PA PA - Lower Providence, BlkFem 60-75, 402UFPA, Crocheted Slippers, dress, smock, Feb'74

[madamx]

To answer my own question of some weeks ago, I noticed that the creek does in fact run from NE to SW. Moreover, upstream of where the body was found the creek runs for some 20 to 30 miles further NE, with only 5 or 6 road bridges from which she might have been thrown if she didn't go into the creek from a waterside property. The roads do seem to be the sort that would carry local traffic only, so I'm guessing it would not have been very risky for a driver to stop at night to throw her over the railings of a bridge. This probably delineates the most likely area for her to have come from.

I know most people get particularly upset/angry about children who are discarded or murdered, but it's older people, especially older women like this one, I feel most saddened by. I can't help thinking that maybe they have already suffered decades of abuse and then they get murdered as well - most likely by a spouse or child.

Yes I agree.. It really upsets me that cases like this don't get more attention. It's almost like .. oh well she was old... Makes me mad and breaks my heart at the same time. These Are the cases that actually get me emotional. I can almost feel the sadness the old Lady carried with her

 

[Sue Doe Nimm]

This dear lady breaks my heart. She’s been unidentified 6 months longer than I’ve been alive. I’m a nurse for the elderly and the thought of someone hurting one of my grandpas and grandmas puts me in beast mode. Like, “Just let me know who hurt you, MeeMaw. Their uppance will come.”

 

[carbuff]

Thank you carbuff for bumping this thread.. This woman has ALWAYS pulled my heartstrings , You have no idea!

I can guess. I get choked up just updating it.

 

[madamx]

I wonder if there is a way to find out if she lived in the area and nobody ever checked on her.. like if there was a house that was abandoned some time after she had gone missing. Or if she lived in a house that looked abandoned and people thought was abandoned but she lived there. Or if she lived with a husband that was old and just never reported her. I wonder if there is any way to find out about who lived in the area at that time. does not look like there are many homes there.. and I found one house off of Baptist road (where she was found) that is called the Murder house because people Claim a family got murdered.. BUT I have not seen any newspaper articles or anything .. just folk stories online.. makes me wonder if this house is where the lady came from and since it became abandoned people started making up ghost stories... again just another thought http://forgottenusa.com/haunts/PA/10551/Worcester- Old Baptist Road Murder House/

I wonder if she came from this house since it was so close to where she was found. I have searched and searched again for any other info but have it been able to find out anything else.

 

[madamx]

The Ross Twp where Mr Clinton lived is in Allegheny County, just north of Pittsburgh, about 300 miles west of Lower Providence, Montgomery County.

There is no mention if she was buried or went missing or anything. Just that her son kept cashing the checks for years after...but the timeframe would fit. .. I pray one day this old lady gets her name back!!

 

[madamx]

I was just looking and found another old lady found in Philadelphia in Feb 4, 1963 and another old lady found Dec 26, 1955... oh this is so sad.. its like almost every 10 years.

The Lost & The Found

The Lost & The Found

 

[CCJD]

There is no mention if she was buried or went missing or anything. Just that her son kept cashing the checks for years after...but the timeframe would fit. .. I pray one day this old lady gets her name back!!

Clara Clinton was buried at Highwood Cemetery on Brighton Road, about 3 miles from where she lived. Death Notice from Pittsburgh Press, May 8, 1973

 

[madamx]

Clara Clinton was buried at Highwood Cemetery on Brighton Road, about 3 miles from where she lived. Death Notice from Pittsburgh Press, May 8, 1973

thank you CCJD... well I guess it not her... back to the drawing board...sigh

 

[Jennifer17]

Oh, God love her. Crocheted slippers.

 

[madamx]

Oh, God love her. Crocheted slippers.

I know...….

 

[carbuff]

Oh, God love her. Crocheted slippers.

Just breaks my heart...

 

[shadowdancer]

So, so sad.

If she was not reported missing, then she can't have been declared dead.

If she was 70 in 1973/4 when she was killed, she would be 115/116 now.

Surely someone at some public records office somewhere, must be curious about this woman who is supposedly living to such a grand old age.

 

[madamx]

So, so sad.

If she was not reported missing, then she can't have been declared dead.

If she was 70 in 1973/4 when she was killed, she would be 115/116 now.

Surely someone at some public records office somewhere, must be curious about this woman who is supposedly living to such a grand old age.

Yes that is true shadowdancer you have a good point. Wish there was some way to find out.

I keep looking at the map . She was found Montgomery County it's like right in the Middle with NY on one side NJ Delaware and then the rest of PA.

I wish they had photos of her clothing or if they had any tags?? . She did have a lot of clothing on. The only clue is the Marvel Bread plastic bag. Also there is no mention if she had teeth or not even though her recon sort of looks like she does not.

Someone out there knew this woman.

 

[shadowdancer]

Do we think that she was fairly local to the area she was found in?

Perhaps someone with an ancestry account could search for female births in PA and perhaps neighboring states between approx 1899 and 1909 where there is no death certificate listed.

I don't know if thats even possible, but if it is we might get some possibilities.

 

[madamx]

old ad for the Marvel Bread Bag.. does not help but I found it and thought I would post it

 

[madamx]

I came across this and it had a little more info than the doenetwork listing on this page. I decided to post.
Montgomery County Jane Doe (1974)

Montgomery County Jane Doe (1974)

Montgomery County Jane Doe was a woman found in Pennsylvania in 1974.

Physical Characteristics

• Her hair and eye colour could not be determined.
• She is described as being obese.
• She had arthritis in her back and knees.
• She had fractures to her lower left arm.

