DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Correspondence to Bess Peebles Fox on the death of Walter H. Fox, February-December 1919

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Correspondence to Bess Peebles Fox on the death of Walter H. Fox, February-December 1919

1919-09-21 Page 1

Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
September 21, 1919
My dear Mrs. Fox,
I should apologize to you for not having written you before, but in the first place your letter was considerably delayed, and there with all our traveling it was hard to find time to really write a letter.
We were all shocked when we heard that Dr. Fox had passed away, for he seemed so hale and hearty when we saw him last in Rome. In Paris I had the good fortune to do a little special work in Anatomy with the doctor, and his knowledge of the subject was a great source of admiration for many of us. His work in surgery at A.R.C.M.H-No 5 was very fine.
After the armistice and some moving about we went to Rome to-gether and spent about ten days there. We admired many of the old ruins to-gether, and the Coliseum appealed to the Doctor especially. 
From Rome our courses divided, Dr. Fox going north, and some of us South. 
I heard nothing from the north then, except of the death several months later. It certainly was a sad blow to us who had known the doctor so well, and we felt that he probably had acquired tyhpus, but they informed us later that it had been the pneumonia. When we got to Paris Dr. Davis told us he had written you and had sent a trunk home. He also said they were sending the body home, but I have heard nothing more about it. 
If there is anything I can do for you, or if there are any questions you should like to ask, I will be very glad to give you any information.
I am sure that the entire medical profession especially of the State of Iowa feels your and their loss very keenly in the taking away of a fine, keen man and "friend to mankind", an educated and skillful surgeon.
Very truly yours,
Herman W. Hundling

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Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota September 21, 1919 My dear Mrs. Fox, I should apologize to you for not having written you before, but in the first place your letter was considerably delayed, and there with all our traveling it was hard to find time to really write a letter. We were all shocked when we heard that Dr. Fox had passed away, for he seemed so hale and hearty when we saw him last in Rome. In Paris I had the good fortune to do a little special work in Anatomy with the doctor, and his knowledge of the subject was a great source of admiration for many of us. His work in surgery at A.R.C.M.H-No 5 was very fine. After the armistice and some moving about we went to Rome to-gether and spent about ten days there. We admired many of the old ruins to-gether, and the Coliseum appealed to the Doctor especially. From Rome our courses divided, Dr. Fox going north, and some of us South. I heard nothing from the north then, except of the death several months later. It certainly was a sad blow to us who had known the doctor so well, and we felt that he probably had acquired tyhpus, but they informed us later that it had been the pneumonia. When we got to Paris Dr. Davis told us he had written you and had sent a trunk home. He also said they were sending the body home, but I have heard nothing more about it. If there is anything I can do for you, or if there are any questions you should like to ask, I will be very glad to give you any information. I am sure that the entire medical profession especially of the State of Iowa feels your and their loss very keenly in the taking away of a fine, keen man and "friend to mankind", an educated and skillful surgeon. Very truly yours, Herman W. Hundling