Presumed Located IA - Lillian Demaris, 31, Mason City, 1952

[Alleykins]

I'm thinking that is a possible match, too, but one has dental but no DNA, the other had DNA but no dental.
I found this nice memorial for her with a beautiful picture of her, her mother and oldest daughter
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=118279639
Chinchilla, if you are still there, I wish you and your family all the best.

 

[MrsTigglesworth]

From this link:
https://books.google.com/books?id=u...=mason city iowa carnival 1952 august&f=false

It seems that "john Robinson Model Shows" has an ad in Billboard looking for concession workers for the carnival that was in town August 11-16. If she disappeared on the 14th, that would be before the carnival left town. That company went on from Mason City to Elkader, Dayton and Moville from this link:

https://books.google.com/books?id=C...ge&q="john robinson model shows" 1952&f=false

I wonder if she traveled around with this group locally, or just signed up to work while they were in her town.

ETA: I am guessing (not sure) that this John Robinson group runs the website here: Anyone think it would be worthwhile to contact the webmaster???
http://www.sideshowworld.com/6-ms-gls/ms-gsl.html ... upon further reasearch, the John Robinson Circus was a well established circus that was bought out by the Ringling brothers well before 1952. This "John Robinson model show" group may have just been using the name... I can't really find much on them.

 

[madamx]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1083ufco.html



Date of Discovery: September 30, 1952
Location of Discovery: Blackhawk, Gilpin County, Colorado
Estimated Date of Death: 20 days to a month prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred partial skeletal parts only
Cause of Death: Homicide
Physical Description
Estimated Age: 25-30 years old
Race: Unknown
Gender: Female
Height: 5'7"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown or black
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Identifiers
Dentals: Available. She had a prominent overbite.
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: A fragment of a turquoise sequinned blouse, metal rivets of blue jeans, and the sole of one shoe.
Jewelry: Rhinestone necklace and earrings.
Additional Personal Items: A small electric razor, a purse, and an empty lipstick container.
Also found near the remains was a man’s ring with no setting.

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim's charred remains were found under a seven foot charred log in an unused gravel pit in the woods by a man who was on a hunting trip. The body was found approximately 100 yards from Highway 119 and about 25 feet from Clear Creek.
A three-foot stick with blood on it was found about 20 feet from the recovery site. Additionally, a third earring was located.
An autopsy revealed that the victim had suffered blunt force trauma to her head, but it is unknown if this was the cause of death or if she was still alive when set afire.

 

[Richard]

Lillian Eileen DeMaris

DeMaris, circa 1952

• Missing Since 08/14/1952
• Missing From Mason City, Iowa
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 05/12/1921 (99)
• Age 31 years old
• Height and Weight 5'2, 120 pounds
• Medical Conditions DeMaris is classified as disabled for unspecified reasons.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. DeMaris goes by her middle name, Eileen. Her maiden name is Huff and her previous married names were O'Brien and Jackson.

Details of Disappearance

DeMaris was last seen in Mason City, Iowa on August 14, 1952. At the time of her disappearance, she was working as a food vendor for a traveling carnival. That day, DeMaris told her oldest daughter they would go out to dinner to celebrate the child's birthday. She has never been heard from again and her vehicle was found abandoned outside the carnival where she worked.

DeMaris is one of ten children. She was born in Nebraska, moved to Iowa as a child, and lived in Killeen, Texas for a time in the 1950s. She was widowed prior to her disappearance and left behind three young daughters. She was not reported missing immediately because her family was afraid the children would be taken from them.

She has been declared legally dead, but her children still hope to discover her fate. Few details are available in her case.

Investigating Agency

• Mason City Police Department 641-421-3636

Source Information

• Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
• Iowa Cold Cases
• Websleuths
• Lillian Eileen DeMaris – The Charley Project

 

[Richard]

Lillian Eileen Huff Demaris
BIRTH 12 May 1921
Dodge County, Nebraska, USA
DEATH unknown
Iowa, USA
BURIAL Body lost or destroyed

Lillian Eileen was one of ten children born to Lee Ollie and Lillian (Stewart) Huff. She was born in Nebraska. Her father was a steam fitter and a plumber. On August 14, 1952 Lillian was reported as a missing person. She is still on the list of missing persons. The family had her declared legally deceased, but she has never been located.

Long after Lillian's disappearance, her daughters continue to search for her.

From Iowa Cold Cases

http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/lillian-demaris/

Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Lillian "Eileen" DeMaris, 31, disappeared from Mason City, Iowa, on August 14, 1952, leaving behind three young daughters, ages 6, 4, and 2.

DeMaris was married four times. Her husbands included Patrick O'Brien, Shorty Thompson, Charles "Chuck" Jackson, and Tom DeMaris, who died in a construction accident in Minnesota.

Lillian Eileen Huff was born in Dodge, Nebraska, on May 12, 1921, to parents Lee Ollie Huff and Lillian E. (Stewart) Huff. The family moved to Mason City in 1934 when Lillian was a young girl.

