CA CA - Patricia Crandall, Shasta County, 18-19 years old, 13 March 1949

[Mysteries1974]

Thank you for opening the thread, Mysteries. Unfortunately, it’s keeping me awake. I wonder if she left alone. Was there anyone else reported missing around the same time, male for female?

In 1945 a young girl named Thora chamberlain was kidnapped in Campbell CA
She has never been found

Thora Afton Chamberlain – The Charley Project

 

[Mysteries1974]

In 1951 a woman named Cora stokes vanished from the same area in Shasta county. I already made a thread for her and I will paste the link to her case.

Cora Lucindy Stokes – The Charley Project

CA - CA - Cora Stokes, 39-40 years old, Shasta County, 2 June 1951

 

[Mysteries1974]

I also made a thread for Thora

 

[rosesfromangels]

Perhaps she was pregnant? That was a huge scandal back then. Home for unwed mothers?

 

[Lilibet]

If this is Patricia Louise Crandall, born 29 September 1929 in LA, then she appears on Ancestry in at least two family trees as having married Curtis Marcus VonAhn. Interestingly her first child (Diana Maria VonAhn) was born in Reno in November 1949 - which would rather mesh with leaving to get married in March 1949. Unfortunately she died in 1962 in Hood River, Oregon. The Ancestry trees do not show the names of her parents but a birth record does confirm her mother's maiden name as Koepke.

I am not sure whether this information suggests this is the wrong Crandall or that it is right and she simply left to get married and lost touch on moving out of state.

There is one additional complication. Ancestry has a marriage record in Skamania, Washington in 1955 for Curtis VonAhn marrying Patricia Louise, born 1929 in Pasadena. Unfortunately the bride's surname is given as Horn (or Hom) rather than Crandall. Are the family trees wrong? Or did Patricia use a false name for the marriage? I can find no record of a Patricia Louise Horn (or Hom) born in Pasadena (or elsewhere in California) around 1929 - and Californian records on Ancestry are pretty good. Another problem to look into.

Very good research!

I think it’s the right Patricia Louise Crandall, especially with her mother’s maiden name Koepke. Do you mean that Patricia died in 1962 in Hood River? Her daughter Diana is buried nearby in Troutdale.

It looks like she didn’t marry VonAhn until 1955, but her daughter was born in 1949? Perhaps he adopted Diana and her birth father was Horn or Hom. Or does her birth record show Von Ahn?

This confirms Diana’s birth and death.
VONAHN, DIANA was born 16 November 1949, received Social Security number 543-66-0864 (indicating Oregon) and, Death Master File says, diedJune 1972
Source: Death Master File (public domain). Check Archives for DIANA VONAHN.

VonAhn, Diana Marie died 3 July 1972, and was buried in Lot 37 Grave 3 of Douglass Cemetery, Hensley Road and Southeast 262nd Avenue, Troutdale,Oregon, U.S.A.
Check the source file (free) and then check Archives for DIANA MARIE VONAHN.
VONAHN, CARLA M thru VONAHSEN, GILBERT

Has anyone uncovered any verifiable information about Diana’s possible association with the Manson family? I’ve seen someone by this name mentioned on blogs as Diane VonAhn, Diana Marie VonAhn, AKA Mary Ann Schwarm.

For example: Diane Von Ahn | Charles Manson Family and Sharon Tate-Labianca Murders | Cielodrive.com

She looks similar enough to Patricia IMO.

 

[alb1on]

I think it’s the right Patricia Louise Crandall, especially with her mother’s maiden name Koepke. Do you mean that Patricia died in 1962 in Hood River? Her daughter Diana is buried nearby in Troutdale.

It looks like she didn’t marry VonAhn until 1955, but her daughter was born in 1949? Perhaps he adopted Diana and her birth father was Horn or Hom. Or does her birth record show Von Ahn?

