Bounnell - Harry Matthew
Source: Obituaries (not dated) collected from Fauniel Hershbarger of Fountain County
Harry Matthew Bounnell was born January 21, 1868, the son of Mathew H. and Elizabeth Heath Bounell of Boone County. (Dr. Bounnell somewhere along the line added an "n" to his surname "Bounell" and this name has followed descendants to this day). The father was a physician, as would be Harry Matthew and two other sons of Mathew H. by a subsequent marriage; a sister of Harry Matthew was a registered nurse. Together, there were three physicians and one nurse in the immediate family. Dr. Bounnell attended Westfield Preparatory School and Purdue University (called Purdue Academy) and in May, 1890 obtained a teacher's certificate for the second grade in Washington Territory, teaching there for one year. Following the family inclination toward the medical profession, Dr. Bounnell enrolled in a two year study at the University of Louisville Medical School, being graduated in 1893. He established a practice in Jamestown, Boone County for two years and moved to Waynetown and opened a medical office March 19, 1895. On April 17, 1895 Dr. Bounnell married Elizabeth May Shera of Boone County. Two sons were born of this union - James Heath, born April 17, 1901 and Ralph Matthew, born July 3, 1908. Both sons are deceased. Dr. Bounnell enlisted in the U. S. Army Medical Corp and was appointed Captain on September 20, 1918; at age 50 he was one of the oldest volunteers in the army. He served three months at Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois and was discharged December 12, 1918.
During the early days of his practice, his records indicate that his medical fees were $1 for office calls, $2 for day house calls and $3 for night house calls. Often times vegetables, chickens, eggs and other barter items were substituted for monetary fees.
After his wife Elizabeth died April 7, 1943, Dr. Bounnell began to reduce his medical practice. He was an avid Purdue sports fan and a loyal Republican. He could usually be found in his office - a small building along side his residence - smoking RoiTan cigars and listening to Chicago Cub games on the radio during the summer. He was a member of Masonic Lodge #302, Knights of Pythias #316 and the Methodist Church, all of Waynetown. On September 28, 1951, after 56 years of medical service to the residents of Waynetown, he died in the old Culver Hospital in Crawfordsville following a stroke.
Source: Veedersburg News: October 5 1951
Dr. Harry Bounell, 83, died Friday at Hospital. Dr. Harry M. Bounnell, 83, of Waynetown, who practiced medicine for 50 years, died at Culver hospital, Crawfordsville, at 4:30 Friday morning, Sept 28 1951. after having been a medical patient for the past five weeks. Death was due to a stroke. Dr. Bounell was a brother of the late Dr. E. G. Bounell, who practiced medicine in Hillsboro for a number of years. There were three brothers who were active in the medical profession. He served as a captain in the Medical Corps of the US Army in World War I, having been stationed at Camp Grant, Ill. He was born Jan 21 1863 in Lebanon, the son of Dr. Matthew H. and Elizabeth Bounell. He was married to Elizabeth Shera, of Lebanon on April 13 1885 and she died April 5 1943. Survivors include his two sons, J. H. Bounell of Waynetown and Ralph M. Bounell of Crawfordsville; two grandsons, James R. Bounell and Harry L. Bounell, both of Waynetown. funeral services were held at the Waynetown Methodist church Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with burial in the Masonic Cemetery of Waynetown. The Rev. Guy E. Tremaine of Waynetown and the Rev. Ernest Prevo of Waveland conducted the service. (NOTE - some dates wrong)
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 27 March 1896
The following special from Lebanon will be sad news to the friends of Dr. Bounell, who practiced for many years at Yountsville: “Dr. Matthew H. Bounell, seventy four years old, died at his home in this city at 6 o’clock this morning, of an acute attack of laryngitis. He was one of the best known physicians in central Indiana, having been engaged in the practice of medicine for nearly fifty years. He was the regimental surgeon of the One Hundred and Sixteenth Indiana Regiment, and the last of the regimental officers of the One Hundred and Sixteenth, of which Wm C. Kise was colonel, G. O. Behm, lieutenant-colonel, Edwin J. Loveless, major, and Charles C. Dutch, quartermaster—all of whom have been dead for several years. Dr. Bounell was junior member of the firm of Reagan & Bounell, of this city. Each of the members has been engaged for a half century in the practice of his profession.”