Match! Schafer, Garry Wayne Age: 50; 96-0777SF DOB Unknown; died 1996

http://www.unclaimedpersons.com/Coroner_Public_Details.asp?Coroner_IndigentsPage=5&ItemNo=62

case number: 96-0777SF

Also Known As: Muggsy
Last Known Residence:
12277 S. LaCaneda, Colton, CA , ,
Place of Death / Date Discovered / Place of Birth | State:
Place of Death: Colton, CA | Start/End Date: | Place of Birth: NY

"California, Death Index, 1940-1997," Garry W Schafer, 1996
name: Garry W Schafer
event: Death
event date: 03 Feb 1996
event place: San Bernardino, California, United States
birth date: 18 Dec 1945
birthplace: New York
gender: Male
father:
mother: Pileo

This scan from the Watertown Daily Times on Saturday, November 6, 1971 is for someone with the same name, right age, and also in New York state. Looks like Mr. Schafer had connections to Rochester and Alexandria Bay, NY.

Man Gets One Year in Pistol Theft
Garry Wayne Schafer, 25, Rochester, was serving a one-year sentence in Jefferson County Jail today for third degree grand larceny in connection with stealing a pistol and brandishing it at a law enforcement officer...

...Schafer stole the .22 caliber pistol in Alexandria Bay Aug. 17 and threatened Alexandra Bay Police Chief Vernon R. Burrows with the loaded weapon the following day.

Click to expand...

This family tree lists a Garry Wayne Schafer (no birth date to confirm if it is the right one, but strong possibility it is) with divorced parents and two brothers: Link here.

This obituary (link here) for one of the brothers lists that he was predeceased by "...a brother, Gary Schafer." The spelling is off (but so is the mother's name - it differs from the family tree by one letter), but if it is the right person, than perhaps the family is aware of Mr. Schafer's passing?

I believe I have found the contact information for the surviving brother and his son. PM'ing to Raine and Nemo'sMom!

I wonder if the Garry listed in the family tree is the right one because the mothers maiden name on the California death index differs from the ones listed in the family tree.

^ Good point, MissSunshine! I pursued this line because I struck out with the listed mother's maiden name and went by geography and birth year given the unique spelling of the first name (two R's). I'll have to pick up on the mother's maiden name when I can see straight again between the family tree!

I am having trouble with the maiden name as well. I wonder if it is right or a spelling error.

The article that talks about Garry's court date in 1971 lists the lawyer who represented him. The lawyer still practices in New York...if Tiff's lead doesn't work out then maybe the lawyer could be contacted? Perhaps he knows the family or something.

Is this thread still active? If so, what was the objective?

rbschafer said:

Is this thread still active? If so, what was the objective?

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This thread has not been active since 2012 most likely. I used to work quite a bit in this section of websleuths but then I moved on to other hobbies and haven't returned to it really. I used to work with a few websleuths members on a database named "claimus." It was a list of bodies that were unclaimed by any living family member. Often the families don't know the person is deceased. We used genealogy to try and see if we could locate the family and then if we found a family tree, mostly on Ancestry.com, we would try to see if the family knew the person was dead (or in other words had been notified of the death) and if not, we had one member that would reach out. In this case, it looks like we found a published obituary for a brother that mentioned the death of Gerry Wayne. So, we presumed the family knew and we took no further action. I hope that helps.

How do I find this obituary? The link that toffee posted did not work for me.

The obituary that I used in 2012 is no longer on Ancestry.com. Someone may have asked that it be removed and/or made the family tree private, so I can't see it. I have a suggestion for you. Go to a Facebook group called "Genealogy! Just Ask" and let them know you are requesting someone to help you find your father's family. They will most likely be glad to help. Or they can suggest another group that might help. They have resources beyond what I have access to and can probably find it. Looks like it was through a funeral home named Fraker Funeral Home in Missouri. Just let them know that he died unclaimed in California in 1996. I see his birthday was December 18, 1945 that information will help. You have a lot of clues, you can probably find out more.

I also found one of the links that still worked and the children in your father's family were:

Jerry Dewaine Schafer
Garry Wayne Schafer
Barry Dane Schafer

The parents were Harold Schafer and Imogene Hale. I got this information from this link: Bartholomew Info #15 - Genealogy.com

Looking back at the forum it looks like he died in San Bernardino county California. There was a female websleuth member who used to work with a policeman named Bob in the San Bernardino Sheriff's office (I think) on their cases. The San Bernardino police department or the coroner might have more information about your father's death.

And just to let you know. Your father's actual body was not unclaimed all that time. They cremate the bodies and would eventually have buried the cremains.