Memorials › Ruth Elizabeth Whitmore

Ruth Elizabeth Whitmore

17 Aug 1925 – 16 Nov 1952

Birth17 Aug 1925
Death16 Nov 1952
CemeteryLakeview Memorial Park
Medical Lake , Spokane County , Washington , USA
Added byDavid Luders on 21 Aug 2018
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192434424

Gravesite details

The Lakeland Village cemetery is state-owned property. Visitors must be escorted by DSHS personnel, and a reservation is required.

Bio

[The biography was based on records received from Lakeland Village, as well as personal recollections of Ruth's brother, Don.] Ruth was born 17 Aug 1925 in Everett WA to parents Floyd and Lois Whitmore. Complications during birth caused Ruth to suffer from motor and speech difficulties for the rest of her life. She was non-verbal, but she didn't lack in mental or emotional functioning. She was a happy child in the West Seattle home, and she enjoyed the company of her brother, Don. On 20 Feb 1933, Floyd and Lois petitioned the Washington State Superior Court to commit Ruth to the State Custodial School, as she was considered "a feebleminded person who is incompetent to be at large and whose family cannot provide training, protection and care." On 15 Jun 1935, Ruth was admitted (at the age of 9) to the Eastern State Custodial School (later renamed Lakeland Village) in Medical Lake WA. Floyd, Lois and Don visited Ruth from time to time, and the institution kept the parents informed of Ruth's medical prognosis and other issues as warranted over the years. Occasionally, Ruth would be admitted to the on-site hospital due to seizures. On 31 Oct 1949, the superintendent of the facility wrote a letter to Lois, informing her that Ruth's health had deteriorated both physically and mentally during the prior few months. Ruth appeared more listless and she was confined to a wheelchair. Another letter on 16 Dec 1949 reported that Ruth was bedridden and showing noticeable regression. Ruth died on 16 Nov 1952 at Lakeland Village. The causes of death were noted as chronic myocarditis, grand mal epilepsy, and spastic paralysis, with mental deficiency a contributing factor.

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