Archived Records for Patient

Hi Bunny,

I am looking for records also for Amelia for 2 of her Great Nieces. May I ask what year Amelia's child was born? Was it before she became a patient at St Elizabeth which records show was 1900?  This would make Amelia 19 years old. Or was the birth of her child recorded during her "inmate" years at St. Elizabeth? Her Death Certificate shows an autopsy was performed.  It appears only relatives of the deceased may request a copy in WA DC.

Hi Bunny,

I am looking for records also for Amelia for 2 of her Great Nieces. May I ask what year Amelia's child was born? Was it before she became a patient at St Elizabeth which records show was 1900?  This would make Amelia 19 years old. Or was the birth of her child recorded during her "inmate" years at St. Elizabeth? Her Death Certificate shows an autopsy was performed.  It appears only relatives of the deceased may request a copy in WA DC.

Hello sleuther72  

I missed all Archive responses about Amelia Trilling somehow. Found them today quite by accident. While performing research on my family tree, it was alleged by one of the Trilling nieces that my Great Grandmother and her son were linked to Amelia's tree as off springs. Rosa/Rose Twyman, (n) born abt. 1894-1898 and Edwin Twyman, (n) born 1906. FYI, Amelia was also a patient at St. Elizabeth's in 1898, according to another Archive research report. 

There happens to be a Rosa/Rose Twyman listed on the St. Elizabeth's Federal Census report in 1940 and 1950. Margaret "Maggie" Trilling (whom you refer to as a "sister" present when Amelia died), is also on the same 1950 Census report with Rosa. Can you tell me anything about Rose/Rosa? It's possible she was there before 1940 as well. I appreciate your due diligence on this matter.

Bunny!

My research does not show that Amelia Trilling gave birth to a child. She lived in St. Elizabeth Hospital from her late teens to her death.  If you believe you are a direct descendant of Amelia Trilling, you should review the Death certificates for your parents & grandparents.  All 20th and 21st-century-issued death certificates list the parents of the deceased.  The mother's surname and place of birth are listed.   After 75 years, death certificates are made public records.  That is why Amelia's is online in genealogy data resources.   Much information on family trees is incorrect. Much information in family "stories" is incorrect.  I would not rely on them; instead, as you build your family tree, at least for the first 3 generations: (1)you,  (2)your parents, and (3)grandparents, you should only use vital records: Birth certificates and Death certificates and reliable DNA tools as a potential backup.

I can add a little bit to the story regarding Rose Twyman (patient #30770) and her time at Saint Elizabeths Hospital. She came to the hospital 6-6-1923 and died here 2-25-1971. As it has been at least 50 years since her death, I can share that her earliest diagnostic code was 22.5. According to the DSMI (1952) that meant "schizophrenic reaction, chronic undifferentiated type." Later the code was revised to 295.90, which in the DSMII (1968) meant the same. I have attached Rose's patient index card, which is the only information we retain in the hospital archives. The death register notes "no autopsy." Maureen Jais-Mick, Saint Elizabeths Hospital Archives Volunteer. Best wishes for your continued research.TWYMAN ROSE INDRX CARD.pdf

Bunny, just to clarify: I am not aware of any info regarding Maggie Trilling.  I think you misread my post regarding the death certificate details for Amelia Trilling. I wrote that a Maggie Thompson , her sister was the informant on her death certificate in 1938. This only means she provided some information, it does not mean she also resided at St Elizabeth.  There is also an obituary for Amelia. It does not mention any children . 

Maureen,

According to the index card, Rose was a widow when she died. May I assume that TWYMAN was her married name? Do hospital records state her surname? She was approximately 29 when she entered the hospital and was a married or widowed woman. 

Her birth date was 02 Jul 1894  per a death register search. 

Unfortunately, the card doesn't list her maiden name. But you will note "For prev. card see clin. folder," which is always frustrating. It means that she had an index card that began in 1923 and it may have contained that information. This one began in 1956. The original card would have been put in her medical file, which is not available. I wish they would have clipped the two cards together! 

Thank you for your persistence! "Duncan" may have been her maiden name. I have an Army Registration card for her son Edwin for verification. Plus, a Newspaper notice for a marriage license for Rosa Duncan and Henry Twyman, but the date of the article is in 1900 when she is only 6 years old. Ironically, this is the same age of the alleged father (who also happens to be my Grandmother's biological Father) in the Trilling storyline. It appears Rosa/Rose used both first names and surnames interchangeably. Attempts to locate birth (VA.) or death (DC) certificates for her online are unsuccessful. There is a Newspaper Obituary notice for Rosa Twyman, but the date of death is September 1949. Are you suggesting she was a patient at the hospital from 1923 until her death in 1971? The research findings I have begins at 1900 - 1971 where the date of birth is confirmed, and the death date is listed on a Social Security Claim form. Is it possible to confirm whether or not she may have been an outpatient on occasion? Can you provide a copy of the death record indicating the cause of death? 

Great advice! I would never have followed the Trilling path if they had not provided the names of my family members in their tree. Their storyline proved thought-provoking and alluded to a circumstance that may have been surreptitious. The rest is "History," as they say. Human error, I can accept, but in this instance, coincidence is engaging. My quest is to identify my Great-Grandmother Rosa/Rose's biological Mother and Father and verify her place of birth and death. Thus far, I have no documented birth record or certifiable death record. My DNA record has not revealed any of the information I seek now. The genealogy data resources proved to be unuseful. I continue to review all available resources for vital records in Virginia.

There is no indication on her patient index card that she lived outside of the hospital for periods of time. It is always possible that she had visits "home" between 1923 and her death in 1971. Usually "CL" will appear on their card with dates - meaning Convalescent Leave. But, as we know, errors are made.

BUT - as a followup to my  comment a few minutes ago, the patient card that we have begins in 1956. There was an earlier card no longer available. So it is entirely possible that there were "Convalescent Leave"s between 1923 and 1956. She might have been healthier then.