Butler County Mo Biographies DR. JAMES LEE HARWELL By David B. Deem Submitted by: Sherry Link 2003 Deem’s History of Butler County Missouri by David Bruce Deem, Probate Judge, Butler County, MO DR. JAMES LEE HARWELL A descendant of one of the first pioneers of Butler county and one of the most highly respected members of the medical profession in the county is Dr. James Lee Harwell, the son of James Houston and Sarah Catherine Agee Harwell who was born on a farm five and one half miles southeast of Hendrickson on March 29, 1874. Dr. Harwell’s grandfather, William Agee, was a member of a family that migrated to the county from Virginia several generations back. The Agee community and school house were named after William Agee. Dr. Harwell was reared on his father’s farm and, upon completion of his grade school education in the rural schools of his district, passed a teacher’s examination and was given a certificate on which he taught the Davidson school near Wilby for five years. At the end of his fifth year as a teacher he was accepted as a student at the American Medical College in St. Louis because of his unusual record as a school teacher. Dr. Harwell received his degree in 1906, was licensed by the State Board of Health and returned to Hendrickson where he started his practice and remained for 15 years. He came to Poplar Bluff and established an office in the old William Ferguson building on Vine Street in 1918 where he remained until 1935 when he became associated with his son, Dr. J. Lester Harwell, and moved to their offices in the Dalton building. Dr. Harwell, always interested in new discoveries in his profession, has taken several post graduate courses since his graduation. He attended Tulane in 1918 and 1920, St. Louis University in 1914, Chicago Post Graduate School of Medicine in 1926 and Washington University in 1927 and 1929. Dr. Harwell was married to Miss Lula Magill, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Henry Magill of Hendrickson in October 1905. They had two children Mrs. Haskell Foard of Poplar Bluff and Glen Allen Harwell who is married, resides at Osceloa, Mo., and is employed as State Sanitary Engineering supervisor for 1- Central Missouri counties. Dr. Harwell’s first wife died in 1905. Two years later he married his first wife’s sister, Miss Dora Magill. They have one son, Dr. J. Lester Harwell, Poplar Bluff physician and surgeon who was educated at Washington University’s Medical Colmon’s Tuberculosis Hospital in Denver, Colo. Dr. Harwell was a member of the local Masonic lodge, the Eastern Star, the I. O. O. F. and the Rebekah lodges. Dr. Harwell is a loyal attendant of the Baptist church and has been a member of the Men’s Bible Class since 1918. He is a former president of the Southeast Missouri Medical Society, the oldest medical organization in the state; a former president of the Electric Medical Society and was president of the Butler County Medical Society for 7 years. When he came to the city Dr. Harwell bought a home at 944 Oak street where he lived for 22 years before moving to his new home at 1407 North Main street in January 1940. Dr. Harwell’s main hobbies are his grandchildren, J. Larry Harwell, son of Dr. and Mrs. J. Lester Harwell and Sherra Do and Edward Lee Foard, children of Mrs. and Mrs. Haskell Foard. [Note: the year of marriage and death date of Dr. Harwell’s first wife, Lulu conflicts … upon further investigation – they applied for their marriage license 10 October 1901 (Book 10, page 175) Lulu (Magill) Harwell was b. 8 Jan 1880 & d. 25 Mar 1905 is buried at the Old Military Crossing Cemetery in the northern area of Butler County.] ************************************************************************ PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non- commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. Unauthorized use for commercial ventures expressly prohibited. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ******************************************************************