Pike County
Obituaries
Dr. M. O.
Biggs
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Obituary from The Bowling
Green Times, Dr. M. O. Biggs Killed When Hit by Car Dr. M. 0. Biggs, Drominent Louisiana physician and son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Buckner of this city, was fatally, injured about 5 o’clock Sunday afternoon when accidentally struck by an automobile driven by Bonham Freeman, editor of the Bowling Green Times. The accident occurred on Highway 54 about a mile west of Louisiana. Dr. Biggs had parked his car beside the highway and had started across the road to talk to W. A. Reineking, a friend, when hit. As Dr. Biggs started from behind his own car to walk across the highway, Reineking shouted a warning but Dr. Biggs failed to hear him. The physician died an hour and a half later of a fractured skull and other injuries at the Pike County Hospital at Louisiana without regaining consciousness. Dr. Biggs served throughout the Major, Gardner and Hyde administrations and although a Democrat remained for 6 years as superintendent under Republican governors. During Dr. Biggs’ terms as head of the hospital, the institution made considerable headway in treatment of patients, and Dr. Biggs; became recognized as one of the leading authorities on mental diseases. When he was first appointed, each hospital was handled by a separate board of managers but in 1921 Governor Hyde recommended the creation of a bipartisan board to manage the affairs of the four hospitals for the insane and the other eleemosynary institutions. This eliminated the political factor in dealing with the management of the hospitals. During the Baker administration, Dr. Biggs retired as superintendent of the Fulton institution and moved to Louisiana to practice his profession. Dr. Biggs was also prominent in Democratic circles and was recognized as a leader in northeast Missouri. About 22 years ago, Dr. Biggs was married to Miss Buckner here. She died two years later. Surviving Dr. Biggs are his daughter, Miss Belle Buckner Biggs, his sister, Miss Kate Buckner of Louisiana and a half brother, John Biggs of Bowling Green.
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Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat. LOUISIANA, MO., October 23.— Dr. M. 0. Biggs, Northeast Missouri Democratic leader, who served thirteen years as Superintendent of State Hospital No. 1 at Fulton, was killed late today when he was struck by an automobile on Highway No. 54, a short distance west of here. Dr. Biggs, who lived in Louisiana, had parked his automobile beside the highway and was walking across the road to talk to a friend when he was struck by an automobile driven by Bonham Freeman, editor of the Bowling Green Times of Bowling Green, Mo. He suffered a fracture of the skull and other injuries and died about an hour and a half later in the Pike County Hospital at Louisiana without regaining consciousness. Headed Stark Delegation. Dr. Biggs was a close friend of Maj. Lloyd C. Stark of Louisiana and headed a delegation to St. Louis a little over a week ago to further Maj. Stark’s candidacy to replace the late Francis M. Wilson as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. He also was an active worker in the Stark forces which attended the Democratic State Committee meeting in Jefferson City last Monday, where Judge Guy B. Park was named as the party’s standard-bearer. Dr. Biggs, who was about 59, had been practicing medicine in Louisiana since his retirement during the Baker administration from the superintendency of the Fulton Hospital. He was appointed to the hospital post by former Gov. Major and held over under the Republican regime of Arthur M. Hyde when a bipartisan board assumed control of the eleemosynary institutions. Brother of D. C. Biggs. Dr. Biggs was a brother of the late David C. Biggs, former governor of the Federal Reserve Bank at St. Louis, and a cousin of Davis Biggs, vice president of the St. Louis Union Trust Company. Dr. Biggs owned a farm a few miles north of Louisiana, where he fed stock. The farm is considered one of the best in Pike County. He made his home with his only daughter, Miss Belle Buckner Biggs, and a sister, Miss Kate Biggs. A native of Pike County, Dr. Biggs was educated at Missouri University and Barnes Medical College in St. Louis. Funeral services and burial will be held tomorrow afternoon at Mexico, Mo. Mental Disease Authority. Dr. Biggs, who was regarded as one of the leading authorities in the country on mental diseases, was first appointed as superintendent of the State Hospital at Fulton by Gov. Elliott W. Major, a fellow townsman, in 1913. He served throughout the Major, Gardner and Hyde administrations. Although a Democrat, .he served six years as superintendent of the Fulton hospital under Republican Governors. During his incumbency, the State Hospital at Fulton made much progress in the treatment ‘of patients. The old methods of handling the violent insane was discarded and all physical restraints gave way to modern methods. When he was first appointed, each hospital was handled by a separate board of managers. In 1921 Gov. Hyde recommended the creation of a bipartisan board to manage affairs of four hospitals for the insane and the other eleemosynary institutions. This eliminated the political factor in dealing with the management of the hospital. Recreational work was introduced by Biggs and most of the patients were occupied in some useful manner. |
