Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services was founded in Monticello (Drew County) in 1923. A century later, the mission of the therapeutic residential treatment nonprofit is: “To heal, prepare and empower children, youth and families in need.” In 1910, Lulu Williamson, the founder of Vera Lloyd, worked with other local women in Monticello to open a day nursery to provide childcare for local mill workers. In response to abandoned children being left at the nursery, she expanded her work, leading to the creation of a children’s home in 1923; it was named the Presbyterian Home for Children in 1924. “Mother Williamson,” as she was called, was a woman of strong faith and convictions, as her grandson, J. Gaston Williamson, remarked at the …