MO MO - Alfred 'Casey' Case, 68, Kansas City, 1957

Traybone74

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This one is a true mystery! My best friend's grandfather dissapeared in 1957, from KCMO, without a trace!
Here are the facts:

1. Born in NYC on April 21, 1889.
2. Since the records were destroyed in a fire in 1892, they couldn't even prove his birth to declare him missing or dead.
3. Parents were Irish immigrants.
4. Sister named Alice.
5. Served in WW1 for the Canadian army.
6. His truck was in the shop and he left telling his wife he was on his way to pick it up, and was never seen or heard from again.

My friend is in the process of getting registered as I write this. She can help me with the facts.
 
This is an interesting case.
Did he take the truck with him?
Did they file a missing report?
Do they have his parents names?
What year did he leave NY?
What year did he move to Mo?
Did he live in any other states prior to 1957?
What was the sisters name?
Where did he live when he registered in the Canadian service?
Was he married in 1920, 1930? Where did he and his wife live? What was her first name?

I pulled all the records on his name in ancestry.com and came up empty.
He should have at least had a social security number.
 
My friend registered earlier, I'm not sure if she can post yet. I'm sure we can answer more questions soon. Her mother now stays with her so it shouldn't be too hard.

I do know that he never picked up the truck. We also are pretty sure that Case was the name is family took when they immigrated from ireland.

I am trying to get in touch with her now and will see what else we can come up with then.
 
My Grandfather, never even made it to the shop where his truck was, so he didn't even pick it up.

We do not have any other names but his own, and his Sister, Alice, we don't even know if she was younger, or older than he was.

He had lived in Kansas, we know prior to 1957, he was living there, in 1949, because that's when & where my Mother was born.

He married my Grandmother, Mary Lucile (Bryant) Jack around 1941, he was 29 yrs. older than she was.

He did tell my Grandmother, that he served in Lady Eatons Lighthorse Calvary out of Canada, but not sure exactly when.

His parents arrived in NYC in January of 1889, and my Grandfather was born in April of 1889.

My grandmother could not declare him dead or missing, because the Hall of Records burnt down in 1892, so they couldn't even prove he ever lived, much less, died, or came up missing.

We are not aware of any Social Security Numbers or anything.

I am so Thankful, and am looking forward to see what comes of this!
 
I ran a search on just "Case" "1889 April"

The 1911 Canadian census shows that there is something relevant with those words, but I do not suscribe to the Canada information, just thought I pass that along.


Close but........
Name:Fred CaseSSN:121-14-0414 Last Residence:12180 Troy, Rensselaer, New York, United States of AmericaBorn:28 Apr 1889Died:Apr 1977State (Year) SSN issued:New York (Before 1951 )
 
Debra, was there any press coverage at the time of his disappearance?
Was LE involved?
Is your grandmother still living and does she know if he had a previous marriage?
Also, does anyone have their marriage certificate? It may mention other vital's.
Finally, what was his employment over the years?

Sorry so many questions! And I hope we can be of help.
 
Thank you all for your help! I know her grandmother has passed. I will get ahold of Debra and get her to check in and read your info and questions.
I know this has been a burden for her, and for her mother for mother for almost 40 years.
 
Thank you so much for all of your help. My grandmother passed away in 1969. No marriage certificate, don't even know where they were married. We do know that at the time of his disappearance, he was the manager at Colonial Gas Station, possibly on Admiral Blvd. in Kansas City, Mo. We don't know too much, as my Mother was only 7 years old at the time of his disappearance. She is having a hard time trying to understand why she remembers what she does. The Kansas City Police Department did a search in 1957, when he disappeared. As you have questions, I will try my hardest to answer. Most of my family doesn't even remember my Grandfather. The only reason my Mother does, is because she was a Daddy's Girl. This means so much to us. Thank You again.
 