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Biggs Burial Here Tuesday Funeral services for Dr. M. O. Biggs of Louisiana, son-in-law of R. R. Buckner of this city, killed Sunday afternoon when accidentally struck by an automobile on Highway 54, a mile west of Louisiana, were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the home at Louisiana. Dr. A. A. Wallace, pastor of the Mexico Presbyterian Church officiated, assisted by the Reverend Alonzo Pearson also of this city. The body was then brought to Mexico for interment at Elmwood Cemetery at 1:30 o'clock. Dr. Wallace conducted a short service at the grave. Pallbearers were: R. W. Taylor of Fulton, Norman Porter of Bowling Green, Elliott W. Major of St. Louis, A. J. Murphy, Dr. J. B. Unsell, O. P. Benning, Major Lloyd C. Stark and John W. Matson all of Louisiana. Those attending the services in Louisiana were Mr. and Mrs. Buckner, Mr. and Mrs. Bus Buckner and daughter Billie, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Buckner, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Buckner, Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Hoxsey, Colonel R. M. White, Mitchell White and Major and Mrs. Marquess Wallace. Among those from Louisiana attending the interment in addition to the pallbearers were Misses Kate Buckner and Belle Buckner Biggs and Dr. and Mrs. E. A. Cunningham. |
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Passing of Dr. Marion O. Biggs Sunday afternoon the most tragic event of our life occurred when our automobile struck a lifelong friend, Dr. M. 0. Biggs, inflicting injuries from which he later passed away. To attempt to write of the circumstances is more than we could possibly do and therefore we are reprinting the article published by the Louisiana Press Journal concerning the accident, which gives an accurate statement of facts. For thirty-four years, Dr. Biggs had been our friend and twenty-five years ago next month he was called upon to amputate our leg. During all of the intervening years we had loved and respected him, not only as a great physician and surgeon, but as a great man doing a wonderful work in this life and especially was this true of the work which he did at the State Hospital in Fulton. His helpfulness to those in distress was known to everyone with whom he came in contact and the knowledge that we enjoyed his sincere friendship has been most. comforting to us since last Sunday. That Dr. Biggs was not only a great man, but that his family is inspired with the same noble, traits of character, has been impressed upon us and we would be ungrateful, indeed, if we failed at this time to acknowledge the thoughtful consideration and solicitude they have shown to us. In the midst of their bereavement they have been thoughtful of us, also and we shall never forget their kindness. Nor shall we forget the telegrams, letters and personal expressions of sympathy which have been extended to us from our friends and the friends of Dr. Biggs, and we only wish we had the power to express in words the appreciation which we feel and are unable to write. Pike countians were shocked beyond measure of expression late Sunday afternoon to learn of the tragic death of Dr. M. 0. Biggs, of Louisiana, as a result of an unavoidable automobile accident which happened about 4 :30 o’clock directly in front the home of 0. F. Wallace, who lives on U. S. highway No. 54, about .two hundred yards west of the old Fritz tavern building, opposite the Champ Clark tourist camp, about one-half mile from the western limits of the city. Dr. Biggs, a few minutes before the accident which resulted in his death, had driven his car westward from Louisiana and passed W. A. Reineking who was driving in the same direction. As he passed the Reineking car he motioned to Mr. Reineking to stop as he wanted to talk to him. Dr. Biggs drove his car out to the south side, of the pavement in front of the Wallace home and stopped on the earth shoulder of the side of the highway and Mr. Reineking stopped his car on the north side at the highway. Dr. Biggs got out and walked around the rear end of his car and started to cross the highway toward the place where Reineking’s car was parked. Reineking saw a car approaching from the west and halloed to Dr. Biggs to warn him of his danger but Dr. Biggs evidently failed to hear him and did not stop. The fender of the approaching car, driven by Mr. Freeman, struck him and he fell face downward on the pavement. Freeman had applied his brakes in an effort to avoid an accident but he was too close to Dr. Biggs when the latter “unexpectedly walked out from behind the parked car to avoid striking him. After Dr. Biggs walked out from behind the car he did not turn to look back up the highway and did not know a car was approaching. He had made about two steps on the highway when he was struck. Dr. Biggs was rushed to the Pike county hospital and was given prompt attention by Drs. Hetherlin, Andrae, Cunningham, Miller and Lewellen but his injuries were of such serious nature no hope was held out for his recovery. He passed away at 6:05 o’clock without having regained consciousness. An examination revealed that his right leg was broken between the knee and hip, his right jaw bone was broken and he was injured internally. