Seth Spry "Doc" Little (1898-1955)

Baby photo	1916 LHS basketball team	1916 LHS junior class
1917 Lowellian staff	1917	1917 LHS hasketball team
1917

A November 9, 1916, Lowell Tribune article (page 6, column 5) about high school events included this excerpt about a party for Seth Little:

A May 24, 1917, article of the Lowell Tribune (page 1, column 2) listed Seth Little as a member of the high school Commencement class of 1917:

High School Commencement

Elsie McConnell
Bethel Haskell
Seth Little
Floyd Vinnedge
Lucile Miller
Nellie Brooks
Elizabeth Miller
Hilda Dahl
Ettie Lee
Lucile Brownell
Vera Bess
Dilwyn Nichols
Lillian Goddard
Violet Hoevet
Herbert Korth
Thelma Hill
Verne Lloyd
Harriet Clark
Clayton Davis
MaeBelle Feeley
Della Wagin
Edward Minninger
Natalie Trump
Rubie Hayhurst
Max Ragon
Milton McKay

The graduating exercises of the class of 1917 of the Lowell High school were held in the Grand theatre last Friday. The large building was filled to its capacity.

When the curtain rose at 8:30 it disclosed the graduates and faculty seated on the stage. The graduates wore the regulation caps and gowns and they presented a most pleasing sight. The stage was beautifully decorated with potted plants and the colors of the class--old gold and blue.

The class of '17 is the largest ever graduated from Lowell High school, there being twenty-six in the class. Twenty-one of the twenty-six attended during the entire four years. This is indeed a good record. The following program was rendered:

High School Chorus

Girls Glee Club

High School Chorus

Each member of the class graduated with high honors and the class is a credit to our town and to the country surrounding Lowell, as it will be seen that just one half of the class was from the country. We extend congratulations to the class of '17 and wish each and every one of them success in whatever calling they may decide on for the future.

The following Jan. 6, 1955, Lowell Tribune article (page 1, column 1) was found in the local history files at the Lowell Public Library (LH--Vital Statistics, vol. 5, page 30):

Seth S. Little, 56, Prominent Farmer, Dies of Heart Attack

Mr. and Mrs. Little had been guests of theiir son-in-law and daughter, Walter and Marjorie Hillsman, in Indianapolis. After attending church, they enjoyed dinner then drove home, stopping at Kentland for supper. He was stricken by the fatal heart attack about an hour after reaching home. Mr. Little had suffered an earlier attack on Labor Day, but had apparently recovered.

A prominent West Creek township farmer Seth Spry Little was born in West Creek on December 28, 1898, the son of a distinguished pioneer family, James H. "Jess" and Elizabeth "Bessie" (Spry) Little. After graduation from high school in 1917 Seth served with the Army during World War I.

In 1921 he was awarded a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Purdue University. While at Purdue, Seth was a member of the Boilermakers' Cross Country team in 1919, '20 and '21. He also held membership in the H___ and Hoof Club and was affiliated with the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Seth's ardent interest in activities about him led him to many positions of leadership. His principal concerns were the furtherance of progressive farming, his church, and community improvement.

A director of farm cooperative enterprises, for 15 years, Mr. Little had been a director of the Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association, representing the counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Pulaski, Marshall, Starke, and Fulton. Only last week he attended a meeting of the board in Indianapolis.

He also represented the Indiana co-op on the board of the Farm Bureau Milling Company, Hammond, and of the Cooperative Plant Goods, Inc., which operates a fertilizer plant at Schererville.

He had long been active in farm organizations of Lake County, serving as a director of the Lake County Farm Bureau Cooperative Assn., Crown Point, for 25 years, and as its vice president and member of the executive committee for most of that time.

In 1932 he was elected president of the Lake County Farm Bureau, a post which he held for two years. He also served for several years as president of the Lake County National Farm Loan Assocaition.

He had been a member of the board of trustees of the Lake Prairie Presbyterian church for several years.

Seth owned and operated a 506 acre farm.

On October 6, 1926, Seth married Florence L. Anderson of Chicago. One daughter, Ruth Janice, died in infancy. His parents, and one brother, Joseph, also preceded him in death.

Survivors include his wife, Florence; two daughters, Mrs. Lee (Betty Ann) Buechler of Hamilton, Ohio, and Mrs. Walter (Marjorie) Hillsman of Indianapolis; two sons, Richard at home, and Gerald of Fort Campbell, Ky. Also one grandson, Mark Buechler; one brother, James E. Little of Lowell; and a sister, Mrs. John Q.(Hester) Adams of Columbia City; besides other relatives and a host of friends and business associates over the state who will sorely miss his valuable advice, as well as his fellowship.

Memorial services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the Sheets funeral home with Rev. Norman Herbert of Mt. Prospect, Ill., former pastor of the Lake Prairie church, officiating. Interment was made in Lake Prairie cemetery.

Last updated on February 23, 2009.

Go to Seth Spry Little, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.

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Seth Spry “Doc” Little (1898-1955)