Identified! AR- West Memphis -"Laundry Lady" WhtFem 643UFAR, 45-60, Sep'87 No Name Available

[Boyz_Mum]

Yeah there is, but it's an awful long way from the service road. There ARE laundry facilities at the truck stops, though, and a couple of them would be more likely if she were doing her laundry and walking along the service road.

Has anyone asked ME to tell us specifically where she was found along this stretch?

I wondered about laundry facilities/laundermats too. I am not sure, but I'd bet that a lot of people have left clothes in the washers/dryers and never came back to claim them (some people forget about the 5th load of laundry perhaps?) and I wonder if anyone even worries about people who leave their laundry behind?

You all are doing a great job in this search, I pray it leads to resolution for a family somewhere. :blowkiss:

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Okay, Folks, I've tracked down the address of an old friend of mine from West Memphis. I'm going to write her and give her the details of this case and see if she can help us in any way. There are several reasons why I think she might be able to, although to respect her privacy I'll just leave it at that. It will probably be mid-week before I can get everything together to write her, as I have mid-terms this week.

There's another friend in Memphis with some LE connections that I will write as well. Hopefully he'll be able to help with the Commercial Appeal (commonly referred to as the "Comical Apple") archives.

Short of driving over there and sitting in offices until folks give us answers, that's all I can think to do right now. But hey, summer's coming, and if no answers are forthcoming...

 

[JaneInOz]

Okay, Folks, I've tracked down the address of an old friend of mine from West Memphis. I'm going to write her and give her the details of this case and see if she can help us in any way. There are several reasons why I think she might be able to, although to respect her privacy I'll just leave it at that. It will probably be mid-week before I can get everything together to write her, as I have mid-terms this week.

There's another friend in Memphis with some LE connections that I will write as well. Hopefully he'll be able to help with the Commercial Appeal (commonly referred to as the "Comical Apple") archives.

Short of driving over there and sitting in offices until folks give us answers, that's all I can think to do right now. But hey, summer's coming, and if no answers are forthcoming...

Myteemouse that sounds fantastic and good luck with your mid terms

 

[capoly]

For my_tee_mouse


Had to post it...lol

Thanks, my_tee_mouse, for taking that on. Sure hope your friends will be able to help out. And , if they do, that they find something!

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Thanks, guys!

Don't know what it says about the "humans" in my life, but Mighty Mouse has been my hero since I was a munchkin and has done more to shape my "inner being" than just about "anyone."

 

[Fairy1]

Thanks, guys!

Don't know what it says about the "humans" in my life, but Mighty Mouse has been my hero since I was a munchkin and has done more to shape my "inner being" than just about "anyone."

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo: You ROCK!!!

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

Hey, I just found this thread and I'm only on page 4, so forgive me if I'm jumping ahead.
I just read a post or two about archives, so that's why I'm jumping in without reading everything.

I'm a Memphian and I also work at the main library here. We've been keeping an indexed file of newspaper clippings for major events from the Commercial Appeal since the 1930s. We also have all the newspapers on microfilm. The Commercial Appeal is the Memphis paper, but it also covers West Memphis.

So, if someone needs me to pull a newspaper I can do that, no problem. I will probably be going up to work Sunday for research I'm doing, but if I don't make it then I'll be there Monday for work.

Also wanted to mention, the lady was hit on the service road for highway 61. Highway 61 and I-55 are the same road in West Memphis. I'm curious to find out where exactly she was hit, I'm pretty familiar with West Memphis.

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

Okay, I just caught up with the thread. I actually started laughing when I was reading the last page or two, heck even just a few posts before me. I swear I didn't read them before my last post.

The Commercial Appeal is only archived online from the end of 1990 on. I work in the history department, which is where we keep the microfilm. Another idea I just had - we also have daily recordings of the WMCTV news on VHS. I can check how far back they go, and see if we have one for that date.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Hey, I just found this thread and I'm only on page 4, so forgive me if I'm jumping ahead.
I just read a post or two about archives, so that's why I'm jumping in without reading everything.

I'm a Memphian and I also work at the main library here. We've been keeping an indexed file of newspaper clippings for major events from the Commercial Appeal since the 1930s. We also have all the newspapers on microfilm. The Commercial Appeal is the Memphis paper, but it also covers West Memphis.

So, if someone needs me to pull a newspaper I can do that, no problem. I will probably be going up to work Sunday for research I'm doing, but if I don't make it then I'll be there Monday for work.

Also wanted to mention, the lady was hit on the service road for highway 61. Highway 61 and I-55 are the same road in West Memphis. I'm curious to find out where exactly she was hit, I'm pretty familiar with West Memphis.

Do you by chance have wings???!!!

Yes yes yes...check the archives!!!!!

The 61/55/40 confluction we understand. (Not to mention the service road). Help me here. Think back and help me reconstruct what was along that corridor during this time period. I think I have a pretty good idea, but you might remember something else along there.

Most importantly...check the archives! Gosh, you are indeed a godsend. This case has gotten under my skin and is imbedded in my heart. We have to find this lady's family, and we have to give her the dignity to which we are all entitled...a name.

 

[JaneInOz]

Okay, I just caught up with the thread. I actually started laughing when I was reading the last page or two, heck even just a few posts before me. I swear I didn't read them before my last post.

The Commercial Appeal is only archived online from the end of 1990 on. I work in the history department, which is where we keep the microfilm. Another idea I just had - we also have daily recordings of the WMCTV news on VHS. I can check how far back they go, and see if we have one for that date.

