Gone but Not Forgotten: Sneed Jernigin’s Life Story and Mental Illness in Early 20th Century Texas

Sneed Jernigin, my great granduncle, was born in October 1883 in Hunt County, Texas, the seventh child of James Hendrix Jernigin and Cordelia Lindley Jernigin. Despite his seemingly promising beginnings in a large and close-knit family, Sneed faced significant struggles from an early age. According to his father, James, Sneed had suffered from episodes of what was described as "insanity" starting at the age of three. With the benefit of modern medical knowledge, it is plausible that these episodes were actually seizures, a condition often misunderstood and misdiagnosed as mental illness during that era. This tragic misconception not only shaped Sneed's life but also deeply affected his family, who likely faced increasing difficulty managing his care as he grew older.

On January 29, 1902 when Sneed was eighteen years old, his father filed a petition with the Hunt County Court to declare Sneed of "unsound mind." The court, guided by the limited understanding of neurological conditions at the time, deemed Sneed a "Lunatic" and ordered his commitment to the North Texas Lunatic Asylum in Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas. This institution, later renamed the Terrell State Hospital, opened in July 1885 as the state’s second facility dedicated to the care of individuals with mental illnesses. While the asylum’s mission aimed to provide humane treatment, the limited resources and overcrowded conditions of the time often fell far short of those ideals.

It is likely that Sneed’s symptoms—which may have included seizures, altered states of consciousness, or other neurological manifestations—were exacerbated by the stress of institutional life. Tragically, Sneed’s time in the asylum was brief. According to a March 17, 1950, affidavit by his brother Jay Jernigin, Sneed passed away in 1903, just a year after his commitment. At the time of his death, he was unmarried and had no children. There are no identified official records of his death or burial, a common fate for many patients who died in asylums during that period.

Sneed was likely buried in Wildwood Cemetery, located on the grounds of the Terrell State Hospital. This cemetery served as the final resting place for numerous patients whose families could not afford or were unable to claim their remains. Graves at Wildwood were typically marked with small, numbered stones rather than names, reflecting the institutional anonymity assigned to many of those interred. Over the years, many of these markers have been lost or eroded, leaving the identities of countless individuals, including Sneed, shrouded in mystery.

Sneed’s story is a poignant reminder of how medical misunderstandings can have devastating consequences. It underscores the challenges faced by families of individuals with misunderstood conditions like epilepsy or mental illness in the early 20th century. Furthermore, his life and death highlight the broader history of psychiatric care in Texas, including the struggles of institutions like the Terrell State Hospital to provide adequate care amidst societal stigma and limited resources. Today, the unmarked graves at Wildwood Cemetery stand as silent witnesses to these forgotten lives, urging us to give them a voice, reflect on the progress made in understanding and treating neurological and mental health conditions—and the work that remains to be done. ~ You are not forgotten, you are my family Sneed Jernigin, Rest in Peace ~

 

Figure 1 – North Texas Lunatic Asylum, by Unknown author - Kirkbridebuildings.com, Public Domain

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