OH OH - Ruth Marie Hurlbert, 20s, 1920s

[Bluecat]

I found this in the SSDI: Ruth Hurlbut 22 May 1906 29 Aug 1997 Canton, Saint Lawrence, New York

The problem is that if she did marry, or started going by another first name, is that she would not show up on the census as "Ruth Hurlbert." Many women only show up under their married names.

I wouldn't assume she came to a violent end because of a lack of evidence. If she did die, it could easily have been influenza or another disease. If she had gone a little farther west, she could have been swept away in the Great Flood, which affected the Ohio River as well as the Mississippi. Hopefully she just got married and can't be found under her maiden name, or the records that show her haven't been digitized yet.

 

[Trino]

I found this in the SSDI: Ruth Hurlbut 22 May 1906 29 Aug 1997 Canton, Saint Lawrence, New York

The problem is that if she did marry, or started going by another first name, is that she would not show up on the census as "Ruth Hurlbert." Many women only show up under their married names.

I wouldn't assume she came to a violent end because of a lack of evidence. If she did die, it could easily have been influenza or another disease. If she had gone a little farther west, she could have been swept away in the Great Flood, which affected the Ohio River as well as the Mississippi. Hopefully she just got married and can't be found under her maiden name, or the records that show her haven't been digitized yet.

True about the maiden name, and thank you for your search. However, from information that I received from my still-living aunt, Ruth was extremely close to her mother, my grandmother. It is felt she would never have gone w/o contacting her again. When her favorite aunt died, the family published info in the NY Times, plus, of course, the local papers, urging Ruth to come home. There was no response from anyone who might have known her.

I'll keep looking.

 

[Robin Hood]

While doing a google archive search I found this:
"MISS ROCHE ASKS AID FROM YOUTH; Idealism of Graduates Needed to ...
$3.95 - New York Times - Jun 18, 1936
Waleh I Theodore L. Hubbard Bessie M. Walsh Ruth M. Hurlbert Ethel D. Welsh Hermlne R. Iaacs Mary E. Whitehead Dorothy M. Keppel Mary O. Williams i Mary E. ... "

I have no idea what this article is about but it interests me because it is a New York paper and was printed in 1935 - after she stopped all contact. Of course it may not even be her but it is a step in the right direction!

If any of you don't know what I posted, it basically is just a copy and paste of a "find" in Google's newspaper archive. You can search by Ruth Marie Hurlbert" and it gives you that link and all the names are just a preview of what is in the article.

They are all women - wonder if they're models?

This could be your next step forward, it would be interesting to know if Ruth was alive in 1936.
Any idea when her last letter was ?

 

[Robin Hood]

I found this too, note the name is mis-spelt

Ruth M. Hurlburt
Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962
birth: 04 Feb 1905 Perry,​ Lake,​ Ohio
christening: Lake,​ Ohio
parents: T.G. Hurlburt,​ Augusta Butler

https://www.familysearch.org/search...er_givenname:augusta~ +mother_surname:butler~

 

[Trino]

I found this too, note the name is mis-spelt

Ruth M. Hurlburt
Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962
birth: 04 Feb 1905 Perry,​ Lake,​ Ohio
christening: Lake,​ Ohio
parents: T.G. Hurlburt,​ Augusta Butler

https://www.familysearch.org/search...er_givenname:augusta~ +mother_surname:butler~

Yes. This is her. I've had this info for quite a while. However, it doesn't indicate anything about her disappearance.

Ruth's last letter was in 1927. (NY)

I'm also aware of the NY article - Miss Roche. This isn't Ruth either. For some reason the NY Times carried an article about Roche's speech to Radcliffe grads. (Radcliffe is located in Massachusettes.) Radliffe at that time was an elite finishing school for debutants. Attending Radliffe during the Depression required $$$. Ruth would have have neither the clout nor $ to attend Radcliffe. And, of course, she would have been 31 yrs old in 1936.

 

[Robin Hood]

I mentioned the different spelling to help with searching. Sometimes things get missed or appear further down lists when it's spelt wrong.

Shame about the Miss Roche text, it looked promising.

 

[Trino]

I mentioned the different spelling to help with searching. Sometimes things get missed or appear further down lists when it's spelt wrong.

Shame about the Miss Roche text, it looked promising.

Thank you for your interest and for spending time searching. It is very much appreciated.

