In revisiting this case I have come across one odd coincidence which makes me wonder if maybe she did just leave. There are various records on Ancestry relating to a couple in Nederland, Texas. Firstly there is a marriage record from 1959 of Malcolm Sedtal to Rae Alston. Clearly this could just be a coincidence of names. However, there are further US Public Records Index entries for Beaumont, Texas showing different variations of the wife's name (but all confirmed by the same DoB of 30/7/1925) including Rae Sedtal and Walcie Sedtal. A coincidence of Walcie, Rae and Alston is still possible but interesting. Obviously the DoB does not match that listed for Walcie Rae (18/7/1924), but changing DoB would be an obvious move if choosing to disappear. This Rae (or Walcie) died in 2017 and there is a brief obituary at
Alston Rae Obituary (2017) - The Beaumont Enterprise.
I am not sure what to think.