WV - Sodder Family - 5 children, Christmas eve 1945 - #1

[Shadow205]

Mr. E, that's the obituary I found! That's them.

I am now offically hooked. I have to write about this. I'm going to see if I can interest someone in this story. This is the kind of thing that drew me to writing The Restless Sleep -- the enduring effects of answered death.

I just read the obit for Mary Ann Crowder. I find it strange that there is no mention of her siblings who supposedly perished in the fire.

<snip>

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Robert “Bob” Crowder; parents, George and Jennie Sodder; and two brothers, John F. and Michael Sodder.

<snip>

Survivors include her brothers and their wives, Joe and Louise Sodder of Fayetteville and George “Ted” Jr. and Elsie Sodder of Falls View; one sister and her husband, Sylvia and Grover Paxton of St. Albans; sister-in-law, Margaret Sodder of Fayetteville; and several nieces and nephews.

 

[Stacy Horn]

Shadow205, thank you so much for anything you can find and share! That's so nice of you. Everyone I talk to about this is instantly hooked. There's something about this case. I guess because it involves so many children, and the mystery was never solved, and even though I never saw it, the image of that handmade billboard up for decades, is haunting. It's just such a sad and unanswered tragedy.

 

[Shadow205]

Shadow205, thank you so much for anything you can find and share! That's so nice of you. Everyone I talk to about this is instantly hooked. There's something about this case. I guess because it involves so many children, and the mystery was never solved, and even though I never saw it, the image of that handmade billboard up for decades, is haunting. It's just such a sad and unanswered tragedy.

Stacy, click on this link to see a picture of the billboard http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Ewvrcbiog/WhatReallyHappenedToChildrenb.html

 

[shadowangel]

Any ideas on what happened to the billboard? When it came down?

 

[Shadow205]

Any ideas on what happened to the billboard? When it came down?

The property was sold after the mother's death in 1989. It stood for about 44 years. Such a sad and very strange case. I just found a name of a great-grandson of George & Jennie Sodder, looking for info on him now.

 

[shadowangel]

Stacy H.-Here's a link to the Fayetteville library, they may be able to provide you with some additional info...

http://fayette.lib.wv.us/

I was thinking the billboard may have been preserved somewhere, as it was such a landmark in the '60s and '70s...

 

[Shadow205]

I met a lady yesterday who lives in the area where the Sodder family mystery ocurred. While she could not provide me with any info that I didn't already know, she is going to ask around and email me if she comes up with anything.

 

[mysteriew]

I met a lady yesterday who lives in the area where the Sodder family mystery ocurred. While she could not provide me with any info that I didn't already know, she is going to ask around and email me if she comes up with anything.

Isn't it funny when you have something on your mind and some connection pops up out of nowhere?

 

[Stacy Horn]

Wait, I'm confused about the house that was sold in 1989, after the mother died. Was a new house built on the same spot where the first one burned down? Or was it the same house -- and how could that be? If the fire was strong enough to completely consume five children, how could it continue to be inhabitable?

 

[shadowangel]

As I remember, there was nothing at all there, just the billboard and an open field. I think she meant the property changed hands and more than likely the area was developed.

 

[Shadow205]

Wait, I'm confused about the house that was sold in 1989, after the mother died. Was a new house built on the same spot where the first one burned down? Or was it the same house -- and how could that be? If the fire was strong enough to completely consume five children, how could it continue to be inhabitable?

Stacy,

I'm not positive but the way I understand it, after the fire in 1945, the Sodder family still lived at the same location. I assume that they rebuilt after the fire. I was refering to the billboard which was taken down in 1989 after the death of the mother. The article where I read that said that "the property" was sold after her death. I hope to get over there this coming week. Am planning to take pictures and talk to anyone who will talk to me.

 

[Stacy Horn]

You're going to solve the mystery!!

 

[docwho3]

http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Ewvrcbiog/WhatReallyHappenedToChildrena.html

I also found what I think is the same reporters name (Niles Jackson) from that article listed in the paper and it is at this website but unfortunately the link to the full story is not yet working. The site was moved from another location & I am guessing they aren't yet finished moving all the files.
http://www.southwesternpub.com/quailcreek.asp

 

[Shadow205]

I have started a thread at a local news forum looking for anyone who remembers the Sodder mystery. Hopefully, I will get some replies.

