Doy Terry, a resident of Wichita Falls owns an old boarded-up building locally known as ‘the asylum’. He believes it is haunted. it certainly looks as if it might be.
located at the corner of California and Olin roads it was once a private sanitarium. a Dr White built it around 1926 as a private Institution for his mental patients, Desiring a more pleasant place for their treatment than the old state hospital. In spite of its rundown appearance today, one can see that at one time the cream colored stucco building with red tile roofing built in the Spanish style of architecture must have been a peaceful place for the treatment and recovery from various types of mental illness.
One night two people decided to spend a night out there one time just to see what might happen, as they had heard rumors that the old place was haunted. They set up comfortable reclining chairs in the lower level of the building. Finally, after several hours of conversation they both dropped off to sleep. Around midnight both men were awakened by the sound of footsteps shuffling across the cement floor. Then, they heard sloshing around coming from the basement level beneath them. At that time there was about 6 inches of water in the basement. Then, coming from outside the building, both heard the plane Cry of a woman as she called over and over again Susan Susan Susan! a through-check revealed nothing, either inside or outside of the building. From Docia W Williams book Phantom of the Plains.
Doy Lee Terry, 77, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2020 in Weatherford, Texas.
Doy was born on May 21, 1943 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Doy had a life-long love of music which started when he learned to play the piano at age 5 and moving on to the organ and saxophone in his teens. He graduated from Wichita Falls High School in 1961 and attended Midwestern State University. Doy was one of the founding members of the Central Christian Church in 1968. He proudly served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in the 5th Motor Transport Maintenance Company and served as NCO in charge of training from 1966-1972. Doy also managed his parent’s commercial printing business, Terry Bros. Printing from 1961-1970 and was its owner from 1970-1976. His love for the oil patch began while roughnecking for Linmour Drilling which led to a sales career with Walker-Neer Oil Rigs in the late 70’s. From 1982 until his retirement in 2004, Doy bought, sold and serviced printing and oil field equipment all over the United States. In retirement, Doy enjoyed walking his dog daily, visiting with friends and family, or whoever would listen to his outlandish but true-life stories.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Connie and Florence Terry; brother, James Dale Terry; and his ex-wife and good friend, Pat Reed.
He is survived by his son, Eric Terry and wife Kansas; his daughter, Connie Lein and husband Randy; two grandchildren, Madison and Donovan Terry; sister-in-law, Joleene Terry; two nephews, Ken and Kelly Terry; and his adopted family, Gerry and Carrie Wilkinson. Paty, Faith, Elizabeth, Miracle Bailey, Gerry Wilkinson Jr., Stormy Garcia, Dallas O’Neil, and Hope Waters.
Doy was the recipient of a heart transplant in October 2011. The Terry family gives the sincerest and special thanks to the donor’s family for the additional years of love, laughter and life they have had with Doy.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 5, 2020 in the chapel of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home in Wichita Falls.
Just before he died he sold the old White Sanitarium to Aubrey Jollotta and his wife who were on a mission to move into either an old courthouse, hospital or even an old school building. Well, now their search is over because they are the newest owners of a building that carries so many stories.
The only real teller of Texas history the folks at Texas Escapes talk about the Sanitarium.
