Dr. Franklin Petry (1874-1955)
- Dr. Franklin Petry, of Gary, has located in Lowell for the practice of medicine and has opened offices in the second floor of Grant Bros. building. He was formerly located at Thayer and later at Gary.
The following July 6, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 5, column 3:
- Celebrating their recent (?) wedding anniversaries, which fall on the same day, Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Petry and Mr. and Mrs. C.U. Ragon drove to Chicago early the morning of July 4th to attend the broadcast of "The Breakfast Club." Following the broadcast they saw "Rochester," Jack Benny's shadow, as well as the new movie "Home In Indiana."
The following newspaper article, hand-identified as being from the April 7, 1955, Tribune, was found in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal:
Dr. Franklin Petry, Physician Here for 40 Years, Dies
Having administered to his fellowman for more than half a century, Lowell's esteemed family doctor, Franklin Petry, closed his eyes in final rest Sunday, April 3. He had marked his 81st birthday on January 9.In recent years the Doctor and Mrs. Petry had spent the winter seasons at Sarasota, Florida. It was here that Dr. Petry became seriously ill a few weeks ago and was flown to the home of his son, Atty. Franklin Petry in Hebron. He was later moved to Porter Memorial hospital in Valparaiso, where he passed away.
The son of Jacob and Mary Jane (Swoverland) Petry, the doctor was born at Beaver Dam, Ind., in 1874. He was graduated from Chicago School of Medicine in 1901 and practiced his profession in Gary prior to locating in Lowell in 1914. He was affiliated with the Indiana Medical Association.
On May 29, 1905, he claimed Elva East of Wheatfield as his wife, in a ceremony read at Rensselaer.
The doctor was looking forward to the date of April 8, when he would mark 60 years of membership in the Colfax Masonic lodge of Lowell, of which he was a past master.
Masonic graveside rites followed memorial services held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 6, in the Weaver Funeral Home. Rev. E.L. Worley officiated. Interment was made in the Hebron cemetery in charge of John Eskridge.
Members of his bereaved family include his widow and their six children: Atty. Franklin Petry of Hebron, Mrs. Maxine Bates of Vallejo, Calif., Wayne Petry of Chicago, Donald Petry of Bloomington, John Petry of North Judson, and Mrs. Persis Stealy of Muncie; also 14 grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Phiana Thomas of Akron, Ind.; besides a host of friends.
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