Sex Female
Race Unknown
Location Lower Providence Township,
Pennsylvania
Found February 9, 1974
Unidentified for 43 years

Postmortem interval 3 months
Body condition Skeletal
Age approximation 60 - 75
Height approximation 5'5 - 5'10
Weight approximation 170 pounds
Cause of death Homicide

 

[JoysDivision]

Good afternoon, all. I have just joined the group. I learned about this case this morning.

I actually live IN Lower Providence, PA, about two miles from where the decedent was found in 1974 (I wasn't born yet when she was found). I am currently doing some digging here locally (pardon the phrase) to see if I can find an older local that might remember this case, or who might know where she was buried.

If anyone needs photographs/ documents/ etc. on the case, I am on the ground locally, and would really love to try to help solve this. I am hoping that the Wood family is still in town, or I can find a similar "Local Colour" character who might remember families from the area in the early 1970s. I am inclined to very much agree with those who felt the plastic baggies on her feet were added due to the weather, this was common in the 70s. I cannot, however, find much information about the case AT THE TIME, even though a number of databases suggest it was publicized as a murder. I know one of the police officers, however, and he might have some information, or know someone who might.

I am rather confused... it seems the remains were skeletonized when discovered, but there is a drawing. Do we know where the drawing came from and what it is based on? Is it a forensic reconstruction of the skull the Wood children found?

I can tell you for free, even now, in 2019, this area is really small. I mean, REALLY small. We're not that far from Philadelphia, but Lower Providence is a small town that is more churches than anything else. While it is possibly an elder-abuse case, I don't think she's local. The area is largely German immigrants and similar, and has been for.. oh... 200-something years. This isn't an area where Grandma can just "go missing" for 40 years. People know each other around here. People talk. I think someone would have noticed she didn't buy eggs, or go to Meeting, or something.


Writing to the local police now, and the town librarian. Maybe someone will know something. The added complication to this case, which isn't clear from national databases, is that the area where her remains were found-- (That's Evansburg State Park now) is sort of a hazy area jurisdictionally and for records: It's Lower Providence, Eagleville, Methacton, and Norristown.

 

[GJKJR]

Good afternoon, all. I have just joined the group. I learned about this case this morning.

I actually live IN Lower Providence, PA, about two miles from where the decedent was found in 1974 (I wasn't born yet when she was found). I am currently doing some digging here locally (pardon the phrase) to see if I can find an older local that might remember this case, or who might know where she was buried.

If anyone needs photographs/ documents/ etc. on the case, I am on the ground locally, and would really love to try to help solve this. I am hoping that the Wood family is still in town, or I can find a similar "Local Colour" character who might remember families from the area in the early 1970s. I am inclined to very much agree with those who felt the plastic baggies on her feet were added due to the weather, this was common in the 70s. I cannot, however, find much information about the case AT THE TIME, even though a number of databases suggest it was publicized as a murder. I know one of the police officers, however, and he might have some information, or know someone who might.

I am rather confused... it seems the remains were skeletonized when discovered, but there is a drawing. Do we know where the drawing came from and what it is based on? Is it a forensic reconstruction of the skull the Wood children found?

I can tell you for free, even now, in 2019, this area is really small. I mean, REALLY small. We're not that far from Philadelphia, but Lower Providence is a small town that is more churches than anything else. While it is possibly an elder-abuse case, I don't think she's local. The area is largely German immigrants and similar, and has been for.. oh... 200-something years. This isn't an area where Grandma can just "go missing" for 40 years. People know each other around here. People talk. I think someone would have noticed she didn't buy eggs, or go to Meeting, or something.


Writing to the local police now, and the town librarian. Maybe someone will know something. The added complication to this case, which isn't clear from national databases, is that the area where her remains were found-- (That's Evansburg State Park now) is sort of a hazy area jurisdictionally and for records: It's Lower Providence, Eagleville, Methacton, and Norristown.

Welcome! I also just learned about this case. To answer a question, the reconstruction for this Doe is based on the skull that was found.

Also, the Ancestry approach sounds like a very good idea and is very possible, fortunately. I have a free membership, so hopefully I can look. With someone who would be in their 110's now, if there's no death record for someone in the area then that will stick out like a sore thumb.

I have a feeling that the UID was killed near home like other people have said. The clothing doesn't really remind me of someone going on a trip, it reminds me more of casual house/cooking wear. Although, like you said, it is a small community, so that doesn't support it. Perhaps she passed away farther up the creek and floated to this location? Or was dumped there after being killed somewhere else? I wonder if this UID just wasn't noticed missing by those around her. So sad.

 

[GJKJR]

After looking for a bit on Ancestry, I realized that there's quite few death records available for the search I was doing. For reference, I set the following parameters:

- Born in Lower Providence
- Born in 1907 +/- 10 years
- Female

and got 53 results. Of these results, 45 were birth records and 8 were death records. I'm having quite a bit of trouble finding any death records for the people listed with only a birth record. Keep in mind that this is *only* Lower Providence. If I did this same search with all of Montgomery County, I would get 40,487 results, 27,891 of which being birth records. If I did this same search with Montgomery County and surrounding counties, I would get 649,496 results, 421,150 of which being birth records. Is anybody aware of any other potential sources for death records? I can't imagine there's a source with much more information, but I felt it was worth asking just in case. For now, I'll keep searching.

 

[GJKJR]

Apologies for chain-posting, this should be the last one besides if I find any potential matches, but here is a newspaper clipping from a Montgomery County newspaper (from February 12, 1974):

Height listed as 5'7", weight 165-170 pounds, and age 65-70 y/o.