By Shirley Shuman
Last Friday, Dr. Dwight Lohr ended 42 years as a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic, and almost all of it was spent in Gassaway. Born in Pennsylvania, Dr. Lohr chose to live and practice in Gassaway following some time working in a chiropractic clinic here. He emphasized, “I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else.”
At 17, Lohr entered Indiana University in Pennsylvania. After three years, he transferred to West Virginia University. His next move was to Davenport, Iowa, to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic. Asked why he chose to become a chiropractor, Lohr explained. “When I was a freshman in high school, I suffered a wrestling injury. A chiropractor helped me, and I was able to go back to wrestling,” he said.
Following graduation with his Doctor of Chiropractic in 1979, Lohr took the test for licensing in West Virginia. He noted that he took the West Virginia test instead of the Pennsylvania test because he could take it six months before the Pennsylvania one. “I figured instead of waiting six months, I could be working,” he explained.
He soon took a job in Charleston working for a doctor who had clinics throughout West Virginia, including one in Gassaway. That’s where Lohr began. He liked working here so he bought the clinic and stayed. “I loved the area and loved the people. That hasn’t changed in all these years,” the doctor said. Asked what he thought his biggest contribution as a chiropractor has been, he answered, “I provided health care for people who needed it for neuro-muscular and extremity concerns.”
The recent retiree has no concerns about being bored in retirement. His plans include visiting his three children and grandchildren, all of whom live some distance away. He also loves fly fishing, enjoys playing golf, and, for the past 42 years, has grown bonsai trees as a hobby. Add the idea that he “may start doing a little farming again” to all of that.
Dwight Lohr said he “look[s] forward to seeing people of the area from a different perspective,” and emphasized, “I plan to stay here.”