August 19, 2024

Less than two months after the death of the Hon. John Robert Cravens on March 26, 1899, his wife, Drusilla Cravens, helped establish a legacy that would transcend her life and community.

Despite her personal loss, Drusilla moved forward with plans to transfer ownership of a home on Presbyterian Avenue in Madison, Indiana, to the Bethany Circle of King’s Daughters’, an organization that would open its doors in August of that same year as The King’s Daughters’ Hospital. Thanks to the generosity of the Cravens family, and many others since, the vision of those original Bethany Circle members in 1896 continues more than 125 years later. While the hospital moved to its current hilltop location in 2013 and joined Norton Healthcare in 2022, the founders’ mission remains intact: caring for those in need.

“For me, one of the most notable takeaways is being able to sustain a local health care system that has prospered and grown for over 120 years,” said Paula Heiderman, who joined the Bethany Circle in 2005 and later served on its board of managers, including board chair. “When you think about the 12 women in 1899 and how they started the first hospital, and then look at all of the women who have served Bethany and the hospital between then and now, that is something of which to be proud. So many people have been part of creating this incredible hospital.”

The hospital’s early success is even more remarkable given the era in which it happened, according to Darleen Connolly, current board chair for Norton King’s Daughters’ Health. Darleen joined the Bethany Circle (now named Bethany Legacy Foundation) in 2015 and has served on the board of managers since 2019.

“I’m proud of the role women played in founding and building the organization, especially during a time when women could not vote or go to college,” Darleen said. “It’s remarkable that they were so strong and dedicated, and still leading the organization for over 120 years. In the early days, they were very hands-on, rolling bandages and growing food for the kitchen. It has been a woman-led organization for all of these years.”

Over several decades, The King’s Daughters’ Hospital grew from its initial single-family home into a regional health facility that serves multiple counties in Indiana and Kentucky. The hospital acquired its first physician practice in 1996 and added the former Madison Clinic in 1999, the same year as its 100th anniversary celebration. In the past 25 years, the organization’s name has undergone three changes: King’s Daughters’ Hospital and Health Services (1999 to 2012), King’s Daughters’ Health (2013 to 2021) and now Norton King’s Daughters’ Health.

Paula and Darleen acknowledge that recent transitions, including becoming a part of Norton Healthcare in 2022, required a lot of strength. The move was certainly bittersweet. Ultimately, though, the Bethany Circle’s 35 members voted unanimously to sustain a secure future.

“Bethany’s leadership was wise enough to know that it was time for the hospital to partner with another health organization,” Darleen said. “It was a deliberate and diligent process. Partnership with Norton (Healthcare) opens up a lot of opportunities for our patients and will be beneficial for the health of our community.”

Beyond its walls and care providers, the hospital continues to leave an indelible and lasting mark on Madison and surrounding communities. Norton King’s Daughters’ Health remains one of the largest employers in Jefferson County, Indiana.

“Our employees support other local businesses,” Paula said. “They have a huge impact on community economics.”

Ultimately, the organization’s true legacy is its people — those who care for others and those who help connect families and care providers.

“People here know their caregivers,” Paula said. “They know the families they care for, and our nurses know their patients and families. They trust us to care for them.”

Trust takes time to build, and it’s been building for 125 years thanks to the hospital’s founders and generous supporters, like Drusilla.

Following is an excerpt from Drusilla’s obituary in the Madison Courier, dated June 1903: “… she always had a helping hand for the poor and needy, and every appeal for a good cause received a ready response from her. Moving in the circles of wealth and culture, and gracing any social surroundings that she entered, she yet sought out and made friends among the humble, the lowly and the poor. She had a large measure of the spirit of sympathy and helpfulness and benevolence.”

Her great-great-grandson, Howard “Boone” Lodge Jr., age 80, who returned to Madison in 2017 after spending nearly 50 years in northern California, specifically mentioned the Cravens’ generosity and kindness despite their great wealth. Drusilla’s father was James F. D. Lanier, whose mansion remains an iconic landmark in downtown Madison. His philanthropic efforts included donating more than $1 million in aid to the state of Indiana during the Civil War.

“While the family was very wealthy and well educated, they were very philanthropic, humble and simple,” Boone said. “They took care of people who needed help. We’re very proud of the hospital’s legacy.”