WV - Sodder Family - 5 children, Christmas eve 1945 - #2

[fox1950]

Shadow, I read the message posted on justice quest- On my space it saids two small bones were found along with the verterbre that could have come from a child's hands.

Any ideas on where to look for the magazine with the picture in it or could Mr. Sodder been mistake about the ballet class and it was an art class?

The May 14, 1946 Look Magazine does not have a picture of a ballet class from Walt Whitman School. Either Mr. Sodder had the date wrong or the name of the magazine wrong. It does have an article "Children Paint It Their Own Way"-with children's pictures at New York's Museum of Find Art. The picture does have a couple of dark haired girls in it-One girl pictured alone does resemble sightly Betty-(haven't seen but one picture of Betty). The children's ages range from 4-8 and the article does not say what school or who the children are.

 

[Shadow205]

Shadow, I read the message posted on justice quest- On my space it saids two small bones were found along with the verterbre that could have come from a child's hands.

Any ideas on where to look for the magazine with the picture in it or could Mr. Sodder been mistake about the ballet class and it was an art class?

fox,
Thank you. I guess that I am loosing it. You are right, that was posted in a different forum. I think I am a member at to many, I'm starting to confuse them. LOL. Thanks again.
I will ask Granddaughter about the picture.

 

[ida55]

Hello all I am new to this site. Have have a couple of questions I have been trying to get answers too to help in this case.

1. Does anyone know were I may be able to get a copy of a picture of the home before it burned and an idea about the layout inside the house?

2. Or a copy of the court case mr. sodder had against the man who stole iteams from the home?

3. or an idea of the lady that called that night or even the operators name?

I am working on many parts of this case for my crjs degree. Any new info would help me out.

Thanks Ida :woohoo:

 

[drema]

The three girls sleep in the first bedroom immediately at the top of the stairs. There was no door at the top of the steps into the girls room which means that could have easily have heard Mrs. Sodder's calls.
The boy's room was in the back blocked by a door to the girl's room.
The engine would not turn over in the truck in the garage nearby.
The house was seven rooms. Five rooms were downstairs, 2 were upstairs where the children slept.

Ida, the above is from an earlier post. Tells a little about the layout of the house. I never have heard who the neighbor was nor the man with the block & tackle. Would like to know myself. Hope someone can help you.

 

[ida55]

I have been able to come up with some good news Chief Morris and Mr. Dodd was both part of a lumber group in Fayette. They were also friends really good friends with the state prosecu attorney's brother who was on the committee for the lions club also along with Mr.Morris.

 

[mysteriew]

Everything just keeps circling around that Chief.

 

[drema]

Keep up the good work, Ida. Also Shadow 205. Glad to see Mysteriew back.

 

[ida55]

Does anyone have an idea of who the fayette city councel was at that time and the people who was involved in the inquest that met to say that the kids died of smoke inhalation?

 

[drema]

Seems I read that somewhere. Will have to look it up. Maybe tomorrow

 

[Mr. E]

I had an idea about the picture believed to be of Louis Sodder. This has probably already been suggested.

Could a child have written what is on the back? Maybe the man in the picture goes by the name "Frankie," and a child wrote, "I love brother Frankie." Then "ilil boys" could be a childish way of writing "silly boys," like maybe he and "brother Frankie" were good pals who joked around. The line of letters and numbers reminds me of when my older daughter was just starting to write. She used to write strings of letters and numbers random, just to write. Sometimes she "read" them as if they spelled words.

Just a thought that came to me.

 

[fox1950]

I had an idea about the picture believed to be of Louis Sodder. This has probably already been suggested.

Could a child have written what is on the back? Maybe the man in the picture goes by the name "Frankie," and a child wrote, "I love brother Frankie." Then "ilil boys" could be a childish way of writing "silly boys," like maybe he and "brother Frankie" were good pals who joked around. The line of letters and numbers reminds me of when my older daughter was just starting to write. She used to write strings of letters and numbers random, just to write. Sometimes she "read" them as if they spelled words.

Just a thought that came to me.

Mr. E, I have thought the same thing.
Maybe someone had already written Louis Sodder or wrote it for Mrs. Sodder's information when they sent the photo. However, maybe a child had already written I love brother Frankie before because this is what Louis was going by-Frankie.

 

[Shadow205]

Mr. E, I have thought the same thing.
Maybe someone had already written Louis Sodder or wrote it for Mrs. Sodder's information when they sent the photo. However, maybe a child had already written I love brother Frankie before because this is what Louis was going by-Frankie.

