In recent times, Jessie DeBusk is probably best known for her Festival Crab Bisque recipe.
For the last 30 years, Jessie DeBusk’s crab bisque has put a smile on the faces of thousands of Urbanna Oyster Festival goers and has brought in thousands of dollars for the Middlesex County Woman’s Club — money that supports the community and maintains its historic colonial courthouse building.
But Jessie DeBusk’s legacy is so much more.
Born Aug. 18, 1917, in Sweet Springs, W.Va., DeBusk is a “come-here,” having moved to Urbanna in 1939 with the Rev. York and Mrs. York as nanny to their four young boys. In 1940, DeBusk took a job as a file clerk with the Bank of Middlesex. That same year, the Rev. York was called to active duty and the family moved away, but DeBusk remained in Urbanna.
The War Effort
During World War II, Jessie won her wings serving at the Urbanna air spotting station (located at the corner of Marston Avenue and Cross Street). Being in close proximity to Langley Air Force Base, the Army, Navy and Coast Guard bases and to the Yorktown Refueling Depot, the Urbanna spotting station was vitally important. As a spotter, DeBusk checked all aircraft by numbers, recorded the numbers, markings, direction and time of day and reported to Norfolk.
DeBusk was president of the Middlesex County Junior Woman’s Club during the war. She and other club members worked in the USO, knitted scarves and socks, rolled bandages, collected care packages, wrote letters and entertained soldiers. A special project of their district was making wedding dresses for Australian girls marrying U.S. servicemen. Jessie volunteered to make one, and the club received a personal thank you from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Middlesex County
In 1976, for Middlesex County’s 300th anniversary, DeBusk worked with the College of Arms in London to establish a coat of arms for Middlesex County. Queen Elizabeth sent her representative in full regalia for the royal commissioning and presentation of the Coat of Arms to the United States.
DeBusk was also involved in publishing “Family Histories of Middlesex County, Virginia and Historic Buildings in Middlesex County, 1650 to 1775.”
John Mitchell Map
In 1980, DeBusk was instrumental in obtaining an original John Mitchell Map for Urbanna.
Through extensive research, Jessie’s team located a tattered map in Pennsylvania, had it authenticated by the Smithsonian and purchased it for $7,500. Following restoration, its estimated worth is $550,000. The John Mitchell Map is arguably the most important map in our country’s and county’s history.
Career Accomplishments
DeBusk started as a file clerk with Bank of Middlesex and retired in 1987 as vice-president and assistant trust officer, as well as secretary to the board of directors. DeBusk shattered the “glass ceiling” before the term was even coined.
Church
For 44 years, DeBusk taught Sunday school at Urbanna United Methodist Church. In a previous interview, DeBusk replied that she was most proud of those Sunday school students who grew up to be such upstanding good citizens and mainstays in their churches.
DeBusk celebrated her birthday with her family and many friends at parties at the Middlesex County Woman’s Club building and at Urbanna United Methodist Church.
