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Julie Naughton, Office of Communications, (402) 471-1695 (office); (402) 405-7202 (cell);
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Lincoln – For amateur genealogists Valerie Johnson Young and Kathy Johnson Latuff, finding their ancestor Bessie Dragoun Weatherby was something of a treasure hunt – one that ended with the Lincoln Regional Center.
Young, Weatherby's great-granddaughter, and Latuff, Weatherby's granddaughter, found that Weatherby was born in Omaha in 1893 to Bohemian immigrants, and was the fifth of ten children. An adventurous soul, 17-year-old Weatherby ran away from home in April 1910 to see Halley's Comet in Sioux City, Iowa, returning home after accomplishing her goal. In 1911, Bessie gave birth to her first daughter, Lucille Gamble. In 1918 and 1919, Bessie traveled and worked in San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington.
In 1919, Weatherby gave birth to a second child, Evelyn Rose (Weatherby) Johnson, Latuff's mother and Young's grandmother. Also, during this year, her favorite sister, Rose, died of heart failure at the age of 28. She was despondent and in 1920 entered the Lincoln Regional Center (then known as the Lincoln State Hospital for the Insane), where she lived until her death in 1936. While in the hospital, Weatherby's father, Anton, was slain during a robbery in Chicago, and she lost her twenty-two year old daughter, Lucille, to diphtheria.
On Thursday, May 5, Young and Latuff and their spouses, Jack and Michael, will travel from Wisconsin and Minnesota, respectively, to install a memorial paver for Weatherby at LRC at noon, and will be available for interviews at that time. The timing was meant to not only honor Mental Health Awareness Month, but Weatherby's legacy as a mother and her influence in reaching out to her descendants and bringing them together in a powerful way.
“In those days, speaking about mental illness wasn't something many people did," said Latuff. “We felt strongly about honoring and recognizing her struggle, and hopefully also reduce some of the stigma that follows mental health to this day, even though treatment and understanding are so much greater now."
According to Nebraska State Historical Society records, there are more than 700 former patients buried at the Lincoln Regional Center's two cemeteries. Most were buried only with a number or under an unmarked stone. The last burials at these facilities were in the 1950s. While Weatherby is buried elsewhere, her family wanted to honor her mental health journey by placing the paving stone at LRC.
There is one mystery the duo would still like to solve: the whereabouts of Evelyn Rose Weatherby, Bessie's daughter, from 1920 to 1930. “We have searched many orphanages of the day to locate her and have been unsuccessful," said Young. “We do not believe that she was living with family members. Evelyn, herself, could not remember her whereabouts. In the search for Evelyn, we have received amazing support and resources from many in Nebraska, including DHHS. We look forward to learning more."
Young noted that a number of Nebraska organizations have been partners in the search, including Catholic Charities, Korisko Larkin Staskiewicz Funeral Home, the Nebraska Children's Home Society, and the Nebraska United Methodist Historical Center/Archives.
Need to talk or get immediate help in a crisis? Help is available. If you or a loved one need assistance, please reach out to:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 para Español
- Your faith-based leader, your healthcare professional, or student health center on campus.
- Nebraska Family Helpline – Any question, any time. (888) 866-8660
- Rural Response Hotline, (800) 464-0258
- Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (oprime dos para Español) or text TalkWithUs to 66746.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
- National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4AChild (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)