For a period of time during the 1950s, Lillian lived in Killeen, Texas, and also worked as a food vendor with a traveling carnival.

She had eight brothers and one sister.

Seven of her brothers have passed away -
Leonard Leroy b 1918 - died 17 Dec 1988;
Calvin 'Cap' b 1924 - died 12 Feb 2006;
Norman 'Red' b 1926 - died 23 Feb 2001
Lynn Edward b 1928 - died 10 Jun 1991;
Lee "Billy" b 1930 - died 23 Nov 1988;
John b 1937 - died 01 Mar 2016
David Allen b 1939 - died 22 Mar 2012

LINK:
Lillian Eileen Huff Demaris (1921-Unknown) - Find...

 

[Cimatico]

Enhanced images from source Lillian "Eileen" (Huff) DeMaris

 

[CastlesBurning]

DeMaris was married four times. Her husbands included Patrick O'Brien, Shorty Thompson, Charles "Chuck" Jackson, and Tom DeMaris, who died in a construction accident in Minnesota.

I find the fact that a 31-year-old could have been married 4 times kind of intriguing...

Either she was the unluckiest woman on the planet, or else the other three before Tom DeMaris were quickly divorced versus deceased. So I naturally have to wonder, what was her relationship like with each man after parting ways?

 

[iulia]

Lillian's NamUs page has been removed and the solved cases number for Iowa MPs has increased by one. I think her case may have been solved.

 

[Caring1]

Wow, an old one. Nice!

I wonder if there is a connection to the old case where remains were found in a building that was to be demolished. I will need to look for it. I can’t remember the date off hand.

 

[Richard]

70 Years Missing...


Lillian Eileen Huff Demaris, age 31
Missing since 14 August 1952

LINKS:

Lillian Eileen Huff Demaris (1921-unknown) - Find...

Lillian Eileen was one of ten children born to Lee Ollie and Lillian (Stewart) Huff. She was born in Nebraska. Her father was a steam fitter and a plumber. On August 14, 1952 Lillian was reported as a missing person. She is still on the list of missing persons. The family had her declared...

www.findagrave.com

Lillian Eileen DeMaris – The Charley Project

 

[subaw0067]

Lillian's NamUs page has been removed and the solved cases number for Iowa MPs has increased by one. I think her case may have been solved.

It is believed that she is Gilpin County Jane Doe 1952 (colorado) per the Gilpin County Coroner in a phone call I had with him this morning.

 

[Alleykins]

It is believed that she is Gilpin County Jane Doe 1952 (colorado) per the Gilpin County Coroner in a phone call I had with him this morning.

She was submitted as a potential match ages ago, did the coroner happen to mention what took so long to match the two?

 

[subaw0067]

She was submitted as a potential match ages ago, did the coroner happen to mention what took so long to match the two?

He said that he has suspected it was her since the late 80's. The evidence in the Jane Doe case, including her skeleton, was dumped into the Lowry Landfill in 1988. There will never be a positive identification in her case unfortunately.

 

[Alleykins]

He said that he has suspected it was her since the late 80's. The evidence in the Jane Doe case, including her skeleton, was dumped into the Lowry Landfill in 1988. There will never be a positive identification in her case unfortunately.

That truly stinks that happened.

 

[madamx]

He said that he has suspected it was her since the late 80's. The evidence in the Jane Doe case, including her skeleton, was dumped into the Lowry Landfill in 1988. There will never be a positive identification in her case unfortunately.

OMg i just read this now. omg that is so sad.. Who just thinks it’s ok to throw out an unidentified skeleton.. ugh

 

[agelessphoto]

I find the fact that a 31-year-old could have been married 4 times kind of intriguing...

Either she was the unluckiest woman on the planet, or else the other three before Tom DeMaris were quickly divorced versus deceased. So I naturally have to wonder, what was her relationship like with each man after parting ways?

I don't know where the 4th husband's name was listed as Tom DeMaris. She was actually married to my grandfather Fern Albert DeMaris on 9/27/1950. He died in Park Rapids, Mn on 1/28/1951 after an accident at a lumber mill. He was 49- born 12/24/1901. Here is his obituary- They were married in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on 9/27/1950.

 

[agelessphoto]

I have got a little more information on Grandma Eileen. Her last known husband was not "Tom" DeMaris. Somewhere along the line the information got confused. Her last known husband was Allen DeMaris, he was decapitated in an accident along with his son in Missouri ( where they were living) not Killeen Texas. Evidently she couldn't believe he was gone until she saw his body.
The authorities believe she couldn't deal with Allen's death so she left.

Hello- your grandma was actually married to my grandfather Fern Albert DeMaris. They were married on 9/27/1950 in Souix Falls, South Dakota. He died in an accident at a lumber mill in Park Rapids, Mn on 1/28/1951. Here is the obituary. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated. My mom is Audrey DeMaris.(Suby)