MI MI - Eric Franks, 40, Buena Vista Twp, 21 March 2011 *car found in 2020* #2

[Eric's mom]

I received my T-shirt last week from Media for the Missing. Eric's name is among 36 names of missing persons on the back of the shirt. It is sad to see his name listed as missing, but I am thankful that Stephanie Coplen and Media for the Missing provided another means for the missing to be recognized. I submitted a poem and pictures of Eric which are in the 2nd edition of the "Letters to our Missing", which also was the work of Media for the Missing and Stephanie Coplen.

On my recent visit to see Eric 's grandmother, I took some of Eric's missing fliers and asked some businesses if they would post them. One quick stop place did and one large tourist attraction did and I was able to talk with some people there about Eric . I asked at a large rest area on the interstate and they said they had no place for them. I think rest areas would be the perfect spot to post them since so many travelers stop from so many different states.

When I returned home, I took one into the Wendy's in Wauseon, OH where a missing flier of the missing Skelton brothers is posted. The manager immediately posted Eric's flier beside the brothers' flier, which is behind a glass wall display case. I appreciated it so much , took pictures and posted on FB. I also called the Wendy's office to thank them . I was told by the same manager later that the office had posted my thanks so they could see it in Wauseon.

I was recently told that although FB is a great way to spread the word about missing persons, we need to keep in touch with the media and the investigators. I agree and we are doing that.

Thanks for "hanging in there" with me. I know many have to go on to help other cases when there isn't a lot to report here right now and I totally understand. I do like that when I need to talk, you are "there" !! Hopefully, one day I will be able to post that we have some news.

 

[ontheclock]

I hope so too!

I really like the "Letters to our Missing" idea. I'd like to hear more about it, or where I could read it.

Bravo to you for carrying on. I'd be tattered and in pieces. I admire your persistence.

 

[Momoffourboys]

Hugs to you, Eric's Mom.

We're here for the long haul :grouphug:

 

[Spellbound]

Adding my hugs, and a thanks to all who keep coming back to check in.

Eric's mom, next time we get to the Wauseon area I hope we go buy that Wendy's. I just might stop in and say a thanks, too.

 

[Eric's mom]

I hope so too!

I really like the "Letters to our Missing" idea. I'd like to hear more about it, or where I could read it.

Bravo to you for carrying on. I'd be tattered and in pieces. I admire your persistence.

ontheclock, the books are available to the public now. You can buy them on Amazon.com. You can see the shirts and books by going to this site www.mediaforthemissing.org.

 

[Eric's mom]

Adding my hugs, and a thanks to all who keep coming back to check in.

Eric's mom, next time we get to the Wauseon area I hope we go buy that Wendy's. I just might stop in and say a thanks, too.

Spellbound, that would be nice of you. A lady told me recently that she went in to the Wendy's in Wauseon and asked to see the fliers. I told her they are just inside the door as you enter the little foyer. She said she missed them as she didn't look at the wall when she went in. She was told where they fliers were and went to see them. She wanted to see what Eric looked like.

 

[Eric's mom]

Hugs to you, Eric's Mom.

We're here for the long haul :grouphug:

I appreciate that, Momoffourboys! I just made a short video about how I feel daily having a missing son. It is to be part of a YouTube collection. When it is posted there, I will share it. I told my daughter that I left out being thankful for help, but I know those who offer support, encouragement and help know I appreciate it .

 

[Eric's mom]

I made a post on Eric's community Facebook page today about the news story where Julian Hernandez, missing since 2002, recently realized that he had been abducted by his non-custodian dad. How wonderful for his mom to now be able to see her son again. My post was about how that story goes to show that it only takes one person to help solve a missing person's case. Julian actually helped solve his own case, but when he realized that his social security # didn't match when he applied for college, he got a school counselor to help him . It led to the FBI stepping in. I think the same thing could happen in Eric's case. If just one person who saw something or heard something , even if the person is confused about what they saw or heard, but think it was "just not right", would speak to the MI State Police, it could mean a lot to finding truth. I think that is a reason to keep sharing and talking about my son. Someone someday may speak up !

 

[Spellbound]

Glad to see you here, Eric's Mom. I saw your post on FB and thought what a wonderful person you are. Maybe your own situation makes you more in touch with other families of missing kids, but you have given a lot to helping others even with your own efforts to find your Eric. Bless you, my friend.

 

[Eric's mom]

I wanted to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to all of you. I want you to know how much your encouragement and support means to me. I am truly thankful for each of you. I am thankful for our daughter, her husband and our two grandsons. I wish tomorrow our family would not have empty chairs as most all families do. I think about the family that holds the answers to our questions in our search for Eric. They likely will be sitting down to a meal together, laughing and sharing memories while all the while holding these answers we so desperately seek. I will try not to think of them as I feel thankful for what Eric meant to us and how much he is loved and missed.

