Hospital founder remembered

BY STACI WILSON

In the early 1950s, the Montrose General Hospital and Medical Arts Clinic were born from a dream of four individuals. Now, the last remaining founder has died.

Dr. Paul Kerr died Tuesday, Nov. 25. He, along with Dr. Raymond Bennett, and their wives, Donna Kerr and Eudora Bennett, were instrumental in bringing a health care facility to Montrose.

In the early years, the doctors would see patients in an area that spanned the east-west and north-south boundaries of the county and beyond. That prompted the building of the hospital in 1955, situated next to the clinic that had been in operation for several years.

Born in Titusville in 1925, he was drafted for World War II and following his training, was transferred to the University of Nebraska where he completed his PreMed studies before working as a medic for the U.S. Army in Chicago, Ill. After completing his M.D., he interned at the Guthrie Clinic in Sayre. It was there he met his wife, Donna.

He also served in Korea, where he met missionary Reuben Torrey Jr., son of Montrose Bible Conference founder Reuben Torrey. The missionary and the doctor became friends during their post-war lives in Montrose.

At the age of 80, Kerr retired from the medical profession. He penned two books – the first was a biography titled “A Civil War Surgeon” about James Langstaff Dunn. In the book, Dr. Kerr interprets about 140 letters written by the Civil War-era doctor. His second book, “The Last of the Kerrs” is an autobiography, touching on both professional and personal aspects of his life.

In 1997, the not-for-profit Endless Mountains Health Systems took over Montrose General and its clinic.

In 2013, EMHS opened the doors of the new health care facility. Dr. Kerr attended the ribbon cutting event and said he was “moved to tears” when he entered the new building.

For more about Dr. Paul Kerr, please see the obituary page.