NOTE: This is a starter page and there will be many changes to it.As with other towns within the Winding Gulf, there was a "camp" doctor who usually made the rounds to different localities. Whitby had Dr Riley. Thanks again to all of the folks who have contributed their memories of the doctor below:
Thanks To Ginny Lilly, we have an article telling us about Doctor Riley! Please feel free to share your memories of this Whitby personality. I will have pics of whats left of his office when time allows me to post them.
The Doctor Retires
The following represents the recollections of Dr Riley by some of his patients. Dr. Riley had a full schedule as he was the doctor to a number of the local communities. Thanks to all who have contrbuted this unique perspective.
Ginny Lilly
He put the pills he
gave
out to patients in a small white packet. He wrote the patient's name
and
the directions on the packet and then sealed it. He was from Georgia--a clean,
well
groomed man with white hair. Two dollars a month was held out of each
miner's pay for Dr. Riley. I don't know if the company paid him
anything.
That two dollars paid for office visits, home visits (he delivered
babies
also) and medicines.
Marry Harris
The doctor Riley his full name was Dr. William Riley he delivered my
baby
Roger brother 24aug1958 and
my baby sister Marie McBride 27apr1960 when he delivered my sister and
he sang a song Mama's little baby loves shorten bread if my Aunt Polly
had
not noticed my sister cord had came loose she would have bleed to death
they
had to chase him down to get him back to the house Mom was living in
Fireco
at the time.
Patti Duncan
I remember Dr. Riley as a young girl growing up in Jonben. On one occasion I remember him coming to our house after our coal furnace blew up and poisoned my family with carbon monoxide fumes. We were very fortunate that we all didn't die in our sleep
Riley made his own pills that he prescribed to his patients. He also was an Army doctor and he had a nervous tick that affected his mouth due to some kind of shot that he had to take when he was in the army. Maybe we kind find out more about that later. He also delivered Bob and of course his Mom had him at home. I'm sure he delivered alot of babies in this area. I'm sure alot of people in this area have their own memories of him.