Hi Debra, I had an uncle missing for over 30 years that I just helped find this year. Unfortunately he passed away before we could get answers. He was considered a missing person and my family thought he had been murdered. Turns out he probably just walked away from his life. He had four young children, and a mentally unstable wife who was institutionalized after he left. The children ended up in an orphanage and one was adopted. A very sad situation, and we may never know why.

I'm not saying I believe this is what happened to your grandfather, only that it could have. Good luck with your search.
 
Beyond Belief said:
I ran a search on just "Case" "1889 April"

The 1911 Canadian census shows that there is something relevant with those words, but I do not suscribe to the Canada information, just thought I pass that along.
No luck there - it's for a Winifred Case age 13, parents Henry and Susan, siblings Pearl age 22 and Elda age 20. Interestingly she's listed as Scotch and the rest of the family as Irish.
 
Debra, I found a memorial, posted by a grandchild "Rebecca Whitworth" but with different stats - birth year is listed as 1890, place of birth as England, and Clark Oil Company as place of employment in 1957. ??

I also suggest that you contact the Kansas City PD to see if they still have any information, and also call both Kansas and Missouri states to find your grandparents marriage record. If their eldest child was born in a different state then also contact that state.

May I also ask where his birth date, his parents immigration date, and his full name were found? What records, or whose memory, are they from?
 
Couple more things - how did he sign documents? Al, Fred, Rick, etc.? And were his eyes blue?
 
This is all I've been able to find so far in newspaper archives -

The Kansas City Times,
Kansas City, Missouri, Thursday, October 15, 1959, Page 15:
Divorce granted in Independence: Mary Lucile from Alfred Fredrick Case
 
Debra's mother is the source of the info. She was 7 when when he dissapeared. She lives with Debra now.
 
Marie said:
This is all I've been able to find so far in newspaper archives -

The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri, Thursday, October 15, 1959, Page 15:
Divorce granted in Independence: Mary Lucile from Alfred Fredrick Case
Good Work! Looks like there was a divorce. I wonder if anyone ever collected his social security benefits. He had to have a social to work.
 
Alfred CaseAge:AgeWith12ths('30',true);30 years Estimated birth year:abt 1890Birthplace:New YorkRace:WhiteHome in 1920:Manhattan Assembly District 1, New York, New YorkSex:Male Marital status:Single Relation to Head of House:Boarder Able to read:Yes Able to Write:Yes Mother's Birth Place:Ireland Father's Birth Place:Ireland Image:654


1920 census
 
Beyond Belief said:
Good Work! Looks like there was a divorce. I wonder if anyone ever collected his social security benefits. He had to have a social to work.
Thanks :) And I've looked every possible way for any other article, nada. There are mentions of other men missing, wives filing police reports, etc. but nothing on Mr. Case, no media attention at all.

In order to get an SS# he would have had to provide proof of birth, of some sort. It would be interesting to see his application. Also, if he died before 1962 it's probable that he's not listed in the death index.

Debra if you or your mother have his death certificate it may contain his SS#.
 
Thanks, once again to everyone, for all of your work. He signed his name Alfred F. Case. But friends and family called him Casey. His eyes were blue, and hair probably of a dark color, but all my Mother can remember is gray. Apparently, my grandma did have a Social Security Number for him, because she went in front of the Social Security Board. They told her that what she needed to present to them with, to collect any benefits, was proof of birth, birth certificate, a witness to his birth, or even a family Bible would do. So obviously, a Social Security Number didn't matter to them. They said that without these things, they could not say that he was dead, because, they couldn't prove he ever lived.

As far as him running off to start a new life, I know that this is a very real possibility. But the man was 68 yrs. old when he disappeared, and you'd think that if he was going to run off, he would have picked up his truck from the shop before he left. He told Grandma before he left, that morning, that he was going to pick his truck up, at the shop, and then go on to work, he never made it to the shop.

There is a very good possibility that he was catholic. Perhaps if someone knew how to get ahold of the Catholic Archives, in NYC, maybe there would be something there. I barely know what I am doing turning the computer on. Let alone try to look anything up. Thank You all for your time.
 

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