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Dr Simon W. Riddel

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Dr Simon W. Riddel

Birth
Calhoun County, West Virginia, USA
Death
9 May 1956 (aged 86)
Grantsville, Calhoun County, West Virginia, USA
Burial
Grantsville, Calhoun County, West Virginia, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Early Calhoun County, West Virginia physician. Married to Hettie Wolverton Riddel. Cpl. Simon W. Riddle, 1898 Spanish-American War, Co. A, 2nd W. Va. Volunteers. (Unknown where medical degree was obtained from.)

Known Children of William Simon and Hettie (Wolverton) Riddle.

(1). James Riddel.
(2). Clyde Riddel.
(3). Forrest "Pete" Riddel.

Household Record 1880 United States Census
------------------------------------------------------------
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Benj. F. RIDDEL Self M Male W41 VA Physician & Surgeon VAVA
Delia RIDDEL Wife Female W31VAKeeping HouseVAVA
Emma RIDDELDauS Female W12 WVAt HomeVAVA
Simon RIDDEL Son SMale W10 WVAt HomeVAVA
Electra G. RIDDEL Dau S Female W8WVVAVA
Dora G. RIDDEL DauS Female leW7WVVAVA
Nancy A. RIDDEL Dau S Female W5WVVAVA
John G. RIDDEL Son S Male W1WVVAVA
John G. RIDDEL Father M MaleW70 VA F arme rVAVA
Nancy RIDDEL Mother M Female W66 VA Keeping House VAVA
Oscar S. RIDDEL Cousin S Male W47 VA Druggist VAVA
--------------------------------------
Source Information:
Census Place Sheridan, Calhoun, West Virginia
Family History Library Film1255401
NA Film NumberT9-1401
Page Number273A

Death certificate states Dr. Riddel was the son of Benjamin and Madelia Ferrell Riddel. Was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Lived in Grantsville WV. Died of infirmities of old age.

Article From The Online Only Calhoun County Newspaper The Hur Herald. 01/12/18

Dr. Simon Riddle (1870-1956) was a man of many talents

By Bob Weaver

Dr. Simon Riddle was a Calhoun character that practiced medicine at Mt. Zion, Arnoldsburg and Grantsville for 50 years, making house calls by horse, on foot and later in a dilapidated Model T Ford.

Born in 1870, he served in the Spanish-American War and died at age 86 in 1956. He is buried in Bethlehem Cemetery.
Ollie "Bill" Umstead said that Riddle had the first hospital in the county at Mt. Zion, likely in the IOOF Lodge Hall building. "It was not much as hospitals are known today, but Doc had patients," wrote Umstead, the hospital had steam baths.
"Doc had some kind of metal boxes into which he would put a patient, turn on the fire with only their heads sticking out. He would cook them for a while," Umstead said, saying the steam treatment helped lots of people in the community.
The Doc would keep people in his hospital for two weeks for $25, which included meals, medicine and the doctor's attention.
Umstead admitted in an article he did in the 1970s, that he liked visiting the hospital to "keep the pretty young nurse company."
"He did surgery on Lawson Stump in the crude hospital, and he lived to be 90," said Umstead.
He recalled the doctor was a jack-of-all-trades, "a good mechanic, carpenter, and above average artist."
"He loved good horses, good bird dogs, and guns," Umstead said, treasuring his memories of hunting and going on calls with the doctor,
"The doctor's old Model T was a lemon. I sometimes cranked on it until I was blue in the face," he recalled, "when I was not shoving it."
"Doc was not a temperance man, by any means," said Umstead. "He liked his julep."
A well-worn story about Dr. Riddle involved him taking a nap in a casket stored in the hospital building. A patient was looking for the doctor to be startled by finding him "sleeping it off" inside a coffin.
Umstead, who spent much of his youth with the doctor, concluded "He was a great fellow, delivered and saved many lives."
Riddle married Hettie Wolverton and had three children, James, Clyde and Forrest (Pete).
After the Civil War, most every Calhoun community had a "doctor," but many of them obtained a short-order license from a so-called medical school, while some of them actually did graduate from a medical college.
Exactly what Riddle's status was is unclear.
Early Calhoun County, West Virginia physician. Married to Hettie Wolverton Riddel. Cpl. Simon W. Riddle, 1898 Spanish-American War, Co. A, 2nd W. Va. Volunteers. (Unknown where medical degree was obtained from.)

