PROMINENT CITIZEN AND PRACTITIONER DIED THIS MORNING
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Death Probably Caused by Injury Sustained a Few Weeks Ago
Was Prominent Mason
Dr. Thomas J. Creel was suddenly stricken while in the reception room at his office this morning just before eight o'clock, and died within a half hour. The news came as a severe blow to his many friends about the city where he had lived the most of his life. For several months Dr. and Mrs. Creel had taken on their residence in the rooms just over the office, and he had gone down stairs and started the fire, not yet having eaten his breakfast. Just as he was about to return upstairs he was stricken, and Mrs. Creel hastened to his side, and seeing the serious nature of the attack summoned Dr. Dr. Creel was born near Parkersburg, W. VA., in a prominent family and was 56 years of age. He attended Tri-State College and later at Rush Medical College and entered into practice in the office of Dr. T. F. Wood, and had been a prominent practitioner for 30 years, and was local surgeon for the New York Central Railroad. He was a thirty-third degree Mason, that honor having been conferred upon him at the September meeting in New York City. He also was a member of all the Masonic bodies in Angola and the Scottish Rite Masons and Shrine at Fort Wayne. He was also a past Grand Patron the the Eastern Stars of this state. He served as mayor of the city for a term and his administration will ever be remembered for its excellent accomplishments. He has also been active head of the Steuben County Chapter of the Red Cross for several years, and has been active in many other ways for the good of the city and community. He was a member of several social clubs, including the Rotary club and his death is keenly felt by the entire community he served so well. President E. D. Long in college chapel this morning said that no man in Angola was a better friend of the students of Tri-State than Dr. Creel. Besides his widow he leaves a son Donald, and a daughter, Mrs. Joyce Eastburn , of Indianapolis, besides several members of his parental family.
Humphreys, who also directed that more assistance be sent for. Mrs. Creel then phoned to her brother, A. C. Wood, to hasten to the office with her father, Dr T. F. Wood, and Dr. Sutherland was also summoned but it was readily seen that Dr. Creel was beyond assistance. Death was probably caused by thrombus at the heart, which was occasioned by an injury to a vein in the leg, which was sustained by Fr. Creel when he jumped from a wagon at the Wood farm east of the city before Thanksgiving, and from which injury he had been confined to his home until the last few days. It is also quite probable that the exercise which he has taken in the last few days about the streets contributed to the circulation of the blood clot. Dr. Creel was almost entirely conscious to the moment of his death, and seemed to fully realize his condition. In appealing to Dr. Humphreys that something he done for him he asked if the trouble was not thrombosis, indicating that he realized the gravity of the situation. Hypodermics were given but apparently had not taken effect at the time of his death. He apparently suffered no pain other than the suffocation attendant upon such heart attacks.
