Later Dr. Saunders had offices in the Carver Building and was associated with a number of doctors. He continued practice here until his death in 1928 at the age of 66 years.
Active in medical circles he served at one time as president of the Iowa Medical Society. He was interested in a number of Fort Dodge enterprises including the Fort Dodge Telephone Company, First National Bank, Oleson Land Company and the Street Railway System.
Dr. Saunders was married in 1907 to Lucy Merrill of Bangor, Me., and they were parents of a son and two daughters. They are: Merrill Saunders, Fort Dodge realtor; Miss Katherine Saunders, a Chicago librarian; and Mrs. Robert (Helen) Thackaberry, a university instructor in Akron, Ohio. Mrs. Saunders died in Fort Dodge in 1949 at age 72.
THE THATCHER HOME
This attractive two-story residence is one of the many fine homes erected along Tenth Avenue North after the Crawford-Armstrong Addition to the city was platted.
Built in 1916 at 1201 10th Ave. N., by O. M. Thatcher, it was the Thatcher family home until sold in 1965 to Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Hancock. The Hancocks resided there until the fall of 1974 when they sold the house to Dr. John E. Duro, Fort Dodge dentist. The Hancocks then moved across the street to the residence at 1200 10th Ave. N. which they purchased from the Don Carneys. The Carneys, in turn, moved to their newly-built home at 1227 11th Ave. N.
The frame and stucco house has a red tile roof such as used on several of the homes built in the area. The room arrangement of the house includes a living room, library, dining room, kitchen and half bath on the first floor; four bedrooms and bath on the second floor. It has a steam heating system now fired with gas. After their purchase of the home, the Hancocks remodeled and modernized the kitchen.
Thatcher was a native of the town of Grimes and both he and his wife were graduates of Valparaiso University in Indiana. After completing his education Thatcher went into the banking business at Luther and remained there until 1914 when he sold out his interest and came to Fort Dodge.
A few years after arriving in the city Thatcher was one of the organizers and officers of the Webster County National Bank and its affiliate, the Webster County Trust & Savings Bank. They were located in a large double room in the Wahkonsa Hotel Building at 919-921 Central Avenue.
Later Thatcher was in the insurance business here for many years, part of the time under the name of Thatcher & Weiss following his purchase of the firm owned by Henry Weiss.