Frank Smith Coller M. D.

  General Notes:

Frank S. Coller was listed as a student in the 1880 U.S. census.

Title: Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. / David Fisher and Frank Little, editors. Author: Fisher, David, 1827-

DR. FRANK S. COLLER. This widely known and highly appreciated physician and surgeon of Kalamazoo county, who has been in an active general practice at Vicksburg during all of the last eighteen years, is a native of the county, born in Wakeshma township on August I, I864. His parents were Dr. Eli H. and Mirrandad R. (Smith) Coller, natives of the state of New York. The father who was long a leading physician and surgeon in this state, and received his professional training at the State University at Ann Arbor, being graduated with the class of 1857 or 1858, was brought to Michigan in 1836 by his parents when he was but two years old. The family settled in Lenawee county, where the parents passed the remainder of their lives. Dr. Frank S. Coller's father served as surgeon in the First Michigan Cavalry during the Civil war, being promoted to that position from that of assistant surgeon of the Twelfth Michigan Cavalry, enlisting in I863 and serving three years, participating in all the engagements of his command during the period of the war in his term. He moved to Wakeshma township, this county, in I859 and settled on a farm which he worked in connection with his practice. His earlier fees for professional service were paid in maple sugar which he exchanged at Kalamazoo for supplies, one pound of quinine costing thirty pounds of sugar. In 1872 he moved to Climax, where he lived until 1874, when he went to California in company with Dr. Sealey, remaining until I877. He then returned to this state and located at Athens, removing later to Battle Creek, where he died on December 13, I903. His wife died in 1879. They had four sons and one daughter. Two of these are living, the Doctor and his brother, Dr. E. H. Coller, one of the leading dentists of Battle Creek. The father married as his second wife Miss Hester Foote, of Athens, who is still living. The Doctor's grandfather was Jesse Coller, a Michigan farmer who died in Lenawee county. The Doctor grew to manhood and was educated in Calhoun and,Kalamazoo counties. He began his professional studies under the direction of his father, and in 1884 entered the medical department of the university at Ann Arbor, and from this he was graduated in I887. In July of that year he began practicing at Vicksburg, and he has followed his profession here ever since, growing into a large and representative practice and 'establishing himself firmly in the regard and good will of the people. He has taken post-graduate courses in the polytechnic schools at Chicago and Ann Arbor, and has kept in the active currents of medical thought and discovery by zealous and serviceable membership in the county and state medical societies, the Kalamazoo Academy of Medicine and the American Medical Association. He was married at Mendon, Mich., on December 24, I889, to Miss Vianna Jenkinson, a daughter of Francis Jenkinson, one of the honored pioneers of Kalamazoo county. They have one child, their son Russell J. Politically the Doctor is independent, but his interest in the community in which he lives has been shown by six years' service and usefulness on the board of village trustees. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the order of Odd Fellows.

Frank married Vianna Jenkinson, daughter of Francis Jenkinson and Unknown, on 24 Dec 1889 in Mendon, Michigan.