Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Spinney, Dr. Andrew B. February 13, 1920
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Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com February 20, 2014, 2:35 pm

Belding Banner - Wed. Feb. 18, 1920

FORMER SANITARIUM HEAD IS TAKEN BY DEATH

DR. A.B. SPINNEY DIES AT IONIA WHERE HE HAS SPENT PAST FEW YEARS

Dr. Andrew B. Spinney, aged 84 years and one of the last, if not the very last 
of the old time traveling doctors of the state, died at his home in Ionia, 
Friday, where he had been living for the past two years after having given up 
his practice owing to the infirmities of old age which began to creep in and 
take possession of him.

Dr. Spinney was perhaps at one time the best known physician in the state,- 
having traveled extensively throughout his younger and more active days and had 
perhaps visited practically every known city, town or hamlet in Michigan and 
had at one time built up a considerable transient business in his line. In the 
earlier days he advertised extensively and when he arrived at a place for a 
regular stop, he was always awaited by a crown of patients who had gathered 
there for treatment. 

Following his traveling for many years, Dr. Spinney operated a sanitarium at 
Reed City. After this burned he came to this city and purchased the old hotel 
at Cooks Corners and operated his sanitarium there until that also burned. He 
then went to Smyrna and established himself in the old hotel building there and 
finally gave up the business and went over to Ionia, apparently to await the 
end. While residing at Cooks Corners and operating the sanitarium there, Dr. 
Spinney’s wife died and some time after he married again. 

Dr. Spinney ran across most of his patients while away on his traveling trips 
and sent them to his sanitarium for treatment. He usually spent his time away 
from home and left his institution in charge of some physician whom he could 
get to come and run a place of that kind. The cases were as a rule of a 
venereal or confinement nature and several investigations resulted from time to 
time as a result of complaints which were made against the way the inmates in 
the institution were treated, complaints being made both by the people living 
in the neighborhood and sometimes by the inmates themselves. The sanitariums as 
conducted were not considered as a desirable asset and as a rule it was with a 
feeling of satisfaction that the people of a community heard that the doctor 
and his rather notorious institution were going to move from the vicinity, 
owing to a fire having burned them out or for some other cause.

The writer remembers several investigations which were made into the affairs of 
the Spinney sanitarium and while nothing was ever done in any of the cases 
still the notoriety which the physician and his staff of assistants received 
through the affair was unwelcome and served to detract from any popularity or 
good will which they may have held in the community before that time. 

We remember one case in particular where a young girl had gone to the 
institution and was required to work at certain labor in the place until her 
bill was paid. While there the attending and head physicians tried to get the 
young girl mother to give her baby away. With a true mother love she refused 
and trouble arouse between her and the chief physician and the young girl 
invariably got the worst of the argument. Harvey Simmons had some distant 
relative being treated at the sanitarium for an injury which he had sustained 
to his head some years ago and he saw much of what was going on and when Harvey 
visited his cousin the latter told him of the case and how the girl was being 
treated by those over her.

Just how she left the hospital was not known but the next morning she was safe 
with her baby in the Harvey Simmons home in this city with Mr. and Mrs. Simmons 
playing the Good Smaritan to herself and child. The shrewd physician over at 
the sanitarium ferreted her hiding place out and because she had taken a 
blanket which really belonged to the hospital with her in which to wrap her 
baby when she left, she was charged with theft of goods valued at a great deal 
more than the rag which she had taken could possibly have been appraised at. 
The court, after hearing the evidence in the case dismissed it and gave the 
physician the ragged blanket back. It was laughable to see him take the 
paretically worthless stuff and carefully pack and fold it and take it back 
with him. Local people who had become interested in the girl took pity on her 
and raised a sum of money and after getting her some clothes bought her a 
railroad ticket to her home in the southern part of the state and the last 
report which came from her was she was married, had a fine home and was the 
proud and happy mother of several children.

Dr. Spinney’s funeral was held Saturday afternoon at two o’clock. It was 
private and burial was in Highland Park cemetery. He is survived by his wife 
and two children, a son, living at Alto, and a daughter living at home. 




Additional Comments:
Highland Park Cemetery Sec. 5#47

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