Charles J. Lavery, M. D. This biography appears on pages 609-611 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm CHARLES J. LAVERY, M. D. Pronounced ability has won distinction for Dr. Charles J. Lavery, for twenty-two and one-half years engaged in the active practice of medicine and surgery in Fort Pierre and now a representative of the profession in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His life, however, has been so varied in its activities, so commendable in purpose and so fruitful in results that to mention him merely as a physician and surgeon would be giving a very one-sided view of a life that has reached out in usefulness along many lines, touching the general interests of society to its material, intellectual, political and moral benefit. Dr. Lavery was born February 5, 1867, in Clinton, Clinton county, New York. His father, John Lavery, was a native of County Armagh, Ireland, but the major portion of his life was spent on this side of the Atlantic and his loyalty to his adopted country was manifest in four and one-half years service as a member of Company A, Ninety-sixth New York Regiment, in the Civil war. He married Jane Coulter, a native of County Mayo, Ireland, and her influence has ever been the guiding spirit and the inspiration in the life of her son Charles. After attending the country schools Dr. Lavery became a student in the high school at Churubusco, New York, and, having determined upon the practice of medicine as a life work, later entered the medical college at Columbus, Ohio, while subsequently be became a student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, Illinois. He was licensed to practice in South Dakota, at Pierre, January 21, 1891, and has since devoted his life to his profession with excellent results. Locating at Fort Pierre, he entered upon active practice and there remained for more than two decades. His ability soon won recognition and his practice steadily grew in volume and in importance. For nearly twenty-three years he was superintendent of the Stanley county board of health and that he enjoyed the confidence and goodwill of his brethren of the medical fraternity is indicated in the fact that he was elected and served for several years as secretary- treasurer of the Fourth District Medical Society of the state. He was also for three years a member of the board of councilors of the State Medical Association and was appointed a delegate to the Pan American Medical Congress in 1903. He was appointed a delegate to the Anti- Tuberculosis Congress at Atlanta, Georgia, in 1895 and appointed delegate to a like congress in Atlantic City in 1907. On the 6th of July, 1907, he received appointment as United States examining surgeon in connection with the bureau of pensions and he has done much important hospital work. He acted as assistant chief of staff and visiting physician and surgeon to St. Mary's Hospital at Pierre for years; was surgeon in chief and consulting physician to the Fort Pierre Hospital when that institution was open and is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Health League. There is no profession so little commercialized as that of the practice of medicine. Physicians and surgeons everywhere are not only engaged in healing disease but are as strenuously engaged in disseminating knowledge that will prevent it. This may seem to react against themselves in their efforts to earn a livelihood through medical and surgical practice but underneath all personal desire for gain on the part of a conscientious physician is the broad humanitarian spirit that ranks first the welfare of his fellowmen. This spirit is lacking in not the least degree in Dr. Lavery, who is in all things progressive and anxious to combine the spirit of disinterested service with the practice of medicine and surgery. He is widely recognized, as well, as a most capable, energetic, enterprising and resourceful business mall and for years was president of the Fort Pierre Business Men's League. He was a director and the vice president of the Fort Pierre National Bank from its organization until 1913, was a director and the vice president of the Great Western Telephone Company and a director and secretary of the Stanley County Creamery Association. In business matters his judgment is sound and his enterprise unfaltering and he thus contributes to public prosperity as well as to individual success. Along many other Lines his spirit of devotion to the general welfare has been manifest. He represented the state of South Dakota at the conservation congress in Sacramento, California, in September, 1907 and he was appointed by the governor of South Dakota to represent the state at the international conservation congress in Washington, D. C., February 18, 1909. He was a member of the Missouri River Navigation Congress in 1910 and was appointed by Governor Robert S. Vessey a delegate to the National Rivers and Harbors Congress at Washington, D. C., December 7, 8 and 9, 1910. It will thus be seen that he is studying the great vital problems before the country and is keeping in touch with the best thinking men of the age. Aside from all this Dr. Lavery is a member of the Episcopal church and served as warden of his church while in Fort Pierre and is now a member of the vestry of St. Mark's church at Aberdeen. In polities he has been a republican but is now somewhat independent with progressive tendencies and he is a believer in and advocate of the single tax. On the 20th of February, 1895, Dr. Lavery was united in marriage to Mill Matilda Isabella Widmeyer, a sister of Dr. J. P. Widmeyer of Rolla, North Dakota, and Mrs. Robert Rogers of Ottawa, Canada. For his second wife Dr. Lavery chose Margaret Ethel Whitney, a daughter of Dr. J. J. J. Whitney of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, whom he wedded October 14, 1897. Mrs. Lavery's mother, Mrs. J. J. Whitney and her two sisters, Miss Mary L Whitney and Mrs. J. A. McKillip, reside in Fort Pierre. Mrs. Lavery pursued her musical education in the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and is very proficient in that art. By the first marriage there was a son, Ruble St. Elmo, born March 22, 1896, and by the second marriage a daughter, Margaret Anna, born January 14, 1904. Dr. Lavery removed from Fort Pierre to Aberdeen, September 1, 1913, and a short time before his departure, a reception was tendered him by about fifty of his fellow townsmen who gathered in the Masonic Hall and gave utterance to their feeling of regret over his departure and spoke of the high esteem in which he was uniformly held in Fort Pierre. On that occasion he was also presented with a Masonic watch charm. The local paper said: "Dr. Charles J. Lavery has for many years been one of the busiest and most self-sacrificing men of the state. He is not merely an eminent physician and successful surgeon, for, while due credit and honor are given him along these lines, he is also a broad-gauged man of affairs who has spent years in evolving plans for his state and the northwest which will mean much to future generations. It would be selfishness indeed to express regret that the sphere of usefulness for this splendid citizen is about to broaden, not only in his profession but along so many other lines for which his untiring efforts through the busy years have developed his capabilities, and the Fairplay editor, having enjoyed close association with Dr. Lavery for nearly thirteen years, and with a full realization of the deep personal loss which this move means, wishes him the success in his new field which he so richly deserves, feeling sure that the people of Aberdeen will recognize his ability and splendid qualities and that a place of prominence awaits him." It was soon after this that Dr. Lavery removed to Aberdeen, where he is now located and there he is meeting with the success which his talents and his ambition merit. He is widely known in fraternal as well as professional and business circles. He became one of the charter members of Hiram Lodge, No. 123, A. F. & A. M., of Fort Pierre, of which he was the first treasurer and again filled that office in 1901. He was likewise its worshipful master for two years and is now senior grand steward in the Grand Lodge of South Dakota. He is also a member of Aberdeen Chapter, No. 14, R. A. M.; Damascus Commandery, No. 10, K. T., at Aberdeen; South Dakota Consistory, No. 4, S. P. R. S., of Aberdeen, South Dakota; and Yelduz Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Aberdeen, South Dakota. He is likewise identified with Aberdeen Lodge, No. 49, I. O. O. F., and Aberdeen Encampment, No. 22; Lodge No. 30, A. O. U. W.; Camp No. 5215, M. W. A.; Aberdeen Lodge, No. 55, K. P.; and Aberdeen Lodge, No. 1046, B. P. O. E. He also belongs to Aberdeen Lodge, No. 590, Loyal Order of Moose, of which he is lodge physician and surgeon. The specific and distinctive office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave the perpetual record establishing his position by the consensus of opinion on the part of his fellowmen. Judged by this standard, Dr. Lavery is one of the eminent citizens of the state. His life has been so varied in its activities and so effective in its results as to leave a deep impress upon the history of the state, while the regard in which he is uniformly held attests his personal popularity and the attractiveness of his most marked characteristics.