Robert H Devine
| Date of Interment or Death | 05/07/1918 |
|---|---|
| Location | Old Fairview |
| Section | C |
| Block-Lot-Grave | 6-3-1 |
Obituary
Robert H. Devine-1918
DR. R. H. DEVINE DEAD AFTER SUDDEN ATTACK OF PNEUMONIA AND PLEURISY, BEGINNING SUNDAY DOCTOR IN WAHPETON 21 YEARS Mainly Instrumental in Building St. Francis Hospital, Which Was the Scene of His Last Illness – He Gave His Life to His Profession.
Robert H. Devine, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh E. Devine, was born October 11, 1863, at wheeling, West Virginia, being fifty-four and a half years of age at the time of his death. He graduated in due course from the common and high schools at Wheeling and then attended Bethany College, near that city, where his education was, as he then thought, completed. After graduation from college, he began taking the regular course chemistry. After spending a couple of years in railroad engineering work, he became a chemist in a large steel plant at Wheeling, where his work consisted of making the analyses by which the quality of the steel is determined. After two years of this, he again entered school, this time taking the regular course in medicine at Jefferson Medical college, in Philadelphia, and here after his graduation he served several years as intern in the German Hospital.
In 1897, desiring to start out as a practicing physician, he accepted an invitation from his brother, Hon. Joseph M. Devine, who at that time was governor of North Dakota, to visit him at Bismarck, and to look over the field with a view toward locating in the state. He chose Wahpeton for the scene of his future activities, and opened an office here, where he has successfully practiced medicine and surgery ever since.
Three years ago the doctor was married to Miss Ada Armstrong of Baltimore, who returned to Wahpeton with him, and who survives to mourn his death. Some four or five years ago ago Dr. Devine suffered a complete nervous breakdown as the result of too constant application to work and a long period during which he had probably neglected to care for his own health while so ably caring for the health of others. His recovery from this collapse, however, was rapid, and on his return to this city his health seemed to be better than it had been for years before. During the past winter he suffered from a severe attack of pneumonia which while it passed away in due course, left him more or less weakened, an easy victim when the final and fatal attack came on. Dr. Devine’s life may be summed up in a few words –“He gave his life to his profession.” No words can describe the devotion with which he labored to save life and relieve suffering; and no one who has not been directly in contact with him during a period of years can appreciate to the full the position which he held in the hearts of so many citizens of this community. Entirely negligent of self, generous to a fault, always fighting a case to the very end, he was more than a physician; he became the first friend of all with whom he came in contact professionally. But for the iron constitution with which he was blessed, his untiring devotion to his work must have undermined his health long ago.
He was largely instrumental in building the new St. Francis hospital in Breckenridge, and it was one of his proudest moments when the new institution was completed and equipped. He was a constant booster for its welfare, was the head surgeon of the institution ever since it was established. Here in the institution which he had helped to build, and where so much of his energy had been spent and his ambitions centered, it was eminently fitting that the end should come; and his friends can take a little comfort in the thought that, if death must come, it found him just where he would have wished it, could he have known for to him the hospital was almost “home.”
Deceased was a devout member of the Episcopal church. Where he was a constant attendant at service; and an earnest worker in church activities up to the time of his death. In the past, when the little church was in dire straits financially, it was largely through the doctor’s efforts that is was kept open and running and it was one of his wishes that when death came the should be buried from Trinity church. It was therefore from this church, on Tuesday May 7th, that the funeral service was read by rev. W. M. Walton, the rector, after a brief service at the home.
Seldom has such a profusion of flowers been seen as was in evidence about the casket; and no more effective testimonials of the esteem in which the community held the deceased could be offered, than the number of floral offerings, and the number of sorrowing friends who followed the remains to the final resting place in Fairview cemetery. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Workmen.
Deceased is survived by two sisters and four brothers. They are the Misses Maggie and Belle Devine, and John C. Devine, who reside at the old family home at Wheeling; W. J. and Hugh E. Devine of Chicago; and Hon. J. M. Devine, superintendent of the state training school at Mandan and former governor of North Dakota, who with his wife was present at the funeral. Dr. Luis Armstrong of Danville, Ind., a brother of Mrs. Devine and formerly a physician of Breckenridge, also arrived for the funeral. The doctor’s other brothers and sisters were unable to be present. There are few men so generally beloved as was Robert H. Devine. He will long be missed from the community, and his place in the medical profession of the city as well as in the hearts of his fellow citizens, will long remained unfilled.
Headstone photograph(s)
Location
Old Fairview is located on the southern half of the cemetery grounds.