Known Children of William Simon and Hettie (Wolverton) Riddle.

(1). James Riddel.
(2). Clyde Riddel.
(3). Forrest "Pete" Riddel.

Household Record 1880 United States Census
------------------------------------------------------------
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Benj. F. RIDDEL Self M Male W41 VA Physician & Surgeon VAVA
Delia RIDDEL Wife Female W31VAKeeping HouseVAVA
Emma RIDDELDauS Female W12 WVAt HomeVAVA
Simon RIDDEL Son SMale W10 WVAt HomeVAVA
Electra G. RIDDEL Dau S Female W8WVVAVA
Dora G. RIDDEL DauS Female leW7WVVAVA
Nancy A. RIDDEL Dau S Female W5WVVAVA
John G. RIDDEL Son S Male W1WVVAVA
John G. RIDDEL Father M MaleW70 VA F arme rVAVA
Nancy RIDDEL Mother M Female W66 VA Keeping House VAVA
Oscar S. RIDDEL Cousin S Male W47 VA Druggist VAVA
--------------------------------------
Source Information:
Census Place Sheridan, Calhoun, West Virginia
Family History Library Film1255401
NA Film NumberT9-1401
Page Number273A

Death certificate states Dr. Riddel was the son of Benjamin and Madelia Ferrell Riddel. Was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Lived in Grantsville WV. Died of infirmities of old age.

Article From The Online Only Calhoun County Newspaper The Hur Herald. 01/12/18

Dr. Simon Riddle (1870-1956) was a man of many talents

By Bob Weaver

Dr. Simon Riddle was a Calhoun character that practiced medicine at Mt. Zion, Arnoldsburg and Grantsville for 50 years, making house calls by horse, on foot and later in a dilapidated Model T Ford.

Born in 1870, he served in the Spanish-American War and died at age 86 in 1956. He is buried in Bethlehem Cemetery.
Ollie "Bill" Umstead said that Riddle had the first hospital in the county at Mt. Zion, likely in the IOOF Lodge Hall building. "It was not much as hospitals are known today, but Doc had patients," wrote Umstead, the hospital had steam baths.
"Doc had some kind of metal boxes into which he would put a patient, turn on the fire with only their heads sticking out. He would cook them for a while," Umstead said, saying the steam treatment helped lots of people in the community.
The Doc would keep people in his hospital for two weeks for $25, which included meals, medicine and the doctor's attention.
Umstead admitted in an article he did in the 1970s, that he liked visiting the hospital to "keep the pretty young nurse company."
"He did surgery on Lawson Stump in the crude hospital, and he lived to be 90," said Umstead.
He recalled the doctor was a jack-of-all-trades, "a good mechanic, carpenter, and above average artist."
"He loved good horses, good bird dogs, and guns," Umstead said, treasuring his memories of hunting and going on calls with the doctor,
"The doctor's old Model T was a lemon. I sometimes cranked on it until I was blue in the face," he recalled, "when I was not shoving it."
"Doc was not a temperance man, by any means," said Umstead. "He liked his julep."
A well-worn story about Dr. Riddle involved him taking a nap in a casket stored in the hospital building. A patient was looking for the doctor to be startled by finding him "sleeping it off" inside a coffin.
Umstead, who spent much of his youth with the doctor, concluded "He was a great fellow, delivered and saved many lives."
Riddle married Hettie Wolverton and had three children, James, Clyde and Forrest (Pete).
After the Civil War, most every Calhoun community had a "doctor," but many of them obtained a short-order license from a so-called medical school, while some of them actually did graduate from a medical college.
Exactly what Riddle's status was is unclear.

Gravesite Details

AKA William Simon Riddle in some family history records.



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  • Created by: Rosa Nutt
  • Added: Aug 13, 2012
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95322853/simon_w-riddel: accessed ), memorial page for Dr Simon W. Riddel (16 Mar 1870–9 May 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 95322853, citing Bethlehem Cemetery, Grantsville, Calhoun County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by Rosa Nutt (contributor 47824688).