John Paul Ingels

 

1936 Directory of the City of DeSoto, Jefferson Co., MO

Dr. J.P. Ingles, Osteopath, Tel. 24, 120 A. S. Main

 

Obituary Notice, Unknown newspaper clipping

Ingels, Dr. J.P., Aug. 29, 1951, DeSoto, Mo., beloved husband of Cecelia Ingels, dear son of Mrs. Adelia Ingels of Springfield, Ill, our dear father and brother. Body in state at Mothershead Funeral Home, DeSoto, Mo., from 7 p.m. Thurs, until 12 noon Sat. Funeral service private.

 

John Paul Ingels

(by George Keane)

The year 1933 was one of the worst of the Great Depression.  It was a hard time to launch a career in any business, but Dr. J. Paul Ingels had to undertake that task. Paul and Cecelia Barbee had married in 1929 and Paul enrolled in the Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery. Graduation in January 1933 forced the big question “Where to go?” The talk among the students was that Oklahoma was a good place to practice as it had nice, progressive towns.  However a letter sent to the college from DeSoto, Missouri told of a need for a physician. Dr. and Mrs. Ingels came to look the place over and found that there was no shortage of doctors in DeSoto. They also looked at Potosi and Festus. 

 

Paul and Cecelia were raised in Auburn, Illinois, a place where the ground was flat, but by now the shock of seeing the Missouri hills had worn off. Dr. Ingels opened an office in Festus at the north east corner of Main and Mill, above the Farmer’s and Merchants Bank. Of this Cecelia said “We were contented in Festus and probably would never have left as it was expensive to move around.  In the depression days it wasn’t easy to start anything, let alone a medical practice.” However, because of an offer made by a doctor in DeSoto, they did leave.  The doctor needed an assistant, so in May 1933 Dr. Ingels moved his practice to DeSoto to join her.  By August the doctor noticed that patients were asking to see Dr. Ingels in preference to her. She told Dr. Ingels she would attend a convention in August and he was to care for her patients, but that when she returned, the partnership would end - implying that he was expected to leave town.  That being too many moves to suit Paul and Cecelia, he left then and there and started his own practice.  He established an office and shared a waiting room with Dr. Hoffee, a dentist. 

 

In December Paul and Cecelia had their first child. Dr. Elders delivered and Mrs. Herrin was the nurse. The practice continued to grow. The family lived on Main Street in a combination office and living quarters over Gillman’s Dress Shop.  This was a very handy arrangement for Dr. Ingels. Paul felt that another Osteopath would be good and that they could cooperate with each other.  After writing to Kirksville, their friend, Dr. Pierce, arrived.  Shortly afterwards Dr. Owen set up a practice.

 

By December, 1935 a second daughter was born with Dr. Pierce as the assistant and Mrs. Soloman the nurse. In 1938 the family moved to Second Street and a new office was established in the Commercial Hotel next to Bisplinghoff’s drug store.  Paul and Cecelia wanted to own their own home, but even though the practice was doing very well, there was little cash available. This was a time when some patients had to pay with produce, chickens, butter, eggs and other wonderful things. These were gladly accepted but it was not cash. They managed to buy a small house on Third Street and fixed it up for an initial outlay of $500.   In February, 1942 a third daughter was born.  This time Dr. Meehan of Festus assisted.

 

Between 1941 and 1951 things changed fast. The Third Street property was sold and Cecelia’s dream came true when in 1944 they bought the remodeled Munroe house at 307 South Fourth Street. It was a tough time to remodel a house because of the WWII shortages, but eventually Dave Lewis got it finished. The war years put a heavy burden on doctors because many were put in the army. Dr. Ingels cared for the needs of southern Jefferson County as well as DeSoto. He worked day and night and always had an overflowing office as well as house calls and baby deliveries. In 1945 Dr. Ingels built a new office at 314 South Main Street, which provided apartments upstairs and medical offices at street level for his practice, as well as for Drs. T. Ben Turnbough and Victor Mueller.

 

The doctor was very happy working in the new office and making house calls. By now he had specialized in delivering babies. In 1946 another daughter was born to them with Dr. Meehan again assisting.

 

The family was well established in a new home with four daughters and a growing medical practice and enjoying life. The doctor also served as a school director and president of the school board, was a Rotary Club member and a member of Masonic Lodge 119. A friend related her earliest recollections of Dr. Ingels. “He always attended morning worship at the First Baptist Church in DeSoto sitting with his daughters in their pretty Sunday dresses, while Cecelia operated the church nursery for new babies.”

 

In October 1949 Dr. Ingels had a heart attack that prevented him from working until June 1950. Slowly he returned to work but on August 29, 1951, he returned home feeling ill and in the evening suffered another heart attack. Dr. McKinstry was called and did all that could be done.  Doctor Ingels died that evening at the age of 45.

 

    DR. J. P. INGELS DIES SUDDENLY AT HOME AUGUST 29.

    Was Prominent in Civil and School Affairs Set up Practice in 1933

         Created by DPE, Copyright IRIS 2005

Services for Dr. J. P. Ingels, 45, prominent and successful citizen of DeSoto, were Saturday

afternoon, Sept. 1, at Mothershead Funeral Home, conducted by Dr. E. A. Forderhase, pastor

of First Baptist Church. Burial was in Woodlawn Park. Dr. Ingels died at his home, 307 South

Fourth, Wednesday evening August 29, after recurrence of a heart ailment. He suffered a

severe attack two years ago, but recovered remarkably and resumed his practice. Though not

feeling as well as in former years, he was not critically ill until a few hours before his

death.

 

Surviving are Mrs. Ingels, their four daughters, Mary Jane, Carol Ann, Paula and Nancy, all

of the home; his mother, Mrs. Adela Ingels; one brother Arthur Ingels of Springfield, Ill., three sisters, Mrs. Harry Boone and Mrs. John Kirman, both of Springfield and Mrs. Otis Byers of Chatham, Ill. An osteopathic physician, Dr. Ingels had been practicing in DeSoto since 1933, a short time after completing college. For several years his office was in the Commercial Hotel building. In 1945 he constructed the building at 314 South Main which housed his office and that of Drs. T. Ben Tumbaugh and Victor Mueller.

 

Dr. Ingels took an active interest in civic affairs and participated as a school director, and a member of the Rotary    Club. He was president of the school board three years ago. He was a member of the First Baptist Church. His membership in Masonic orders included Lodge 119, A.F.& A.M. Copestone Chapter No.33, Royal Arch Masons and the Knights Templar DeSoto, and Moolah Temple of the Shrine, St. Louis.

 

Dr. Ingels was born in Glenarm Ill., on March 19, 1906, the son of John and Adela Ingels. He completed high school in Illinois and attended Brown Business College in Springfield, Illinois, after which he was employed for two years at the First National Bank of Springfield. Later he attended Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery. He first set up practice in Festus and a short time later moved to DeSoto.

 

He was married on June 1, 1929, to Miss Cecelia Barbee of Auburn, Ill. at Quincy. The site of the old Munroe Home on South Fourth St. erected by one of the city's leading businessmen of former years, became the location of the Ingels' residence about seven years ago. The large frame residence was remodeled by Dave Lewis into a modern house, and on its completion was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Ingels. They continued with the development of the grounds, making the property one of the city's most attractive residences.

This obituary appeared in the Jefferson Republic newspaper of September 6, 1951, DeSoto, Missouri, and was written by owner and editor Lewis Roop.