UT UT - Frances Shurtleff Sessions, 26, Ogden, 20 May 1946

[mlhenn]

What a heartbreaking case…

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Frances Shurtleff Sessions

26 yr old, white female
5’3”
97 lbs
Strawberry Blonde Hair
Gray Eyes


Circumstances of Disappearance
On 5/20/1946, Frances Taylor (Shurtleff) Sessions, her son, and her nephew, were visiting Frances’ father who was farming in the 100 Block above Harrison in Ogden, Utah.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. Frances and the two boys went on a hike straight east from the farm to Bear Cave.

As they were hiking, they got into loose shale and began sliding. Frances, who was sliding herself tried to grab the boys but was unable and the boys fell over some cliffs.

Frances was able to carry her son down the mountain but he died while she was carrying him. The other boy was able to walk part of the way down where he was picked up by Frances' Her nephew was taken to the hospital and survived.

At 4:00 p.m., two hours after her 6-year-old son passed, Frances disappeared from her parent’s home.

A missing person report was made reporting she left her father’s home in Ogden. The Ogden Police investigators pursued numerous leads across the United States, but Frances has never been located and remains a missing person.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I saw this case appear in NamUs, too, and it's so tragic.
I wonder why specifically the case was added to NamUs now. For example, was she ruled-out for an UID? Is a relative pursuing information about her case? Etc.

 

[alb1on]

Her family tree is on Ancestry, with a variety of newspaper clippings about her disappearance. Her family were still alive until quite recently, with an older sister only dying in 2008 age 95 and another sister dying in 2007. The attached clipping details a substantial search for her at Weber Canyon as she had been seen walking in that direction. The second clipping details additional searches. There does appear to be some confusion about the divorce from her husband as an action in 1950 has been taken by some as the date, but it seems from the third attachment that they divorced in 1944 after 5 years of marriage and 2 children and that the 1950 case was clearing up a property issue arising from her disappearance.

 

[Molly's Mom]

At 4:00 p.m., two hours after her 6-year-old son passed, Frances disappeared from her parent’s home.

Bless her heart. I hate to say that she probably completed suicide but that sounds likely to me. I cannot even imagine the horror she experienced holding her son as he passed away.

 

[mlhenn]

Her family tree is on Ancestry, with a variety of newspaper clippings about her disappearance. Her family were still alive until quite recently, with an older sister only dying in 2008 age 95 and another sister dying in 2007. The attached clipping details a substantial search for her at Weber Canyon as she had been seen walking in that direction. The second clipping details additional searches. There does appear to be some confusion about the divorce from her husband as an action in 1950 has been taken by some as the date, but it seems from the third attachment that they divorced in 1944 after 5 years of marriage and 2 children and that the 1950 case was clearing up a property issue arising from her disappearance.

@alb1on
Thank you for sharing the attached info!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Frances Shurtleff SESSIONS

On 5/20/1946, Frances Taylor (Shurtleff) Sessions, her son Lee Sessions (age 6) and her nephew, Spencer Roberts (age 6) were visiting Frances’ Father Lee Shurtleff who was farming in the 100 Block above Harrison in Ogden, Utah. At approximately 2:00 p.m. Frances and the two boys went on a hike...

bci.utah.gov

1937 Ogden High School

21 May 1946, 1 - The Ogden Standard-Examiner at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

Talk of a possible sighting in Los Angeles CA. Never confirmed.

10 Aug 1946, 18 - Deseret News at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

11 Aug 1946, 10 - The Salt Lake Tribune at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

This skull was found on SLC, 38 miles south of Ogden, in 1982. UP90798

On May 1, 1982 a company was dredging the bottom of the Jordan River. They placed mud on the west bank as they progressed. Later while walking along the bank someone spotted what they thought was a rock on top of the dredged material. They went to pick up the rock and discovered it was a human skull, minus the mandible. Police responded and sifted the material, more bones were discovered. The bones were determined to not be human bones. The Medical Examiner took custody of the skull. They determined there was a bullet hole in the forehead with an exit in the back of the skull. The medical examiner believed the skull was very old.

