Jesse Franklin Donnell
Jesse was born
Son of Eliel Foster Donnell and Laura
Catharine
Married Bonita Hayden Gulick
Buried
State Board of Health Certificates
Jesse F. Donnell,
State Board of Health Certificates
Jesse Franklin
Donnell 1891
1900 Census, Festus, Jefferson Co.,
Dr. Jesse F. Donnell, Physician, Sep 1869, Age 30, Single (living in the household of his brother, Wm., and his wife Kate)
Russell Funk abt 1870 Missouri Boarder
Dr. Jess DONNELL hied himself to
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Jesse F. DONNELL, M.D. - Physician
and Surgeon, Hematite, MO
Doctor’s Permits to Prescribe Ethyl Alcohol and Wine 1922-33
Jesse F. Donnell,
PPG Death Records
J.F. Donnell (as signing physician)
Centennial history of Missouri: (the center state) one
hundred ..., Volume 4
By Walter Barlow Stevens
JESSE FRANKLIN DONNELL, M. D. - A prominent physician of Crystal City is
Dr. Jesse Franklin Dounell who has been practicing there since 1893. He has
built up an extensive and lucrative general practice and is readily acknowledged
one of the foremost members of his profession in Jefferson county.
Dr. Jesse F. Donnell was born at Hematite, September 10, 1868, a son of Eli
Foster Donnell who is now residing in Festus. James Donnell, the grandfather of
our subject, was born in North Carolina in 1786 and when Just a boy removed with
his parents to Tennessee. While still a young man in company with his two
brothers, Eli and Thomas, he went on horseback to what is now Washington county,
arriving there in 1800. Thomas became a Presbyterian minister and established a
Presbyterian church at Caledonia, being the first of that denomination west of
the Mississippi. He also engaged in farming. The other two brothers, James and
Eli, moved to Jefferson county, James settling on the Joachim in Valle township,
afterward removing to Plattln township, near Rush Tower, where he resided until
his death, March 5, 1845. James Donnell was one of the foremost farmers and
influential citizens of Jefferson county and his death came as a severe blow to
his community. He was a veteran of the Black Hawk war, his father of the War of
1812, and his grandfather of the Revolutionary war.
The paternal grandmother of our subject was born in one of the eastern states
and in 1792 removed with her parents to Indiana and subsequently to Jefferson
county. Her death occurred in 1839. At an early day Eli F. Donnell was thrown
upon his own resources by the death of his parents but managed to obtain all of
the education possible at that time. He engaged in such work as he could find
and for some time hauled lead from the Washington Company mines to the
Mississippi with three yoke of oxen. When twenty years of age he crossed the
plains to California and was six months making the trip. For three and one-half
years he remained in that state and then returned to Jefferson county by way of
Central America and New York. He was extremely fond of travel and soon after his
return home made a trip through Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and the territories.
On the 9th of April, 1856, Eli F. Donnell was united in marriage to Miss Laura
England, the daughter of James and Margaret England of Plattin township. She
died on the llth of December, 1884, leaving seven children of whom Dr. Jesse F.
Donnell is the sixth in order of birth. Eli F. Donnell resided in Plattin
township until 1868, where with a brother-in-law he engaged in the wood and
merchandise business in addition to farming for a period of two years. He then
retired to his farm where he engaged extensively in stock dealing and raising.
He is now making his home in Festus.
The education of Dr. Jesse F. Donnell was received in the public schools of
Jefferson county, until he was nineteen. Then he worked on his father's (arm as
he did also while in school. In 1889 he went to St. Louis and entered the
Beaumont Hospital Medical College from which institution he was gradutaed in
1891 with the degree of M. D. He practiced at Hematite for eighteen months and
took post-graduate work in Washington University Medical School in 1892,
graduating in April, 1893. In the fall of that year he located in Festus where
he commenced his practice and at the same time entered into the drug business
with John R. Funk as Donnell & Funk. His interest in this business he soon
afterward sold out to Mr. Funk and about 1910 removed to Crystal City where he
still resides. His practice has always been of a general nature and he is
particularly interested in obstetrics. Dr. Donnell has attended the birth of
over some two thousand children. In addition to his professional duties Dr.
Donnell is president of the Donnell Milk Company of St. Louis which is a modern
and sanitary milk plant conducted on a large scale. He owns the controlling
interest in the Festus Drug Company, is president of the Festus Telephone
Company and in the financial circles of his former home is also prominent, being
vice president and director of the Farmers & Merchants Bank. He operates a
plantation of twelve hundred and fifty-nine acres in Louisiana where he raises
cotton as well as stock and diversified farm products.
