Sebree S. McGinnis

SEBREE S. McGINNIS, M. D. For almost a quarter of a century, Dr. Sebree S. McGinnis, a practicing physician at Dighton, has been a resident of Kansas, in which state he is well known in his profession and has been prominent also in public life. He was born near Owenton in Owen County, Kentucky, May 2, 1884, and is a son of Chester T. and Frankie (Adams) McGinnis.

The ancestors of the McGinnis family came from Ireland to the United States many years ago and one branch settled in Kentucky. When the Civil war was precipitated one of the quiet, industrious farmers in Kentucky, Samuel McGinnis, felt that his duty lay in giving support to the Federal cause and he entered the Union army, one of his sons being of the same opinion and accompanying him, while another son, equally sincere, entered the Confederate army. Samuel McGinnis lived to return to his farm and died there after the close of the war. Chester T. McGinnis, father of Doctor McGinnis and son of Samuel, was born in Kentucky in 1860, grew to manhood there, married and in 1893 brought his family to Kansas. He settled first in Trego County, but later took up land in Gove County, which was known as school land, and after five years there disposed of it and moved to Ness County and for a few years resided near Utica. Later Mr. McGinnis went to Arlington, Colorado, and still resides there, following an agricultural life. He has always been an industrious, home-loving man and has never had any political aspirations. In politics he is a republican. He married Frankie Adams and two children were born to them: Sebree S. and Birdie, who is the wife of Lee W. Ash, of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. McGinnis is a member of the Baptist Church.

Sebree S. McGinnis attended the public schools and at Washburn College, Topeka, took his preparatory course in medicine, a career he had early determined upon. He was but sixteen years of age when he began to teach school in Gove County, and was a very satisfactory educator, but that profession was adopted merely as a preliminary to his collegiate course, which was followed by a regular medical course in Barnes University, St. Louis, Missouri, from which institution he was graduated in 1909. Doctor McGinnis entered into medical practice at Tribune in Greeley County, Kansas, and continued there until May, 1915, when he came to Dighton. He is a member of the Kansas State Medical Society and also a member of the American Medical Association.

In politics, like his father, Doctor McGinnis has always been a republican and cast his first presidential vote for William H. Taft. During his residence in Greeley County he made political as well as personal and professional friends and in 1915 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, in which body he was very useful, serving faithfully on important committees, including railroads, public highways, public health and hygiene, exercising every effort to add beneficial legislation along these lines.

On June 25, 1913, Doctor McGinnis was married at Pueblo, Colorado, to Miss Abbie Baker, who was born there. He has numerous fraternal connections, including the Masons, the Elks and the Odd Fellows, being a past grand in the last named organization.