Dorothy Alice Curtis was born August 8, 1896. She was the fourth child of James Lee and Bertha Eveland Curtis. Dorothy was a pretty baby with curly brown hair and blue eyes, so it wasn’t immediately obvious to the family that she had serious health problems.
Her baby sister, Lois Curtis Vosti, said that their mother, Bertha, believed Dorothy might have been damaged by an accident at birth (Lois Vosti). Lois’ son Ken had heard that possibly the umbilical cord was wrapped around Dorothy’s neck, and so she was deprived of oxygen temporarily at birth (Ken Vosti). Heart-breakingly, Bertha apparently blamed herself for whatever had damaged Dorothy. Bertha later reported to doctors that she believed the cause of Dorothy’s “deficiency” was her anxiety during the pregnancy (CA State Hospital Records).
Dorothy never developed normally. Lois said “you could understand what she said, but she was very childish. We had to dress her and comb her hair and braid it for her.” Lois also remembered that Dorothy had problems with one of her eyes and that she had pretty hands, but one was a different color than the other. She was sweet and gentle and much loved by her parents and brothers and sisters (Lois Vosti).
Dorothy was born when the family lived at their apple farm on Green Valley Road in Watsonville. By 1906, Bertha was tired of the foggy weather there. She thought frequent colds and other health problems she and the children were having were caused by the climate. They moved to a ranch just north of Turlock, CA in 1907. Bertha hoped the warmer, dryer climate would improve everyone’s health (Lois Vosti).
The family cared for Dorothy at home until late 1909. That year Bertha decided to put Dorothy in the Home For the Feeble Minded in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County. This institution was founded by two women who both had developmentally disabled children. The goal was to create an institution that was a school and an asylum for “the feeble-minded.” (Sonoma State Home) They hoped that residents “may be trained to usefulness.” Bertha likely heard about the home from a cousin whose daughter with epilepsy was a resident in the home.
The home’s records have been preserved, so there is some information about Dorothy’s stay there. Her page in the case book shows that she was admitted to the home on August 27, 1909. The notes are painful to read. Dorothy was 13. The doctor noted that she had a congenital cataract in her right eye, was round shouldered, and suffered from (chorea) twitches in her arms and legs. It says that Dorothy could count to three and could understand a command. She walked slowly, especially when going upstairs. She could speak, but only a few words. She’d had measles, whooping cough and pneumonia (two times) (CA State Hospital Records).
These are the bare facts, but it’s impossible not to think about what it doesn’t say. It’s impossible not to imagine how excruciating it must have been for Bertha to leave Dorothy at this institution – this precious daughter that Lois reported had been cared for so lovingly by her family for her entire life. It’s also impossible not to imagine how confusing and frightening this was for Dorothy who was likely incapable of understanding this change.
Lois didn’t know why Bertha decided to try the home for Dorothy – maybe it was because Dorothy was growing up, or maybe she hoped that Dorothy could benefit from the services the home offered. The fact that the home was founded by two women in similar circumstances likely made it seem progressive. Maybe her cousin had convinced her it was better for Dorothy. Maybe it was social pressure. Maybe she was tired. The case records do not say, and we’ll never know. One thing though – It’s 137 miles from Turlock to Glen Ellen and this was in 1910. Bertha certainly didn’t visit often if at all.
In January of 1910, the Case Book records that Dorothy left the home and was admitted to the hospital to try to treat her “chorea” or movement problems. They had her rest in bed, eat a milk diet, and “internally” administered a commonly used remedy and tonic called Fowler’s Solutions “increasing the dose daily” (CA State Hospital Records). Fowler’s Solution was actually “a solution containing 1% potassium arsenite (KAsO 2)” – in other words, arsenic (Wikipedia). They saw no improvement in her condition (not surprising) and she was discharged back to the home in February. It doesn’t say if the family was informed or gave permission for this treatment.
In April of 1910, Bertha took Dorothy out of the home for a visit home. In May of 1910 she is listed as a 13 year old “inmate” at the Sonoma State Home. The 1910 US census reports that the home had 868 inmates and 128 employees (1910 Census). They ranged in age from as young as 2 to as old as 75. In keeping with the home’s goal of making people “useful,” many of the inmates had occupations listed – garden helper, polisher, sweeper, bedmaker, scrubber, dish washer, child’s maid, darner, laundry worker and more. Dorothy’s occupation was listed as none.
On October 17, 1910, Dorothy was permanently discharged “at request of mother.” (CA State Records). Lois said her mother took Dorothy out of the home because “my mother felt she just wasn’t eating right or being cared for right.” (Lois Vosti)
When James Lee Curtis’ brother died in 1912, he inherited land a the Salida waterworks business. After he took over operation of the waterworks, he tried to convince Bertha to move the entire family from Turlock to Salida – but Bertha refused. She told James she did not want to bring Dorothy to a small town to be stared at or made fun of. The family continued to care for Dorothy in the relative isolation of the Turlock Ranch and Dorothy lived there for the rest of her life (Lois Vosti).
Dorothy lived until June 24, 1920. She was 23 when she died of viral pneumonia. Dorothy Alice Curtis is buried in Turlock Memorial Park in Turlock, CA – the only family member buried there (FInd A Grave).
Shortly after Dorothy’s death, the family sold the Turlock Ranch and finally moved to Salida, CA. They never forgot Dorothy. Lois told me her story and showed me pictures of Dorothy and was still very emotional 60 years later as she remembered this sister much loved by the entire family (Lois Vosti).
Dorothy Alice Curtis (Daughter of James Lee and Bertha Eveland Curtis and sister of Lois Curtis Vosti – #1 on Curtis Family Tree)
Sources:
California State Hospital Records, 1856-1923; Ancestry.com; Provo, UT, USA; 2014
Curtis, Dorothy Alice; Find A Grave
Vosti, Ken; Interview; Stanford, CA
Vosti, Lois Curtis; Interview; Stanford, CA; 1986