WOW :woohoo: thats excellent please do -

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

Unfortunately, I can't help with what that area looked like in '87 because I was only 8. But, I'm guessing the area we are thinking about is close to where I-40 and I-55 merge.

There was a laundry mat just south of the interstate on Ingram blvd. It was kind of at the corner of Ingram and Goodwin. It's now just a dry cleaners. I am not sure, but I believe there was only one other laundry mat in this area and it was in a truck stop, but don't quote me on that one.

The only places I can think of that used to be there but no longer are would be the 76 truckstop, the Blue Beacon truck wash, and Catfish Island.

I know way too much about that section of West Memphis because of the WM3 case, which I don't feel like debating at the moment.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Unfortunately, I can't help with what that area looked like in '87 because I was only 8. But, I'm guessing the area we are thinking about is close to where I-40 and I-55 merge.

There was a laundry mat just south of the interstate on Ingram blvd. It was kind of at the corner of Ingram and Goodwin. It's now just a dry cleaners. I am not sure, but I believe there was only one other laundry mat in this area and it was in a truck stop, but don't quote me on that one.

The only places I can think of that used to be there but no longer are would be the 76 truckstop, the Blue Beacon truck wash, and Catfish Island. .

I gotcha. I guess anytime anyone thinks of West Memphis, the WM3 comes up. My son was the age of those boys when it happened. (I'll do the math for ya...I'm 52 now).

There's another laundry that's well off the beaten path...the one you're talking about is much more on target, I think. And again, we go back to the truck stops.

(The Blue Beacon that closed...that's the one "in front of" the WM3 woods, correct?)

P.S. If you have older folks who you can ask about the area at that time, please do. Mostly we need someone to get off their duffs and tell us where exactly this situation took place...or hopefully your digs will tell us.

 

[capoly]

Hey, I just found this thread and I'm only on page 4, so forgive me if I'm jumping ahead.
I just read a post or two about archives, so that's why I'm jumping in without reading everything.

I'm a Memphian and I also work at the main library here. We've been keeping an indexed file of newspaper clippings for major events from the Commercial Appeal since the 1930s. We also have all the newspapers on microfilm. The Commercial Appeal is the Memphis paper, but it also covers West Memphis.

So, if someone needs me to pull a newspaper I can do that, no problem. I will probably be going up to work Sunday for research I'm doing, but if I don't make it then I'll be there Monday for work.

Also wanted to mention, the lady was hit on the service road for highway 61. Highway 61 and I-55 are the same road in West Memphis. I'm curious to find out where exactly she was hit, I'm pretty familiar with West Memphis.

'pinkhistorybuff' is a rather strange name for a super hero lol

This is wonderful to read and so good of you to offer! Today is sunday...don't know if you will read this or not before you go to the Library but news from Sept 10, 1987 or days after would be good to check (accident was Sept 9...it was old days so no immediate media was likely).

I am so excited!!!!! :blowkiss: that's from me...and this ones :blowkiss: from Laundry Lady....she's surely looking down saying "would you people get me home already!"

ETA :blowkiss::blowkiss: from my husband for saving his wallet. lol

 

[Julessleuther]

Perhaps she was not coming from a laundry, perhaps she had just gotten off a truck at the truck stop and these were her belongings? I am curious to know if the person whose card she had remembers what she carried with her?

Unfortunately, I can't help with what that area looked like in '87 because I was only 8. But, I'm guessing the area we are thinking about is close to where I-40 and I-55 merge.

There was a laundry mat just south of the interstate on Ingram blvd. It was kind of at the corner of Ingram and Goodwin. It's now just a dry cleaners. I am not sure, but I believe there was only one other laundry mat in this area and it was in a truck stop, but don't quote me on that one.

The only places I can think of that used to be there but no longer are would be the 76 truckstop, the Blue Beacon truck wash, and Catfish Island.

I know way too much about that section of West Memphis because of the WM3 case, which I don't feel like debating at the moment.

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

I didn't go to the library today, but I'm working tomorrow. So, I'm hoping to find something out by tomorrow night.

 

[amethyst]

I didn't go to the library today, but I'm working tomorrow. So, I'm hoping to find something out by tomorrow night.

Oh, bless you, bless you!!! You have no idea how much you are appreciated for doing this. Our heads are a little banged up :banghead: from searching to no avail. You must like pink-I love purple!

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

Okay I have bad news. I searched the Commercial Appeal microfilm today and there was nothing. I was actually pretty upset I was really hoping to find something. I started with the 9th (you never know) and went through every page to about halfway through the 18th. I even checked through the 10th twice.

I didn't pull the nightly news tapes because they were in the basement and I was so sure I'd find something in the paper. But I will pull the VHS tapes tomorrow.

There's one more possibility, some the West Memphis library or another library nearby in Arkansas might have old issues of the WM Evening Times. If we can find the archives for that paper I don't have a problem going to their library and searching them.

Everyone cross your fingers and hope I have better luck with news footage. I just can't believe there was nothing in the paper.

 

[pinkhistorybuff]

okay, I searched worldcat.org (which is amazing! It's a database that will find any library in the world that carries a book, magazine, newspaper, etc.)

Anyway, the West Memphis library and the Southwest TN community college here in Memphis both have the Evening Times. I don't have another day off till next week, but I'll check it out then.

 

[amethyst]

Thanks for looking pinkhistorybuff. I hope you don't end up with a banged up forehead too. Thanks for the info about worldcat.org. I'm going to check it out now.

 

[amethyst]

I'm starting to wonder if the dates could possibly be off when LL met her demise. I am just amazed that there seems to be nothing out there.