Transcribed from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. [Revised ed.] Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919, c1918. 5 v. (xlviii, 2530 p., [155] leaves of plates): ill., maps (some fold.), ports.; 27 cm.

Charles Leo Ebnother

CHARLES LEO EBNOTHER, M. D. There are several Kansas communities that have apreciated[sic] the services of Doctor Ebnother as a physician and surgeon, but he is most widely known and his interests have been longest identified with Downs, where besides looking after a large practice he has the principal drug store in that part of Osborne County, and is also owner of large property interests, including several farms. Doctor Ebnother is a native Swiss, born at Montlingen in Canton St. Gall, Switzerland, April 11, 1853. His father, Jacob Ebnother, spent all his life in Canton St. Gall, where he was born in 1825 and died in 1882. In early life he was a farmer, later was a vineyardist and wine maker, and, finally, kept a hotel and grocery store. He did his regular service in the Swiss army in the Cavalry branch, and during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 was mobilized at the frontier. He was honored with several minor city offices in Montlingen. Jacob Ebnother married Magdalina Nachbour, who was born in Switzerland in 1832, and died at Atalissa, Iowa, in 1871. Doctor Ebnother is the oldest of four children. His sister Mary is the wife of J. F. Kobler, a retired farmer at Hill City, Kansas. His brother John is a retired farmer at Nemaha, Nebraska, and James is a druggist at Hill City, Kansas.

Doctor Ebnother received his early education in Switzerland to the age of thirteen. He then came to the United States, where his first experience was farm work at Munster, Ohio. He was a farm laborer three years and for six years was a student in Carthagenia College. For two years he lived in Humboldt County, California, and both taught and attended school there. Returning east, he entered the State University of Iowa at Iowa City, in the medical department, and was graduated Doctor of Medicine with the class of 1883. The next two years he practiced in Iowa City, in 1885 moved to McPherson, Kansas, and practiced there two years, and for ten years was located at Hugoton in Stevens County, Kansas.

Doctor Ebnother moved to Downs in 1897, and for over twenty years he has worked steadily and with unremitting faithfulness in looking after his medical and surgical practice. In 1901 he established a drug store on Main Street, and his new offices are in that store. This building also contains his residence, and he is the owner of another business building on Main Street. His interests as a farmer include 960 acres of land in Stevens County, Kansas.

Doctor Ebnother served as coroner and health officer of Stevens County and for many years has followed politics as an independent democrat.

At Iowa City in 1880 Doctor Ebnother married Miss Fannie Goetz. She died at McPherson, Kansas, in 1887, mother of one child, William, who died at the age of sixteen months. In 1888, at Hugoton, Kansas, Doctor Ebnother married Miss Emma S. Shriver, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Shriver, both now deceased. Her father was a farmer and merchant at Kinmundy, Illinois. Doctor and Mrs. Ebnother had three children, two sons and one daughter. Charles W., the oldest, graduated from the Downs High School, for three years was in the Kansas University at Lawrence, and then took up banking as a career. When the war broke out with Germany he enlisted in the United States Marines and is now serving with the rank of second lieutenant in that famous organization, stationed at Quantanmo, Cuba. Raymond, the second son, graduated from the School of Pharmacy of the Kansas University, and enlisted for the World war as a hospital apprentice. He died of pneumonia while in active service at Leith, Scotland, October 19, 1918. The third child of Doctor Ebnother is Margaret, wife of W. T. Scott, of Richmond, California. Mr. Scott is a brakeman with the Santa Fe Railroad Company. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have two children, Thomas and Luetta.


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