Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3295Dr. John Henry Terrell was born in Franklin County, Georgia, on thellth of January, 1878, the fourth in order of birth of the nine children ofWilliam M. and Martha Ann (King) Terrell, both natives of HabershamCounty, this state, and members of sterling pioneer families of Georgia. William M. Terrell followed the vocation of planter during virtually his entireactive career, and was a resident of Franklin County at the time of his death,in January, 1908, his age having been seventy-three years when he was summoned to eternal rest, He made a most gallant and distinguished record asa soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, in which he rose to the rankof lieutenant and in which he participated in many important engagements.His devoted wife died in April, 1907, at the age of fifty-six years, and herparents, William Fetter King and Eliza King passed their entire lives inHabersham County, both having attained to the psalmist's span of three scoreyears and ten. Alexander Terrell, a great-uncle of the doctor, served as amember of the Georgia Legislature in the early days of the history of thiscommonwealth.Reared to adult age under the conditions and influences of the homesteadplantation in Franklin County, Doctor Terrell gained in the public schoolsthe preliminary discipline which made consonant his initiation of his professional education. In April, 1901, he was graduated in the Atlanta. Collegeof Physicians and Surgeons, and after thus receiving, his degree of Doctor ofMedicine he engaged in practice at Plumb, Franklin County, where he remained four years. In 1905 he established his residence and professionalheadquarters at Toccoa, where he was associated in practice with Dr. HenryM. Freeman until the latter's deaith, three years later. Since that time hehas continued in the control of a substantial and successful independent practice, and he continues a close student of his profession, so that he is in closetouch with the advances made in both medicine and surgery. He not onlyavails himself of the best in the standard and periodical literature of his profession, but has taken also effective post-graduate courses in the New YorkPost-Graduate Medical School and the Jefferson Post-Graduate Medical College, in the City of Philadelphia, The doctor is an active member of theAmerican Medical Association, the Georgia State Medical Association, theNinth District Medical Society and the Stephens County Medical Society, ofwhich last mentioned he has served as president. He defrayed the expensesof his educational training of professional order by his preliminary identification with agricultural pursuits, and such effort implies the greater appreciation of the success which has attended his labors in his exacting and humanevocation.Doctor Terrell is aligned as an uncompromising advocate and supporterof the cause of the democratic party and while he subordinates all else to thedemands of his profession his civic loyalty and progressiveness led him torespond to popular demands and he served from 1910 to 1914 as a member ofthe city council of Toecoa. Both he and his wife hold membership in the BaptistChurch and he is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, including the templeof the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in the City of Atlanta.Doctor Terrell had the distinction of performing the first post-mortem operation in Franklin County, the subject of the operation having walked a distanceof eleven miles only a few days prior to his death. He had been treated for"black-tongue fever," but after a thorough autopsy conducted by DoctorTerrell it was found that the decedent had succumbed to typhoid fever, thediagnosis having shown a very unusual condition of the bowels. All othermembers of the family were attacked by the same disease and none of thenumber survived.On the 2d of November, 1910, at the Liberty Hill Church, in StephensCounty, was solemnized the marriage of Doctor Terrell to Miss Lula Hayes,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Hayes, who still reside at Toccoa. The