Of Morganfield, is the son of John and Ruth Catherine
(Offutt) Shoemaker. His father, a gunsmith, was born near Pittsburg,
Penn., in 1789, and was married twice in that part of Shelby County
that is now spencer; the first time to a Miss David, and the next to
our subject's mother; and both of his parents died in Spencer County,
respectively, in 1854 and November 18754. His maternal grandparents
were Andrew and Elizabeth (Offutt) Offutt.
Dr. Shoemaker was born in Spencer County, June 5, 1837.
Some seven years in the Spencer County common schools and a ten months'
term at St. Mary's College, in which he took a commercial course with
Latin and mathematics included, completed his literary training. he
came to Union County in March, 1858, and during the war began reading
medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. R. D. Spalding and William A.
Jones. He then attended one term each in the Louisville University and
the Kentucky School of Medicine, graduating from the latter institution
in 1865, and receiving a diploma. He afterward received a diploma in
1868 from the Louisville University upon the occasion of the two
institutions being merged into one. He had, in 1857, taught a fall term
of public school, and ran a drug store for two or three years.
Our subject was married at Sacred Heart Church on June
4, 1866, to Frances Ellen Payne, the daughter of John and Jane C.
(Spalding) Payne, whose biography is found in the Waverly
chapter. Mrs. Shoemaker was born in Union County September 19, 1847.
Six children have been born to this couple, as follows: John Payne,
Mary Elizabeth, Ruth Jane, William Henry, Thomas Jefferson and Joseph
Theophilus. Thomas is perhaps the youngest practical politician in the
State. In 1884, although his father was not for Laffoon, this little
boy worked and shouted and enthused for Polk so hard, that when Mr.
Laffoon actually got to Congress he had Tommy appointed Page in
Congress, and now the boy has made a Laffoon man of his father, and has
the reputation of being the strongest Laffoon man in the district.
Dr. Shoemaker's practice has been that of a country
practitioner, with a preference for surgical cases. When Page's mill
blew up, Dr. Shoemaker was summoned to the scene of the disaster. He
found Dangerfield dead, Page with his skull fractured and his shoulder
dislocated, and Shroats with a fractured skull. Trepanning was resorted
to in Shroats' case with success. Dr. Shoemaker also took the ball out
of John Caton's neck, where it had lodged near the carotid artery. He
is a member of the McDowell Association, and also of the American
Medical Association. He has been a member of the Catholic Church since
infancy, and is a member of the Catholic Knights, in which order he is
the examining physician. A farm of 90 acres, all cultivated, situated
near town, belongs to him. He owns various tenement houses and a
handsome, commodious and convenient residence, built in 1884. Dr.
Shoemaker is an honor and a benefit to the county of his adoption, and
a physician of ability and growing reputation.