On the 30th of December, 1912, Dr. Donnell was united in marriage to Miss Bonlta
H. Gulick, a daughter of William H. and Dosha (Page) Gulick, residents of Paris.
Texas. Mrs. Gulick was born near Kansas City. The Pages are of English descent
and can trace their family history back for more than six hundred years. They
have resided in Missouri for many years. Two children have been born to the
union of Dr. and Mrs. Donnell: Catherine Page and Laura Anne.
Since age conferred upon Dr. Donnell the right of franchise he has been a stanch
supporter of the democratic party and the principles for which it stands. He has
served as committeeman on various committees and has been tendered many
nominations, which he always refused. His religious faith is (liar of the
Methodist church, while his wife is a consistent member of the Church of Christ.
Fraternally Dr. Donnell is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias having
membership in Jefferson Lodge, No. 151, of Festus. His father is a prominent
Mason and is a charter member of Shekinah Lodge, No. 256, of Festus. As an
associate of those organizations calculated to bring about the progress and
unification of the medical profession Dr. Donnell is a member of the Jefferson
County Medical Society, which organization he is serving as president; of the
American Medical Association; and the Missouri State Medical Association, and he
has lectured on general medicine in one of the medical colleges of St. Louis. He
is a great lover of fine horses and owns some trotters and pacers at this time.
Being much interested in literature he is a great reader and acquires most of Us
recreation in this manner. In addition to his general practice Dr. Donnell is
associate surgeon for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, local surgeon for the
Frisco Railroad and the Mississippi River Railroad. As a loyal American citizen
he was very active during the World war and gave of his time to service on
county and local boards.
Jefferson County Press Feb. 9, 1937 - J. R. Funk writes........
"The first telephone line from Festus to Crystal City was private and extended from Dr. Donnell's office in the drug store in the east side of the Thomure building to Dr. J. W. Pickel's office at Crystal City. Service was not very dependable, but we managed to get many messages across.
Howard Litton’s book “Tanglefoot Portrait of a City”
Festus had only been incorporated as a town five years when
in 1893 Dr. J. F. Donnell located
his practice here. He was a graduate of
The Building Trades Journal, Volume 16, No. 6, St. Louis MO, November 15, 1895
"J.F. Donnell, Physician & Surgeon - Locating here in 1893, the doctor has built up a large practice. He is a graduate of Beaumont Medical Hospital and the St. Louis Medical College. The doctor is also a member of the firm of Donnell & Funk, druggist, who carry a complete line of drugs and toilet articles."
Tri City Independent Aug. 21, 1947
Funeral services for Dr. J.F. Donnell of Crystal City, who died at 12:10 a.m.
last Thursday in St. John's Hospital, St. Louis, were conducted at 2 o'clock
Saturday afternoon at Grace Presbyterian Church, with pastor, Rev. W.O. Davis
officiating. Burial was in Festus Methodist Cemetery. Dr. Donnell, who had been
ill since last July, died at 79 years of age. During the 52 years he practiced
medicine here, he held many official positions in the medical, business and
agricultural fields which made his name well known. A native of Jefferson County
he was born and reared near Hematite, the son of the late Eli and Mrs. Donnell.
He graduated from the old Beaumont University College now St. Louis University
and Washington University, where he lectured for a year after graduation on
general medicine. He began the active practice of medicine at Hematite but moved
shortly thereafter to this locality. He was a physician for 35 years of the
Frisco Railroad and the old Mississippi River & Bonne Terre Railroad. He was
Crystal City health officer, Jefferson County health officer, president of the
State Medical Society. Dr. Donnell also was known as a distinguished farmer and
dairy man. He had purchased the farm home of his late father and was active in
its operation. Owning what has been said to be one of the best dairy herds in
the County, Dr. Donnell freely gave his intelligence and evergy in championing
the rights of dairy farmers, as he led the organization of the Co-operative Milk
Producers Assc. of Missouri and served as President until health forced him to
retire from office. One of the organizers of the Farmers & Mercantile Bank of
Festus at nearly 40 years of age, her served it as a member of the board of
directors, and an official until the bank was sold to the Citizens Bank in 1928.
Dr. Donnell who owned property in Jefferson County, also possessed a
considerable amount in the vicinity of Monroe, La. He was one of the owners of
Crystal City Drug Co., Crystal City. In addition to his wife, Dr. Donnell is
survived by two daughters, Mrs. Katherine Jones of DeSoto, and Mrs. Anne Baron
of University City. One sister, Miss Alta Donnell also survives. Vinyard Funeral
Directors were in charge of arrangements.