 

[Eric's mom]

Glad to see you here, Eric's Mom. I saw your post on FB and thought what a wonderful person you are. Maybe your own situation makes you more in touch with other families of missing kids, but you have given a lot to helping others even with your own efforts to find your Eric. Bless you, my friend.

That is so kind of you, Spellbound! I do feel for those who have missing loved ones. I know we can't truly understand one another until we have walked in the same or similar shoes. We all deal with loss and pain in our own individual ways, but there is a common thread also. We support one another in a sort of "family" that we all wish we weren't a part of. I have been touched by some cases in particular and try to share their fliers and posts as well as various ones that I have had no contact personally with the families. I am FB friends with two women whose sons were missing, but were found deceased as the result of accidents. Yet, these two women are active in sharing the posts and fliers of others who are missing. One of these women even goes on Search and Rescue hunts. Once we have been forced into walking in those painful shoes, we want to help others who feel similar pain. We humans are strange creatures. Some of us try to offer comfort to one another while some of us purposefully hurt another fellow human being. Some of us would die for another human while some of us murder another fellow human being.

 

[Tillicum]

I said a special prayer for you today Eric's mom :heartbeat:

 

[Eric's mom]

I said a special prayer for you today Eric's mom :heartbeat:

I do appreciate your prayers, Tillicum! It is encouraging when people on Eric's community page say they are praying for me and for Eric to be found. I am still thankful for so many who faithfully are sharing my posts about Eric. My prayer is that someday we will get a call from the investigators and we hear that there has been a real break through in the case.

 

[Eric's mom]

https://www.facebook.com/events

I don't have anything new to report about Eric's case, but I am in contact with the lead investigator and am hopeful for renewed efforts in the case.

The link I just posted is to Missouri Missing's Christmas Tree of Love and Hope. Eric was included on their tree of over 100 missing and deceased person's ornaments. Gingerbread ornaments are for children. Stars and trees are for adults. Each ornament has a name of a missing or deceased person from across the country.

You can also watch a TV interview about the tree at this link. http://krcgtv.com/news/local/christmas-tree-of-love-and-hope.

Marianne Asher-Chapman, who has a daughter who went missing at the age of 28, got the idea for the tree while she was hanging her own missing child's ornament.

 

[Spellbound]

:grouphug:

I have followed your FB posts closely, Eric's Mom. Good to know there may be renewed effort put into his case.

Sending wishes for strength to keep you going through the days, weeks, months ahead. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. I truly hope you find your answers without too much longer having to pass.

Bless you, Eric's Mom. I think of you so often. My heart is added to yours in the search for Eric.

 

[Eric's mom]

https://www.facebook.com/PaulBarnes1973/photos/

This is the link to Missing & Murdered Justice for All Facebook page. You can see the new Christmas flier they made for Eric .

 

[Eric's mom]

:grouphug:

I have followed your FB posts closely, Eric's Mom. Good to know there may be renewed effort put into his case.

Sending wishes for strength to keep you going through the days, weeks, months ahead. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. I truly hope you find your answers without too much longer having to pass.

Bless you, Eric's Mom. I think of you so often. My heart is added to yours in the search for Eric.

Thank you, Spellbound! You are so kind. I appreciate your sweet wishes. If Eric's case had gotten proper attention earlier on, it likely would have been solved and someone would be in jail !

 

[ontheclock]

https://www.facebook.com/PaulBarnes1973/photos/

This is the link to Missing & Murdered Justice for All Facebook page. You can see the new Christmas flier they made for Eric .

It's lovely. I'm sorry that you can't be with Eric this season.

Best Wishes for 2016.

 

[Spellbound]

Thank you, Spellbound! You are so kind. I appreciate your sweet wishes. If Eric's case had gotten proper attention earlier on, it likely would have been solved and someone would be in jail !

I agree!

 

[Eric's mom]

It's lovely. I'm sorry that you can't be with Eric this season.

Best Wishes for 2016.

Thanks so much, ontheclock ! I think about the man who threatened to shoot Eric in the head. I assume he is spending the holidays with his wife and four children.

He told one of my sisters when we first were trying to find out what was wrong that caused Eric to stop contact with everyone, that if Eric and K were getting a place together he knew where it would likely be. He said he would go look for Eric's car and get back with my sister. He never got back with her.

He said he had never even seen Eric in Saginaw, but the truth is we know from a witness that he did see Eric up close and personal. Also, how would he know what car to even go look for if he had never even seen Eric. Possibly K told him, but why would she and besides we know that isn't why he knew.

You would think that if that family had nothing to do with Eric's disappearance, they would have helped to find him. After all, they lured him up there. You would think they would feel some responsibility to help find him. Of course, the man told police twice that he thought Eric was dead. Likely, he knew that to be true. Hopefully, time will uncover and expose truth even more than what we already know !!