Apologies. I did mean that Patricia died in 1962 in Hood River. There is a picture of the headstone on Ancestry confirming her birth date and husband. The Manson link is interesting. I cannot confirm Diana's birth name from a birth record. She appears on Ancestry on the family trees and US and Oregon Death Indexes - all of which confirm dates (including birth) and the VonAhn name - but that would be the name at death.

 

[Lilibet]

Apologies. I did mean that Patricia died in 1962 in Hood River. There is a picture of the headstone on Ancestry confirming her birth date and husband. The Manson link is interesting. I cannot confirm Diana's birth name from a birth record. She appears on Ancestry on the family trees and US and Oregon Death Indexes - all of which confirm dates (including birth) and the VonAhn name - but that would be the name at death.

What is interesting is that there is an obituary for Curtis M Von Ahn with the same birth and death dates as the headstone, but married to a different woman at his death in 2009. Why would he be buried with Patricia? Perhaps that was his wish? Strange.

View Curtis Ahn's Obituary and express your condolences

 

[Lilibet]

Thinking about Patricia’s daughter Diana. She was barely 12 when Patricia died at 32 in February 1962. Poor child. I wonder who raised her and if her Dad remarried fairly soon. According to the obituary, he had four more children. Diana was only 22 when she died about 10 years after her mother. IF she was the Diane (Diana) Von Ahn in the Manson Family at the time of the raid on Barker’s Ranch in 1969 (?) she would have been about 19. Did losing her mother so young make her vulnerable to Manson? Could be.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Does this all mean that Patricia is deceased?

 

[Lilibet]

Does this all mean that Patricia is deceased?

I think it does, and that the case is solved, even though we don’t know exactly what happened after she left. Maybe you’d like to send a link to this thread to LE and see what they think. It’s quite possible that she contacted her parents and they neglected to let LE know.

 

[Mysteries1974]

First I will inform the charley project so Meaghan can take it down

 

[Lilibet]

First I will inform the charley project so Meaghan can take it down

Who determines if a case is solved? LE or Meaghan? I assumed it was up to LE, but I’m no expert on that issue.

 

[Coffee56]

Is there anything verifying these are the same Patricia Crandall other than first name, last name and an approximate DOB?

 

[alb1on]

Does this all mean that Patricia is deceased?

If I were LE and a site administrator I would want to understand the 1955 marriage and use of a different surname by Patricia before I decided to close the case. I think it is highly likely the case is solved, but that one issue needs sorting out (which would be easy for LE). It is also likely that the people behind the family trees know the answer since they have identified her as Patricia Crandall (and things like birthdate and locations match).

 

[Lilibet]

Is there anything verifying these are the same Patricia Crandall other than first name, last name and an approximate DOB?

The Crandalls in Shasta CA seem the likeliest parents of the missing Patricia L Crandall. Her mother’s maiden name could be the link, as mentioned in post #20, if it is in the same VanAhn genealogy mentioned there. I’m not sure it is, since I don’t have access to Ancestry.com.

I think LE would be able to check this out pretty easily.

 

[Mysteries1974]

So do we know for sure that Patricia is deceased and that she is the Patricia Crandall on ancestry?

 

[Lilibet]

If I were LE and a site administrator I would want to understand the 1955 marriage and use of a different surname by Patricia before I decided to close the case. I think it is highly likely the case is solved, but that one issue needs sorting out (which would be easy for LE). It is also likely that the people behind the family trees know the answer since they have identified her as Patricia Crandall (and things like birthdate and locations match).

Curtis M VanAhn’s second (?) wife and mother of his four children (exluding Diana for the time being) is still alive in Oregon and in her mid 70’s (born 1941), so if LE contacted her she might be able to fill in the blanks. It still seems strange to me that her late husband is buried with Patricia who died in 1962.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Ok so basically someone reported Patricia missing even though she was already dead?

 

[Lilibet]

Ok so basically someone reported Patricia missing even though she was already dead?

Do we have a date that she was reported missing? I don’t see one on either link you posted and assumed it was shortly after she disappeared. I must be missing something.

 

[Mysteries1974]

It states her date of disappearance as March 13th 1949