SERVICE RECORD OF DR. JOHN J. FYKE
Dr. John J. Fyke was a native of Marion County, having been born in Raccoon Township, known as Tennessee Prairie, on November 17, 1842, the son of J. A. and Margaret (Wilson) Fyke. His mother had the distinction of being the first female white child born in Marion County. He came to Odin in August, 1866, after studying with Dr. Davenport of Salem and graduating from St. Louis and Chicago Medical Colleges. He first lived on a house on Wood street, two houses south of the B&O Railroad tracks, that stood where Elba Eaglin now lives. On September 1, 1867, he was married to Minerva T. Philips, daughter of Thomas and Eliza (Chadwell) Phillips. She was born near Nashville, Tennessee, and came to Marion County with her parent in 1854. To them were born three sons, Edgar E., and Joseph H. and Thomas E. who were twins. They lived on Wood street until the sons grew to young manhood. He opened an office on South Main street, south of the Odin Depot, where all business was located at that time. When Dr. Fyke first came to Odin the population was just 500. During the war years many people passed through and late came back and settled here, until at the end of fifty years, the population had grown to 1500. Also during the war years, the Methodist Parsonage was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers being transferred. He was successful and well loved from the start. About 1885 he and his family moved to a home on Oak street, where he lived the rest of his life. On August 20, 1916, his friend and relatives gathered at his home to honor Dr, Fyke for his fifty years of faithful service to his community, and presented him with a silver loving cup. Dr. Fyke’s oldest sin, Edgar, studied medicine with his father and attended medical college in New York and St. Louis. After his graduation in 1889, he practiced medicine in Odin for five years, then moved to Centralia. Dr Fyke’s younger sons, the Fyke twins J. Harley, and T. Emmet, worked at carious jobs. At the Odin mine; edited the Odin Journal, newspaper; worked as brakemen and conductors for the I.C. Railroad, and farmed in their later years. Dr. and Mrs. Fyke were life-long members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Dr. and his sons were all members of the Masonic Lodge for many years. During his fifty years of practice Dr. Fyke wore out seventy-five horses, and three automobiles, and traveled about 300,000 miles over Marion and surrounding counties, and during that time was away from his office only one week on account of sickness. On November 26, 1916, he passed away at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, following an operation. By Mrs. J. H. Fyke |
