(1844 - 1927)

Dr. S. L. Lee Is Summoned
State Loses Valuable Citizen
Carson City Appeal, Wednesday, January 12, 1927

This morning, about 9 o’clock, Dr. S. L. Lee, a pioneer resident of this state, and one of the best
known physicians in Nevada, passed away at his home in this city.
For the past two years his health has been failing, and he realized his condition and had made
preparations for the end. He has been attending his office duties up to within a
few days, his wife bringing him down each day, and to his friends and patients he insisted that the
end was very near.

He leaves a devoted wife, Mrs. Lola Montz Lee.

USEFUL CAREER
Dr. S. L. Lee had given the public one of the most useful careers of any of the professional men of
the state. Coming to Nevada shortly after the Civil War he took up his
practice in Pioche, serving the mining camp and surrounding section. He moved to Carson City in the
early seventies and with his family made this city his residence.
During his period of usefulness he made a study of vital statistics and through his efforts it
became a part of legislative enactment. For years he served without pay and his
records are the only ones available during the period when there was no provision made for such
statistics.
A COLLECTOR
From the day he arrived in this state he has been busy collecting the various fine minerals, gems
and Indian relics, until today his collection of only the finest
specimens remains the most complete and valuable in the state. Every scientist visiting this city
in years has made the Doctor Lee office his headquarter owing to the variety,
fine classification and selection of specimens from every nook and corner of this state.
The collection is a fort ne in itself and represents a life ork Of recent ears he t rned lapidar and
c t and polished man of the gems and fine specimens that are noThe collection is a fortune in itself
and represents a life work. Of recent years, he turned lapidary and cut and polished many of the
gems and fine specimens that are now contained in his collection. It has been a great pleasure to
his friends to visit this display, which showed knowledge and patience.
As a citizen, Dr. Lee had been one of the foremost of the state. All civic, state and national
affairs were part of his existence, and with the tremendous amount of reading that
he followed through life, he was a source of wonderful reliability when one wanted to know what
happened in the world. He burned midnight oil so many years that the familiar
light in his room will be missed with his passing.
Dr. Lee had taken an active part in the Republican party lines and during the years of his
activities was among the leaders of his party cause. Locally, he assisted in the
directing of many of the improvements and his home stands as one on the fine monuments to the man
who wished to live and die in this city. His beautiful flowers were a
passion and his tree planting will be an everlasting memorial to the fine citizen who had no fear of
death and to the last spoke calmly of his departure with friends

Dr. Simeon L. Lee was born at Navdalia [sic] , Fayette County, Illinois, September 4
, 1844, which makes his age 82 years. Following the death of his brother, who was killed
in the Civil war, he took his brother’s place in the ranks and served under General John A. Logan.
After the war he returned home where he was married to Lola Montez Wells in 1868. Three sons were
born and all died after reaching manhood.
In 1870 he received his medical degree from the Cincinnati Medical College and immediately moved
West, where he made his continuous home.
His useful life as a citizen and physician will always be a memory to the people of this city and
over the state. It has been a great pleasure to know Dr. S. L. Lee.
As a young man he joined the Masons and was a Shriner of the San Francisco lodge.
Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon under the auspices of the Masonic