 

[Robin Hood]

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/...-are-there-in-the-us-what-happens-to-them.htm

''Cleveland, Ohio has unidentified remains from one of the "coldest cases" on record; they date back to 1900''

Over half of the nation's unidentified remains are held in large offices in five cities:

•New York, New York

•Cleveland, Ohio

•Los Angeles, California

•Houston, Texas

•San Bernardino, California

Maybe Cleveland has something on unidentified remains in their files. I don't know if it would help in any way.

 

[Trino]

Good website. I logged what info I had but came up with zero results for OH, although there were several results for NY. Unfortunately, none fit. I thought one might, but the Rebocks were a giveaway - no Rebocks back then nor did women wear Levis or printed T-shirts.

Thanks for your help. I will definitely keep checking this site. It gives a probable year of death, which helps a lot.

 

[q64ceo]

Have you filed a missing persons report? Do they even take them this late?

 

[Trino]

I just located a note, written by Ruth's mother that said Ruth left home on January 19, 1925. I also located a letter she later wrote, dated Aug 20, 1925, to her mother, so she was obviously alive at that date. Analyzing the letter, I wonder if she was pregnant.

Here' a portion of the letter, edited to omit the chit-chat about family. Yeager's was an upscale department store in Akron, OH, no longer in existence. If you read previous posts, her father did not approve of Ruth's flapper lifestyle.

" My dearest Mother,
A few lines to let you know I am feeling fine and hope everyone at home is the same. I was in Akron a few minutes and stopped in Yeagers to write a few lines.

Mother dear, now please don't worry about me. I shall come home some time, and you shall certainly be surprised, too. So, please take good care of yourself, as I am.

How's......

I certainly am crying while I am writing this. But, you know, Papa would never want me back, and, of course, if I came, I wouldn't stay. So, I might just drop in to see you soon.

How's.......

I certainly had a wonderful time in Toledo and Canada. I'm having my picture taken and will send you one very soon.

Please take good care of yourself. I weight exactly 128 lbs now. I certainly am getting fat but am feeling fine.

Well, Mother dear, please don't think hard of me for not coming up this time. You know I am always thinking of you. Now please don't worry about me as I am getting along fine, plenty to eat and everything.

Your Daughter,
Ruth

P.S. You'll soon have a picture of me if you'll accept it. I am always thinking of you."

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

wow! I hope you find out more about your relative!

Maybe she did have a child... And that "child" is still alive somewhere?

Just thinking outside the box!

:seeya:

 

[Shamrocker99]

Wow!! That is amazing and it certainly does lead me to believe she left on her own due to being pregnant!! Great find and hopefully will lead to finally locating her !

 

[gingermarie]

According to the Social Security website, they started issuing SS#'s in late 1936. The only place I've seen them listed is on the SSDI, but they may be other places.

 

[redkatrampant]

http://www.ohio.com/news/local-history-the-other-department-story-in-akron-1.73208

This a neat story about the department store. Maybe contact the author of the article and someone may have records?

 

[Trino]

As far as I know, although Ruth made reference to sending a photo, none ever arrived. This was the last communication.

The letter makes it appear that Ruth is just passing through Akron. If she is getting along fine with plenty to eat, was someone supporting her (i.e. a male)?

 

[Stella]

If she was pregnant, she could've died in childbirth in any city or even Canada or Mexico, under an assumed name. No way next of kin could ever have been located or contacted. What a sad thought, I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Shamrocker99]

She may have just lived out the rest of her years and never contacted anyone again. It was nothing to change your name back then, no government involvement or anything, you just started using a new name and voila, its your name(doing genealogy for the last 15 years has proven that)! She may have eventually married, which would muddy the trail even more. It sounds from her letter like she was happy and healthy, so maybe she was dealing with things (pregnancy) and just decided to end all contact--sad, but I hope that is what happened over anything sinister!!

 

[PFF]

Placed notice on
http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightUSA/index.php?showtopic=19473
http://genforum.genealogy.com/ny/newyork/messages/3999.html

Try placing case on Doe Network
http://www.doenetwork.org/

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Was her travel related to her modeling, or something else? Did Ruth sing or dance? She had gone to New York, and also Toledo and Canada. From Toledo, of course, the quickest way to Canada (by land, anyway), is to go through Michigan, to Detroit and over the bridge into Windsor. Was wondering if she could have signed on with a vaudeville act.