Originally published to facebook.com/NorthPlattePL on September 9, 2022.
Welcome back to another Facebook Friday History!
Welcome back to our Facebook Friday history! Today’s post looks back at a Nebraskan WWI veteran who became a prominent doctor and surgeon in our community.
John Shaffer Simms was born on November 24, 1883 in Alma, Nebraska to B. M. and Alice (Schick) Simms. Mr. Simms came to Nebraska in 1879 and owned a drug store in Alma, and later in Hastings, Nebraska. John’s education is shown through the following:
- 1901, graduation from Alma High School;
- 1903, attended Omaha College of Pharmacy;
- 1909 graduation from the University of Nebraska; and finally,
- 1911, graduation from Rush Medical College. He served as intern in the Cook County Hospital for 18 months in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1912, John married Fenne Beeler. They lived at 403 S Sycamore Street in North Platte. Fenne Beeler Simms was an accomplished woman in her own right and held a PHD (as noted on her headstone). They had four children together:
- Alice Ruth Simms (1915-1989). Born in North Platte. Buried in Whittier, California.
- John S Simms Jr (1917-1984). Born in North Platte. Buried in Kauai Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe, Hawaii.
- Thomas C Simms (Nov 2, 1918-Jan 9, 1921). Born in North Platte, died at age 2 years, 2 months, and 7 days. Born while Dr. Simms was fighting in WWI. Sadly, his mother was ill and convalescing in Shreveport, Louisiana with her sister. The baby was sick with diphtheria and although his mother rushed back to North Platte, baby Thomas died before she arrived. Due to the contagiousness of diphtheria, the funeral was private. Thomas is buried in the North Platte Cemetery.
- Betty Ann Simms (1922-1938). Born in North Platte. Betty died at age 15 in California and is buried in Whittier, California.
During World War I, Dr. John S. Simms served for ten months in France at Base Hospital No. 49 in the surgical service representing the University of Nebraska Unit. He entered service in February 1918 and was discharged May 20, 1919. This link is entirely about the importance of the Base Hospital No. 49 and from the Winter 2017 issue of Nebraska History (Vol. 98, No. 4): https://history.nebraska.gov/…/2017-4-Base_Hospital.pdf
After the war, Dr. Simms returned to his practice in North Platte. He opened an office in the Keith theatre building.
By 1924, Dr. John S Simms had sold his practice to Dr. M. B. Wilcox and moved the family to Bellflower, California. He continued his surgical practice and enjoyed his patients, as well as the medical advancements
that came during this time period (namely penicillin, sulfa drugs, the iron lung, the development of the electroencephalograph (EEG), early detection of cancer, and more.
Dr. John S. Simms died in 1946, age 62/63 in Bellflower, California (a suburb of Los Angeles. A large recreation park area was named for Dr. John S Simms in Bellflower, California because of his dedication to medicine and the patients in his community. No matter where he lived, he had an impact on the communities he lived in.
Thank you for reading!