 

[H0NEYWEST]

I also found what I think is the same reporters name (Niles Jackson) from that article listed in the paper and it is at this website but unfortunately the link to the full story is not yet working. The site was moved from another location & I am guessing they aren't yet finished moving all the files.
http://www.southwesternpub.com/quailcreek.asp

Here's more on Niles Jackson from Quail Creek:

http://www.quailcreek.org/niles-jackson.htm

 

[Stacy Horn]

Shadow205, someone from AOL just emailed me. They gave me some interesting information, like the fact that Unsolved Mysteries contacted the surviving children about doing a piece and the children said that they were not interested in pursuing the case now that their mother was dead. That was maddening. Such exposure may have finally brought answers. How could they not want to try?? Wait a minute. Why *wouldn't* they want to try?

The person who emailed me also had heard about the local thread you started and asked what the address was. She grew up in the area and wanted to participate. Can you tell me the addresss, if it's okay to pass it on to her?

Thank you either way!

 

[Shadow205]

Shadow205, someone from AOL just emailed me. They gave me some interesting information, like the fact that Unsolved Mysteries contacted the surviving children about doing a piece and the children said that they were not interested in pursuing the case now that their mother was dead. That was maddening. Such exposure may have finally brought answers. How could they not want to try?? Wait a minute. Why *wouldn't* they want to try?

The person who emailed me also had heard about the local thread you started and asked what the address was. She grew up in the area and wanted to participate. Can you tell me the addresss, if it's okay to pass it on to her?

Thank you either way!

Stacy,

I hate to hear that about the surviving children not wanting to pursue the case. There is still time to reunite the siblings if we could locate them. The thread that I started at http://www.register-herald.com/ has generated some conversation. I am still going to attempt to speak with some of the family. Just let me know when you are ready for me to.

 

[Stacy Horn]

You're all absolutely right of course, there's always a chance. They all deserve another look. I was just musing aloud, and thinking strictly realistically. There is almost no chance of any of the older cases being solved.

I was channel surfing last night and caught the very end of the movie Gangs of New York. It’s the 19th century, and it’s a scene in a graveyard overlooking Manhattan. The character (Leo DeCaprio) says something about the fact that they will not be remembered. No one will remember their struggles. And then the camera shows the graveyard and New York changing as time moves forward. New York gets bigger and higher and grander, and the grave stones slowly sink and sink and disappear. It was heartbreaking.

That’s what is happening to those cases (and will happen to all of us). The paper the detectives notes were typed on is fragile and disentegrating. Every year, more and more records are lost or destroyed. No one will remember 19-year-old Cecil Landon, 12-year-old Virginia Walker, and 17-year-old Ream Constance Hoxsie. Pretty soon they will disappear for good.

 

[mysteriew]

You're all absolutely right of course, there's always a chance. They all deserve another look. I was just musing aloud, and thinking strictly realistically. There is almost no chance of any of the older cases being solved.

I was channel surfing last night and caught the very end of the movie Gangs of New York. It’s the 19th century, and it’s a scene in a graveyard overlooking Manhattan. The character (Leo DeCaprio) says something about the fact that they will not be remembered. No one will remember their struggles. And then the camera shows the graveyard and New York changing as time moves forward. New York gets bigger and higher and grander, and the grave stones slowly sink and sink and disappear. It was heartbreaking.

That’s what is happening to those cases (and will happen to all of us). The paper the detectives notes were typed on is fragile and disentegrating. Every year, more and more records are lost or destroyed. No one will remember 19-year-old Cecil Landon, 12-year-old Virginia Walker, and 17-year-old Ream Constance Hoxsie. Pretty soon they will disappear for good.

Every year now more and more of the older cases are being solved. The trend toward developing cold case units is working. People who were afraid to speak out at the time of a murder, will sometimes talk 20 yrs or so after the fact, if someone approaches them and asks.
Every day now, I am seeing more cases in the news from back in the '60's, 70's, and 80's. So there is hope.

 

[Stacy Horn]

Oops. That post was supposed to go in another item. I'm going to go re-post it there. Sorry!

But you're totally right about how time changes people feeling about talking. Relationships change.