929.
Dr. Reid was a man of rare character I doubt if one of cleaner, purer mind ever lived. He had no bad habits, rarely used even a simple by-word, and a profane or foul one, never! -- When he was a youth, or young man, his father said to him, "David, there is a barrel of whiskey in the cellar & if you ever want it you can go to it, but I'll advise you not to." He never touched it! -- tho' he really liked the taste. At one time he decided he would learn to smoke and took a cigar, when the tho't came, "how silly it is to acquire a useless habit" -- he threw the cigar away & never took another! He was modest & unostentatious, not parading, but living his virtues -- & I cannot refrain from quoting a few encomiums uttered by those who from close association knew him most intimately. Mr. Oscar Crane, living on his farm for years, said years before his (Dr. Reid's) death, & repeated after it, "he is the best man I ever knew -- I'll except no one, not even my own father!"
Mr. Claude Field who once lived in our home, was associated with him in business & knew him well -- when he met us at the hotel as we took him to Slater for burial, exclaimed, with emotion in his voice, "he was the straightest man I ever saw!"
And the eulogies of Judge Jno. A. Rich & Mr. Com P. Storts (lawyer) at the funeral testified to his influence, his service as a physician & citizen, & the high esteem in which he was held in the town. In the home of his daughter-in-law where he lived some years & received nothing but their love & consideration, there comes this testimony. Erma, at his bedside as he passed away, exclaimed "he was the best man that ever lived!" and Mildred, in addition to many words of praise for his kindness, and consideration for others -- sometimes when we discuss the ways of people & I refer to him -- always says "yes but he was an exception!" And even little Jane, then 6 yrs old, said to me one day, "Aren't you sorry Grandpa died? he was so good to me, he'd play with me -- & let me comb his hair -- " -- -- (Jane was a great comfort to him).
As a wife, I can add my tribute -- He was a kind, considerate, true husband, never failing in his loyalty to me -- & when times of weakness came to me, he was the sympathizing physician & helper -- the prop upon which I leaned & which has been taken away -- to my loss.
Could his sons, for whom he would have sacrificed anything, ask a better legacy from a father than such a character? -- He was 83 yrs, & 9 mons. old when he died very suddenly, Jany 16, 1929.
At Slater we were met by some 25 or 30 people at 10 or 11 o'clock at night with urgent invitations to go to their houses but there being eight of us, we waited until next morning when the home of Judge Rich (& others) was opened to us, & where many friends came to see Dr. Reid & to bring us their sympathy. We will never forget their kindness.
Not by any means do I mean to imply, by quoting the above testimonials, that Dr. Reid was literally "the best man that ever lived" for there are many, many good men, but these were the spontaneous utterances of those who knew him intimately & are an index to his true, everyday life.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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