SPENCER STATE HOSPITAL [1893-1989] I am working on an album project which will contain any information, photos, [census records from 1900-1940], and interesting stories remembered by former employees & towns-people about Spencer State Hospital, Roane Co., WV. The project started for me a few months ago when someone inquired about a relative who had been a patient there. I now have compiled records of thousands [and still counting] of persons who were patients there; some were there most of their lives, some just a few days, many died there. When complete, a copy will be donated to the Roane County Historical Society's library located in Spencer, If you have questions or stories, memorabilia, especially old photos to share please contact me at WVRoots@aol.com Thanks so much, Linda Cottrell Liss

The Roane County Historical Society met on Thursday, August 28th at the Roane County Library, with sixteen members and one guest present. Rick Greathouse, President, called the meeting to order at 7 p.m., opening prayer was led by Linda Liss and the pledge to the flag was recited by all.
The evening’s special guest was Mr. Wayne Worth of Clarksburg, WV, a Documentary filmmaker as a hobby and a Marion Co., WV Social Worker by trade. Mr. Worth is in the process of film documenting the history of all WV counties as part of his “Journey into the Wild & Wonderful” film series. He started this adventure in 2012 and has documented 42 counties so far. When complete he will make the CD videos available to the different counties and give copies to the different county school systems as part of their 8th Grade WV History classes. Wayne showed a sample video [Jackson County] which was very good and informative about that county.
After discussion on who would be interviewed for the film, it was decided that Mr. Worth would make an outline of specific interview subjects, & present that to our President, Rick Greathouse, & for him to make the arrangements with those to be interviewed. Suggested persons to be interviewed were: Mr. Denver Gandee, Carol Cronin, Jack Nida and others.
NOTE: Rick made arrangements for Mr. Worth to interview Mr. Gandee on Saturday, September 6, 2014. The interview went well and additional interviews will be scheduled in the near future.

Break: Refreshments were served.

Business:
No minutes from the July meeting available.
Treasurers Report, Carol Board Westfall: Account balance $13,263.87 [Copy with minutes]
Carol reported that the annual audit of the Treasurer’s Books was done and were found to be in good order.
No new book purchases.
Membership Report: Steady at 201. [Copy with minutes]. Linda reported that many members have not paid their 2014-15 dues. Cards &/or emails have been sent as a reminder.
Linda reported that she has sent one get well card since last meeting.
Old Business:
Melissa Swisher & Carol Board-Westfall reported that things are coming together for our 20th Annual Genealogy Fair for Saturday, September 27, 2014 at the Heritage Park Community Building: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Vendors are making reservations & the usual kitchen crew will have breakfast & lunch items for sale.
It was suggested that some of the duplicate “Camp donation” books be given as door prizes.
Volunteers are needed to help set-up, work the fair and clean-up afterwards.

New Business:
Carol Board Westfall reported that the current HP printer in the society’s library uses a lot of black ink and needs the color cartridges to be in place to print Black. It is suggested that a new laser printer be purchased. Motion was made by Carol and seconded to purchase a laser printer for our library. Motion carried unanimously.

Other business to be brought to September meeting.
Annual Essay Scholarship
Nomination [if any] for “History Hero” Forms need to be completed & submitted by Dec. 31, 2014.

Meeting adjourned.

Those present were: Rick Greathouse, Melissa Swisher, Brenda Whited, Peggy L. Starcher, Bobby Skinner, Carol Cronin, Jean and Jack Nida, Johann Nutter, Paul Hughes, Reva Paxton, Carl Paxton, Carol Board-Westfall, Linda Liss, Bernard & Patty Wyatt and our guest speaker, Wayne Worth.

From Spencer Daily Dot Com
Obituary: Miss Betty Irene Boggs
August 27, 2014

Miss Betty Irene Boggs, 84, of Spencer, West Virginia, passed away on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at the Roane General Hospital in Spencer.

She was born July 14, 1930 in Roane County, a daughter of the late Howard R. and Grace Wilson Boggs.

She was a 1948 Spencer High School graduate, attended Potomac State College and received her degree in English from Marshall University. She began her teaching career in 1952 and retired after 51 years of service to multiple generations of Roane County students. Miss Boggs was a beloved educator, an avid reader and an advocate of lifelong learning. She enjoyed and appreciated all things of beauty; the written word, treasured glassware and antiques, and a love of family and friends.

She is survived by three brothers, Harvey, Clarence R. “Tink”, and David Boggs, all of Spencer; five nieces and nephews, Douglas, Michael and Larry Boggs, Brenda Fisher and Brigitte Lowe; eleven great-nieces and nephews, Jacob, Daniel and Laura Grace Boggs, Kayla White, Ashley and Alyssa Boggs, Benjamin Bailey, Grayson Fisher, J. Alex Lowe, and Michael Jon and Cristopher Cole Boggs; and one great-great nephew, Amos Lee White.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a nephew, Bruce Boggs.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at the TAYLOR-VANDALE FUNERAL HOME in Spencer with Rev. Russell Stump officiating. Burial will follow in the Mt. Olive Cemetery near Spencer. Visiting hours are Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home

"JOURNEY INTO THE WILD & WONDERFUL" documentary film writer, Wayne Worth of Clarksburg, WV, will be our special guest for the August 28, 2014 meeting of the Roane County Historical Society. Mr. Worth is interviewing and film documenting the cultural dynamics & history of all WV counties. He has already filmed 30 of West Virginia's 55 counties and wants to include Roane County in the project. Upon completion of the project, he plans making the documentaries available to every 8th grade West Virginia history teacher to help expand their students cultural awareness of our State. MARK YOUR CALENDAR for August 28th, 7 p.m., at the Roane County Library in Spencer for this special time of sharing.

-IN REMEMBRANCE-
In recent weeks I have been trying to identify as many as possible those folk who passed through the wards of Spencer State Hospital, Roane Co., WV. Many of the patients spent years, most of their lives there in conditions we cannot imagine today. Thusfar hospital and death certificate records provide names for 391 of those persons who died at the "Second Hospital for the Insane" and were buried in the hospital's cemeteries. There are still hundreds of residents unaccounted for. By the end of 1941 records show that 9,165 persons had been a patient there; some for a few days, others for many years.
The hospital opened in 1893 when it received the first 54 patients ; it closed in June 1989.
The 1900 Census enumerated 426 patients.
The 1910 Census enumerated 495 inmates. {Term used in census]
The 1920 Census listed 635 inmates.
The 1930 Census listed 787 inmates.
and the 1940 Census listed 937 inmates.
Beginning in about 1922 there were hundred's more men & women who died there, not claimed by family, whose bodies were donated to science at the WV University, Med School, Morgantown, WV.
In an attempt to honor and remember all those who died at the Spencer State Hospital, I am posting death records to the Find-a-Grave Memorial website.
Special thanks to Judy Hildreth who compiled records for the Roane County Historical Society's Cemetery Book IV, and to Melissa Swisher, RCHS member, for beginning the posts to Find-a-Grave.
The institution owned burial ground was recorded in 1940 as having 7 marked graves and 750+ unmarked. Those seven were: Mary Dagostin, Elizabeth Ewing, R. P. Hanson, Amelia Huber, Medora J. Kendall, Antonio Petiti and William S. Riley.
When the hospital closed in 1989 their records and some of the patients became part of the Lakin Hospital in Mason Co., WV.
Linda Cottrell Liss, Member, Roane County Historical Society, Inc.