Dr. William John Truitt M.D. was born October 26, 1867, in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, the son of David Smith Truitt and Rosetta Musgrove.
He was educated in the public schools of Wilmington, and graduated from the Wilmington High School in 1885.
Dr. Truitt first studied medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, having graduated from the Hahnemann Homeopathic College in Chicago in 1889. He then began his practice in Sycamore, IL, taking over the practice of Dr. H. P. Holmes. Shortly thereafter Dr. Truitt moved to Westville, Indiana, where he practiced medicine from 1890 to 1892. He then moved to Naperville in July of 1892.
In Naperville, he married Nettie Bell, daughter of Dr. John A. Bell, June 10, 1891, at St. John’s Church. They were the parents of John William, who grew up to also become a physician.
The elder Dr. Truitt served as associate professor of obstetrics at the National Medical College in Chicago from 1893 to 1897. He was a member of the American Institution of Homeopathy.
Dr. Truitt served as Naperville’s 2nd Ward Alderman in 1905, 1906, 1909 and 1910. He entered into a medical practice partnership with his half-brother, Dr. Ruliff Lawrence Truitt, in 1908.
He served on the examining board of physicians for the draft exemption board during World War I.
Dr. Truitt owned one of the first automobiles in Naperville, a 1903 Oldsmobile Model R Curved Dash Runabout.
He was raised a Master Mason May 23, 1894. Dr. Truitt was also a member of the Knights of Pythias Fraternal Order and the Modern Woodmen of America.
He served as a consulting physician for the Edward Sanatorium in 1916 and served on the coroner’s jury that investigated the suicide death of Dr. Sachs.
Dr. William John Truitt M.D. died October 2, 1918, of pneumonia, only days after treating his last patient in Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois. The funeral services were held at St. John’s Episcopal Church with the Rev. Hugh M. MacWhorter conducting the services. He was buried in the Naperville Cemetery with members of Euclid Lodge No. 65, A.F. & A.M. performing the simple Masonic Funeral ritual at the grave.
