NORTHWESTERN IOWA ITS HISTORY AND TRADITION VOLUME II 1804-1926 C. O. Epley The biography of a man is of importance and interest to the men just to the degree that his life and work touches and influences his time and the lives of individuals. Only in a feeble way, at best can the life story of any man be told on the printed page. The story is better as it is written in the hearts of men and women, and the man himself does the writing. Dr. Clarence O. Epley has long been engaged in the work of alleviating human suffering and thus lengthening the span of life, and has not only been successful in the professional work but has also won the gratitude and confidence of those with whom he has come into contact. Born in Butler county, Iowa, on the 25th of December, 1882, he is a son of Jacob H. and Mary (Becker) Epley, the former born in Center county, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. The mother was brought to this country when eight years of age by her parents and was reared in Stevenson county, Illinois, as was her future husband, their marriage occurring there. There Jacob H. Epley enlisted for service in the Civil war, taking part in the last year of the conflict, and soon after returning home he was married. About 1868 he came to Iowa, locating in Butler county, where he bought eighty-six acres of virgin prairie. Here he built a frame dwelling and prospered in his farming operations, later buying one hundred acres additional, just across the line in Bremer county. He conducted farming operations there until 1904, when he retired and moved to Waverley, where he is now living, but still retains his farm holdings. Clarence O. Epley attended the public schools, graduating from Shell Rock high school in 1903, and he then spent three years at Upper Iowa University, at Fayette. In 1906 he matriculated in the medical school of the University of Illinois, where he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1910. He served a seven months' externeship at the Augustana Hospital, Chicago, before graduation. He was given third place in the competitive examination for internship at the Chicago Polyelinic Hospital, and then served two months. There he was given a recommendation to the Hospital of the Good Shepherd, at Syracuse, New York, where he served for six months on the surgical staff. For three months he was with Dr. L. C. Kern, at Waverley, Iowa, and then engaged in the practice of his profession at Fort Dodge, Iowa, for six months, followed by six months at Nora Springs, Iowa, and five years at La Porte City, Iowa. In 1917 he went to Durango, Colorado, where for fourteen months during the influenza epidemic he served as assistant to Dr. Benjamin J. Ochsner. He was making preparations to go to Denver and enlist for service in the World war when the Armistice was signed, and on December 15, 1918, he came to Spirit Lake and has since been engaged in the active practice of medicine here. He has been very successful and has gained an enviable reputation among the leading physicians of this section of the state. In 1909 Doctor Epley was united in marriage to Miss Valtina e. Carbauh, of Fort Madison, Iowa, who is a graduate nurse of the West Side Hospital of Chicago, class of 1909. To them have been born two children, Violet Geraldine and Berne Carbauh, both of whom are students in high school. The Doctor is a member of the Dickinson County Medical Society, the Upper Des Moines Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Fraternally he is a member of Twilight Lodge, No. 329, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Minnewaukon Lodge, No. 274, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his wife are members of Twilight Chapter No. 59, Order of the Eastern Star. The Doctor is a member and formerly a director of the Spirit Lake Commercial Club and takes an active and effectual interest in community welfare. Genial and kindly, he easily wins friends and throughout this locality is held in hightest esteem. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa Gen Web, Assistant CC, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ IAGENWEB: Special History Project: http://iagenweb.org/history/index.htm Gerischer Family Web Site: http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/