 

[SimsGuy67]

I'm a little confused. Is her middle name Shurtleff or Taylor? I think it's Taylor and Shurtleff is her maiden name as I have seen many records on Ancestry with her surname as Shurtleff. Here is an example of it in the 1930s Census:

Join Ancestry®

Begin your discovery today by exploring the world's largest online family history resource!

www.ancestry.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

I'm a little confused. Is her middle name Shurtleff or Taylor? I think it's Taylor and Shurtleff is her maiden name as I have seen many records on Ancestry with her surname as Shurtleff. Here is an example of it in the 1930s Census:

Join Ancestry®

Begin your discovery today by exploring the world's largest online family history resource!

www.ancestry.com

Yes, Shurtleff is her maiden name and Sessions her married name.

 

[SimsGuy67]

Yes, Shurtleff is her maiden name and Sessions her married name.

Thanks. What a sad story. The fact that her son died 2 hours prior is no coincidence. I pray that no foul play was involved as if it was then this would make the whole thing so much more heart breaking.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Thanks. What a sad story. The fact that her son died 2 hours prior is no coincidence. I pray that no foul play was involved as if it was then this would make the whole thing so much more heart breaking.

Thanks. What a sad story. The fact that her son died 2 hours prior is no coincidence. I pray that no foul play was involved as if it was then this would make the whole thing so much more heart breaking.

The father also died in a fall in California after he had remarried. Article source:

The Ogden Standard-Examiner​

04 Apr 1970, Sat · Page 9

 

[John/Jane Doe]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current NamUs Exclusion List for Frances Shurtleff Sessions? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Caring1]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current NamUs Exclusion List for Frances Shurtleff Sessions? I would greatly appreciate it.

0 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[Quoththeraven]

Thanks. What a sad story. The fact that her son died 2 hours prior is no coincidence. I pray that no foul play was involved as if it was then this would make the whole thing so much more heart breaking.

Personally, I wouldn't take two 6 year old children up into mountainous terrain with rock slides and dangerous cliffs. Not exactly a hiker's safe environment. She certainly had to have been aware of the potential danger.

 

[SimsGuy67]

0 Unidentified Person Exclusions

Makes sense. Her case is still quite new on NamUs or at least newer then the ones with exclusions.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Frances Shurtleff Sessions – The Charley Project

• Missing Since 05/20/1946
• Missing From Ogden, Utah
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 01/09/1920 (103)
• Age 26 years old
• Height and Weight 5'3, 97 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A blue blouse, dark gray slacks and brown shoes.
• Medical Conditions Frances's son died just hours before her disappearance and she is described as "overcome with grief."
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Frances may go by the name Frances Taylor Shurtleff.

Details of Disappearance​

On the day of her disappearance, May 20, 1946, Frances, her six-year-old son Lee Albert Sessions, and her six-year-old nephew visited Frances's father. He was farming in the 100 block above Harrison in Ogden, Utah. At 2:00 p.m., Frances and the boys went on a hike east from the farm to Bear Cave.

During their hike, they got caught in a slide of loose shale on the mountain slope at the head of 2nd Street. Frances tried to grab the children, but was unable to get them and both boys went over some cliffs.

Afterwards, Frances found her son; he was severely injured. Lee died as his mother was carrying him down the mountain to get help. The other child survived and was able to walk part of the way down, where he was picked up by Frances's father and taken to the hospital.

At 4:00 p.m., Frances was at her parents' home in the 900 block of 26th Street in Ogden. She disappeared around that time and was reported missing later in the day. There were possible sightings of her in various places across the country in the coming months, but nothing was confirmed and she was never found. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency​

• Ogden Police Department 801-395-8221

Source Information​

• Utah Department of Public Safety
• The Ogden Standard-Examiner

 

[TSL7584]

Now in The Doe Network, as of 11/4/2023

4511DFUT - Frances Shurtleff Sessions​

4511DFUT - Frances Shurtleff Sessions

Sorry if someone posted this already, but here's a great in-depth write-up. I'm unable to copy the text, sorry.

<modsnip - not an approved source>

Still NO NamUs Unidentified Person Exclusions