Patient Records for St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington D.C.

I'm looking for any information about my great-grandmother, Mary Bruguier Westerman, (Yankton Sioux) born 1904 in South Dakota. I believe she was admitted to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in October 1935/36, and died at the hospital around January 1937. There's a possibility that she may be buried in the East Campus Cemetery with other Native Americans that died there (per 2009 East Campus Cemetery preservation assessment I read online). However, other online research has said that she was buried back in South Dakota, so I'm unsure what is correct. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Parents
  • I can offer a little bit more information about the Mary Westerman who was a patient at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.

    Her patient number was 40763; She was admitted 10-4-1935 and Died 1-16-1936. Her sex was F[emale]; her color was W[hite} - this was the usual "color" for Native Americans. She was listed as married; her occupation was housewife; her religion was Episcopalian. There is no indication why she was sent here. HOWEVER, the National Archives should have the Register of Patient Cases that gives brief information about her condition and why she came to the hospital. Now that you have her patient number and date of admission, they can look it up for you. From a surgery log that I recently digitized, I can report that she was admitted to the Medical/Surgical building 1-11-1936 for drainage of an abcess near the appendix. She died five days later. I have no further information about the surgery and its consequences. You can request her death certificate from the D.C. Archives at no cost (online). That will list cause of death and who took charge of her body after death. I do not see that she was buried in the hospital cemetery. Her body was likely shipped back home. That was common. I hope that this is helpful. Maureen Jais-Mick, Archives Volunteer, Saint Elizabeths Hospital (I am at the hospital only on Wednesdays)

Reply
  • I can offer a little bit more information about the Mary Westerman who was a patient at Saint Elizabeths Hospital.

    Her patient number was 40763; She was admitted 10-4-1935 and Died 1-16-1936. Her sex was F[emale]; her color was W[hite} - this was the usual "color" for Native Americans. She was listed as married; her occupation was housewife; her religion was Episcopalian. There is no indication why she was sent here. HOWEVER, the National Archives should have the Register of Patient Cases that gives brief information about her condition and why she came to the hospital. Now that you have her patient number and date of admission, they can look it up for you. From a surgery log that I recently digitized, I can report that she was admitted to the Medical/Surgical building 1-11-1936 for drainage of an abcess near the appendix. She died five days later. I have no further information about the surgery and its consequences. You can request her death certificate from the D.C. Archives at no cost (online). That will list cause of death and who took charge of her body after death. I do not see that she was buried in the hospital cemetery. Her body was likely shipped back home. That was common. I hope that this is helpful. Maureen Jais-Mick, Archives Volunteer, Saint Elizabeths Hospital (I am at the hospital only on Wednesdays)

Children
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