The following unidentified newspaper article was in a collection owned by Lowell Town Historian Richard Schmal:
While Dr. J.W. Iddings, of Lowell, was attending to a patient at St. Margaret's hospital in Hammond a few days ago, someone took a valuable case of surgical instruments out of his automobile, which he had left standing in front of the hospital. When he returned, the doctor discovered his loss and reported the matter to the police at once. The doctor is president of the Lake County Medical Society and is well known all over the county. -- Indiana Courier.
The doctor informs us that he has received word from the police that they have found the case of instruments.
This article from the Lowell Tribune, in Oct. 1952, can also be found in the Clipping Files at Lowell Public Library (LH--Vital Statistics, vol. 2, page 26):
Dr. John W. Iddings Victim of Heart Attack
The unexpected death Tuesday night of Dr. John W. Iddings, 73, brought grief to his host of friends in Lowell and community.
A physician and surgeon in Lake county for 45 years, Dr. Iddings came to Lowell after his graduation from Northwestern Medical School in 1906 and established practice here. Prior to World War I, Dr. B.M. Jewell became his associate and carried on while Dr. Iddings served as a captain in the U.S. Army medical corps.
Dr. and Mrs. Iddings reared their family of four daughters and one son in Lowell, resideing on East Commercial avenue in the lovely home which now houses the Weaver funeral home.
Actively interested in civic affairs Dr. Iddings served as Lowell's health commissioner, and as an officer of the Lowell high school Parent-Teacher's association, was instrumental in obtaining the big addition to L.H.S. which was completed in 1929. Although he had lived in Crown Point for more than 20 years, Dr. Iddings retained a keen interest in Lowell and was an occasional visitor at the Tribune.
Prominent in county medical circles, Dr. Iddings served as president of the Lake County Medical Society for two terms and was a member of the board of governors of the Lake County Tuberculosis Sanitorium from 1925 to 1934. He also served on the State Board of Health. As current president of the Lake County Historical Society, he influenced the group to hold their annual meeting in conjunction with the recent Lowell centennial celebration, held over Labor Day week end.
He was born in Swan, Ind., July 3, 1879. His father, Dr. H.L. Iddings, was a physician in Merrillville.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. in the Crown Point Methodist church. The Rev. Jasper Cox will officiate and burial will be in Maplewood cemetery with Linton and McColly in charge. He will lie in stated at his home on Court street until 11 a.m. Friday.
Dr. Iddings' wife died nine years ago and their eldest daughter, Dorothy, died soon after her graduation from Lowell high school in 1925.
Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. H.M. (Ruth) Moderwell of Evanston, Ill., Mrs. Paul (Jean) Brown of Crown Point, and Mrs. Joseph (Janet) Halla of Chicago; one son, John Jr., of Crown Point; two brothers, Dr. Maurice Iddings of Hammond and Fred of Merrillville, and one sister, Mrs. Harold Roudebush of Fort Benton, Mont., and 12 grandchildren.
Dr. Iddings' death was the third in his family in the last 4 months. A brother, Harold, who was an all-American football player at the University of Chicago in 1909 and later coach at Carnegie Tech, Kentucky University, Miami University and Thornton Township high school of Harvey, died about two months ago in Westville, Ind. Harold Iddings' twin brother, Harry, had died about two months earlier at Crown Point.
Last updated on March 5, 2009.
Go to John Iddings, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.