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman were driving from their home in Bowling Green to Milton, Ill., to visit their daughter, Mrs. Robert Hargis, wife of the pastor of the Christian church of Milton. The accident was an awful shock to them and after Dr. Biggs had been removed to the hospital, they were taken back to their home in Bowling Green. The body was removed from the hospital to the Suda funeral parlor and prepared for burial. Funeral services were conducted at the late home on North Third street at 10:30 o’clock this morning, being in charge of Rev. A. A. Wallace, pastor of the Presbyterian church, Mexico, Rev. Alonzo Pearson, also of Mexico, and Rev. J: E. Chappell, pastor of the First Baptist church of Louisiana. Following the service here which was attended by friends from every section of Pike county and many from Audrain, Callaway and other counties in the northeastern part of the state and from St. Louis, the funeral cortege of many automobiles departed for Mexico where interment took place in the Buckner family lot. There was a brief service at the graveside. Pallbearers were Former Governor Elliott W. Major, St. ‘Louis; W. R. Taylor, Fulton; Norman Porter, Bowling ‘Green; A. J. Murphy, Sr., Judge 0. P. Benning, Major L. C. Stark, Dr. J. B. Unsell, John ‘W. Matson, all of Louisiana. William K. Biggs, father of Dr. Biggs, was born in Pike county May 2, 1827. He married Ann E. Culbertson, daughter of Col. James T. Culbertson, of Palmyra, Mo., a prominent pioneer of that section of the state. Mrs. Biggs was born in 1830 and died in 1865. Her children were Rebecca, wife of J. W. Hawkins, Anna, Mrs. Will Crow, both of, Curryville, Emma, who married James Offutt of Audrain county, John C. Biggs and Judge Edward Biggs of Bowling Green and Miss Kate Biggs of Louisiana. William Biggs married for his second wife, Martha A. Hawkins, who bore him David C., of St. Louis, Nannie, who married E. L. Tinker, who resided in Texas, George R., who died in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Marion 0. Biggs, of Louisiana, William H., who lived at San Antonio, Texas, and Nora, wife of Dr. Ray Moseley, living in Bowling Green. After completing the grammar course in the schools of Pike county Dr. Biggs took an academic course in the University of Missouri, Columbia, and then entered the Hospital Medical college, Louisville, Ky., from which he was graduated June 21, 1892. After completing the medical course he opened an office for the practice of medicine in Bowling Green and for many years enjoyed an extensive practice. Dr. Biggs first united in marriage to Miss Pearl Rogers, a daughter of Dr. James Rogers, of Bowling Green, in October, 1894. She died in April, 1901, without issue. In January, 1908, he married Miss Belle Buckner, daughter of R. R. Buckner, of Mexico. Mrs. Biggs departed this life on May 2nd, 1912, leaving one daughter, Belle Buckner, who was a week old at the time of her mother’s death. During the administration as governor of W. J. Stone and during a part of the administration of Lon V. Stephens Dr. Biggs served as a member of the board of managers, of the Fulton State hospital for insane. During the administration of Governor E. W. Major he was appointed superintendent of the Fulton state hospital, retiring during the administration of Governor Baker after having spent a total of 13 years as superintendent. When he retired from the position at Fulton he returned to Pike county and located in Louisiana and again resumed the practice of medicine, living with his daughter, Miss Belle Buckner, and half sister, Miss Kate, on North Third street, this city. A part of his time during the past several years has been devoted to looking after a splendid farm, regarded as one of the most fertile in Pike county, located northwest of Louisiana. During the present fall he has been feeding several head of mules which he expected to place on the market the first of the coming year. Dr. Biggs took an active interest in the candidacy of Francis M. Wilson for the nomination for governor in the August primary. Following the sudden death of Mr. Wilson at Kansas City recently he actively supported Major L. C. Stark of Louisiana for nomination by the state committee. Major Stark withdrew from the race and following the nomination of Judge Park, Dr. Biggs became interested in his candidacy. Since returning home from Jefferson City the early part of last week, following the nomination of Judge Park, Dr. Biggs was interested in having Judge Park come to Louisiana to deliver a speech. When it became known the latter part of last week that Judge Park was going to speak in Bowling Green Monday of this week he began working hard to organize a large delegation of Louisiana people to attend the meeting. He told a friend that he wanted to have 200 cars of Louisiana people drive to Bowling Green for the Park speaking. Dr. Biggs is survived by his daughter, Miss Belle Buckner Biggs, three half sisters, Mrs. J. Will Hawkins and Mrs. Will Crow of Curryville and Miss Kate Biggs of Louisiana, one half brother |
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