El
Dorado County
Biographies
JOHN Q. WRENN, M. D.
Engaged in the prosecution of the
most humane profession to which man devotes his energies, that of the
alleviation of human suffering, Dr. John Quincy Wrenn
is accorded a place among the prominent practicing physicians of El Dorado
County. He makes his home in
Placerville. A native of Indiana, he was
born in Westfield, that state, on the 23rd of August, 1844, and is
of English lineage, his ancestors being early settlers of Virginia. In that state his grandfather, William Wrenn, was born, making his home within its borders
throughout an active and useful career.
For many years he was a prominent educator in Sussex County. His son, Elijah Wrenn,
was born in that county on the 17th of November, 1796, and when he
had attained his majority he married Martha Draper, also a native of
Virginia. He was a carriage manufacturer
and he represented a family of Quaker faith.
Mr. Wrenn had five children, three of whom are
living. In 1830 the emigrated to Ohio
and subsequently took up their abode in Indiana, where Mr. Wrenn
spent his remaining days, dying in January, 1891, at the advanced age of
ninety-five years, and his widow now being a resident of Noblesville, that state,
and now in her eighty-eighth year.
The Doctor was educated in Indiana
and Ohio, completing his professional training in the Medical College of
Ohio. He began the practice of his
profession in Anderson and for ten years was a practitioner in Cincinnati. The year 1886 witnessed his arrival in
Placerville, where he has enjoyed a well earned success in the line of his
profession, building up a large and lucrative practice. He was the superintendent of the county
hospital for eight years and has long been accorded a foremost place as a
representative of the medical fraternity of El Dorado County. He is a physician of pronounced ability, who
has strict regard for the ethics of the professional code and who through the
years of his practice has kept in touch with the progress made by the
profession. He has a nice residence in
the town and is the owner of valuable mining interests in this county.
In 1867 Dr. Wrenn
was united in marriage to Mrs. Martha A. Mills, a daughter of John Metsker. Their union
was blessed with one son, whom they named John M. He became a young man of splendid promise and
was engaged in the study of medicine in the University of California when he
was stricken with spinal meningitis, the disease terminating his life. The mother had died during the early
childhood of her son and thus the Doctor was left alone. In 1875 he was again married, his second
union being with Miss Margaret Elizabeth Kaiser, a native of Bavaria. She came to the United States when six years
of age, became a graduate of the Woman’s Hospital Medical College, of New York,
and had practiced her profession with much ability. A noble woman and a devoted wife and mother,
her life was an unalloyed benediction to all who knew her. By their marriage she had two children, a
daughter and son. The son, Joseph T., is
now a student of the University of California; Florence, who when attending the
Oakland high school was attacked by typhoid fever. She was a bright, beautiful and interesting
young lady but death claimed her. The
mother departed this life in 1898, he loss being
deeply mourned.
Dr. Wrenn
was schooled in the Republican Party, his father being one of its founders and
a man who had pronounced views and always took a deep interest in the
principles which the party advocated, but he was not an office-seeker. Like his father, Dr. Wrenn
has been an active worker in the Republican ranks and has never sought
office. However, being a bimetallist,
Dr. Wrenn could no longer affiliate with their party,
and since 1896 has been a warm admirer and supporter
of William J. Bryan. He is not a member
of any church or any secret or fraternal order, but is a humane and moral man,
having strong convictions in all matters of vital interest concerning the
progress and elevation of the race.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 666-668. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2011
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies