DR. HARRY ROWE WAS A FARMER, COMMUNITY DOCTOR,

By Bernie Marvin

DR. HARRY ROWE WAS A FARMER, COMMUNITY DOCTOR, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, PARENT OF SIX CHILDREN, WORLD WAR 2 HERO WHO WON THE BRONZE STAR, AND A WONDERFUL, FRIENDLY MAN.........BUT BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, HE COULDN'T WHISTLE! 

Over the past three weeks, I have been working on a story about a legend who lived among us, the late Doctor Harry Rowe of Wells River. It was he and his wife, the delightful and musical Mary Rowe, who started the Wells River Clinic medical practice in 1946, a small enterprise that soon took over their living room and most of their first floor.

When Dr. Rowe returned to Wells River after his wartime duty as an Army Battalion Medical Officer, he decided to begin his lifelong pursuit of community service.

So, through the years he served the local Rotary Club, with many other organizations on his long list where he contributed his time and talents, along with Mary Rowe, a loving mother of six, a musician, and an assistant to his growing medical practice that soon became based in their private home on Main Street in Wells River.  

Several years ago, Dr. Rowe told me the story of why he could never whistle. It seems that at age nine, he was kicked in the head by a horse while leading the animal back to the barn with his sister, Polly. 

After the powerful kick had knocked Harry to the ground, where he remained unconscious, his sister Polly reported to their mother that Harry, who had lain seemingly lifeless several hours after his encounter with the horse, had died. 

"Mom," she yelled, "Harry is dead!" She may not have been far from the truth. He spent nine days in the hospital and longer on his family couch recovering, but he went on to graduate from Peacham Academy in 1930, from the University of Vermont in 1936, and to receive his medical degree in 1943.

Nevertheless, he said he could never figure out how to whistle and blamed it all on being kicked in the head.

He married Mary Whitney in 1940 and later went off to fight during World War 2. He served with the 78th Infantry Division and as Captain of the 303rd Medical Battalion in the US Army. His distinguished service included serving at the Bridge at Remagen as American forces streamed into Germany from France.

Captain Rowe served in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, England, France, and Germany. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Somehow, he survived all that, returned home, and set up a medical practice in Wells River, where he served the community for 60 years as the family doctor. He also served the Wells River School Board for 61 years.

Dr. Rowe was an author, and in his book published a few years ago, he recounted some of his life's tales in "The Grass Grew Greener". He published a series of letters in his book, written by him at the war front to his bride, Mary, along with letters from her on the home front to Captain Rowe.

I had the pleasure and honor of reading some of the hundreds of letters this couple wrote during the war years. Dr. Rowe invited me to his Wells River home, and we looked over some of the letters that were due to be published in his interesting book. 

It was an honor to know someone of Dr. Rowe's stature, heroism, and community service, who opened a medical practice in Wells River and practiced family medicine there for 60 years.

As the story recounts, Dr. Rowe's modest beginning at his home in Wells River, continued to grow into a large and respected medical practice that is now part of Little Rivers Health Care with offices in Wells River at the site of the original Wells River Clinic, also at East Corinth, in Bradford and at a building on Main Street in Newbury, across from the Francis Atkinson Home for the Retired, plus a new building in Wells River at the site of Jiffy Mart.

For the story, I was fortunate enough to interview and chat with a long-time physician in the present medical program, Dr. Stephen Genereaux, and Little Rivers Health Care CEO Andrew Barter about the life of Dr. Rowe. Also Nurse Practitioner at the Wells River Clinic, Madison Culver, APRN, FNP-C.  

The memory and story of Dr. Rowe and his wife, Mary Rowe, are an important part of this area's history of service and commitment. 

It is good to report that their dedication to the area's education, medical stability, and public service remains as strong as it was in the days of Dr. Rowe’s beginning.

He would be very pleased.