I posted the picture on Classmates a couple of months ago but so far no replies. I added a some details today so maybe that will stir something up.

If we could find some year books for Central City High School for say 1950-1957 maybe we would luck up and see the picture in there.

 

[fox1950]

Shadow, how can we view the picture you posted on classmates. Is it classmates.com?

 

[Shadow205]

Shadow, how can we view the picture you posted on classmates. Is it classmates.com?

Fox1950, yes it is classmates.com. I don't know if you can get to the section where I put the picture without being a member. Christine2448, is a Gold Member and assisted in getting the picture posted. I have it under Central City High School. The picture was postmarked from Central City, KY.

 

[Rhett]

Someone asked about who was on the City Council at the time and you can find that out easily by asking to have a copy of the city council minutes from that time. This is public information and just ask for a month or two months around the time after the fire and it should give the names of the council members.

 

[JBandy]

I am writing to ask for your help in an event that I am volunteering for. I decided to put together a team to participate in a Relay for Life, in which I need to collect donations that would go to the American Cancer Society. I am walking in the memory of my grandfather, who was taken away from me by this terrible disease. The moment that helped me decide that I would try to find ways to work to help find a cure for cancer was the last moment I saw my grandpa.

It was the day that I was leaving for England . My grandfather had been sick for a few months and his body was withering away. He had been going through chemotherapy and was offered a chance to visit home. The morning that I was leaving, my mother went to the hospital and picked him up. When she arrived home with him, I went to the driveway to meet them. He was sitting in the front seat of the car looking so pale and broken. It was very difficult to see him like this since I always saw him as that soldier like he was in World War II, or that hardworking mechanic or carpenter that I grew up beside. But at that moment in time I had to take on his role. He could not get out of the car and walk into the house on his own. I picked him up wrapping his arm around my shoulder and hoisting him up. He looked so concerned that I was doing this and so relieved at the same time. He asked me to be careful. I took him inside and sat him in his recliner and walked away to get him a glass of water. I came back and he was already asleep. I kissed him on his head and told him that I love him and miss him. I walked out the door and went on my way to study abroad. It still haunts me that those were the last words that I ever said to him and while I was gone he died suffering through the pains that cancer brought along with it.

Please help me and my team Sodder’s Soldiers (named after my grandfather, John Sodder) in donating $5.00, $10.00, or $20.00 to the American Cancer Society to fight this awful disease.

You can do this by clicking on this link American Cancer Society Relay for Life and donating.

Thank you for your support and if you are interesting in walking for our team, please let me know.

Sincerely yours,

Jonathan Bandy

 

[pedinurse]

we need to try to get that magazine Mr. Sodder saw that he thought his daughter was in. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to track down.

 

[fox1950]

we need to try to get that magazine Mr. Sodder saw that he thought his daughter was in. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to track down.

I have tried to find the magazine even purchasing one copy that was supposed to be the copy it was in. Did not have a ballet class picture in it-did have an art class picture with children.
I have written several collector's but no one has been able to locate this picture for me. I think whoever wrote this letter for Mr. Sodder perhaps got the name of the magazine wrong or the date/year of publication wrong. I thought I could find it; however, if it was a ballet class picture I have been totally unable to locate it.

 

[LisainWV]

I have tried to find the magazine even purchasing one copy that was supposed to be the copy it was in. Did not have a ballet class picture in it-did have an art class picture with children.
I have written several collector's but no one has been able to locate this picture for me. I think whoever wrote this letter for Mr. Sodder perhaps got the name of the magazine wrong or the date/year of publication wrong. I thought I could find it; however, if it was a ballet class picture I have been totally unable to locate it.

Not to be negative here, but I'm not sure finding the picture is going to help that much. It's sure to be a black & white, and probably many of these kids are going to have strong Italian characteristics. Do we have any idea of how many kids were in this picture or which one they thought may have been her? How do you id them at that point? She's likely not to be enrolled under the Sodder name.

As I said, I'm not trying to be negative, honestly looking for advice on what would happen if someone could locate the mag and the photo.

 

[fox1950]

I can see your point, Lisa. However, I think if this picture could be located, that would be one step closer to identifying the young girl. Perhaps the girl just looked like Betty and was not her. Or maybe it was her. Somewhere at Walt Whitman school there are names are children who attended the school in 1945. Naming the girl in the picture would be one step closer to finding out if it is really Betty. Now, how to go about finding the information at Walt Whitman school would be another question. I think it would take a very good cold case detective to solve this-one who could find a way to identify both the 1967 picture and one in the magazine. But I would really like to see this picture for myself and see what everyone thinks.