Yandell, William Harrison, M. D.

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

William Harrison Yandell, M. D. Greenwood County had known the Yandell family as substantial farming people and trustworths and valuable citizens since 1879. Dr. W. H. Yandell was at that time nine years of age, and he is now snecessfully practlcing medicine and surgery in a locality where he grew up as a boy. He had a large prautice at Piedmont and extending out over the surrounding country, and he began his profeesional work there soon after graduating in medicine.

He was born in Graves County, Kentucky, August 27, 1870. His ancestors were two brothers of Welsh and Seotch parentage who came to Tennessee in pioneer times. The family subsequently removed to Kentucky, and L. W. Yandell, father of Doctor Yandell, was born in Graves County of that state August 15, 1843. He was reared and married in his native county, adopted farming as his vocation, and on coming to Kansas in 1879 first located at Quincy in Greenwood County, but a year later removed to Fall River. He was actively engaged in farming there the rest of his life, but his death occurred in 1887, while on a visit at Pueblo, Colorado. As a democrat he served several terms as township assessor. He was one of the foremost members and most active supporters of the Christian Church in his commumity. He served as deacon of the church and for many years as superintendent of its Sunday School. Fraternally he was a Mason and Odd Fellow. L. W. Yandell was a Confederate soldier during the Civil war. In 1861 he went out with a Kentucky regiment and saw his chief service under General Pemberton. He was at Vicksburg during the siege, and was one of Pemberton's soldiers who surrendered with the taking of that city in 1863. L. W. Yandell married Phoebe E. Laughlin, who was born in Missouri in 1847 and died at Fall Rivor, Kansas, in 1895. They had three children, Doctor Yandell being the oldest. E. W. Yandell died at Amarillo, Texas, in 1902. He was a student of mediciue and had gone to Amarillo to beneflt his health. Ada L. is the wife of F. J. Oakes, a farmer at Fall River.

William Harrison Yandell after coming to Kansas attended the rural schools near Fall Biver, and spent the first twenty years of his life on his father's farm. He qualifled as a teacher and for five years was one of the popular schoobnasters of Greenwood County. His earnest desire was to become a physician, and his teaching and other early employment were chiefly means to that end. With the money which he had saved and earned he entered the Louisville Medical College at Louisville, Kentucky, and remained until graduating M. D. on March 1, 1901. In September of the same year he located at Piedmont in Greenwood County, and since then for more than fifteen years had conducted a general medical and surgical practice. His offices are on Main Street, and he owned a residence on the same street. Doctor Yandell had served as coroner of Greenwood County.

He is a Democrat, a member of Charleston Lodge No. 161, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Fall River, of the Ancient Order of United Workmen at Severy, and professionally he is a member of the County and State Medical societies and the American Medical Association.

Doctor Yandell married at Piedmont June 5, 1905, Miss Alma Pedigo, daughter of W. J. and Sarah A. (Beckhan) Pedigo, both now deceased. Her father was a merchant and farmer at Piedmont. Doctor and Mrs. Yandell have two children: Dayrel, born June 30, 1907, and Helen, born July 28, 1909.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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