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

[welder 79]

god this is wonderfull news.... i can try to look natural we want the very best we can get.. if iam not misstaken jonathan they got a class that will do that from mountain state u from beckley, west virginia but i dont know how good they are...iam no family member or am i trying to tell you or family what to do. but i feel this is a once in a life time chance!!! please try to get the very best highly recommend group we can get to do this.....we want only the very best for our good friend's such as you...maybe a idea how about contacting the West Virginia State Police they i would think know the best place to go because they would use that type of service more than anybody else in the state and i would think the be more than glad to help you out???? and you got virginia tech. in blackburg va. that's not to far away.

 

[Shadow205]

That is a wonderful idea...do you know any contact information for the department chairs at these schools? I will contact them.

http://www.wvu.edu/~forensic/

http://www.marshall.edu/sociology/FIELDSC.HTML

You'll find some phone numbers at the links

WVU has a new Forensic Science Program that might offer some help too.

 

[mysteriew]

WVU sounds like the place to start. You could send both the archaelogy dept and the forensics dept. a letter outlining the story, then tell them the current property owner has given permission for an excavation and offer the forensics dept access to all the info the family has. Because they are the same school, it should help ease scheduling and coordination problems.

Though if Marshall offers the same type of programs you could contact both depts. there also and see if they are interested, and then take the best offer.

 

[shadowangel]

This school advertises a BS degree in Forensics, specializing in fire and arson investigation:
Mountain State University

PO Box 9003
Beckley, WV 25802

http://forensics.mountainstate.edu
(866) FOR-MSUI or (866) 367-6781
Office of Enrollment Management
School of Arts and Sciences
gomsu@mountainstate.edu

WVU's Forensics Dep't:

(304) 293-2453, ext. 2
Fax: (304) 293-2663
Dr. Clifton Bishop
clifton.bishop@mail.wvu.edu

Another address for MSU in Beckley (Forensics Dep't):
http://forensics.mountainstate.edu
(800) 766-6067, ext 1311
Jennifer McMillion
Administrative Secretary, School of Arts and Sciences
jmcmillion@mountainstate.edu

Marshall University's Forensics Dep't:
http://forensics.marshall.edu/MUFSC_Homepage.htm
(304) 690-GENE (4363)
Dr. Terry Fenger
fenger@marshall.edu

 

[shadowangel]

FYI, here is a link to accredited forensics programs in schools throughout the US:

http://www.aafs.org/?section_id=resources&page_id=colleges_and_universities


Also---The director of training for the WV State Police Academy

Director of Training
[font=Times New Roman,Times]Captain Jess W. Gundy[/font]

jgundy@wvsp.state.wv.us

 

[JBandy]

WOW! Thanks a lot for finding all of these different groups to contact. I am going to get together a letter this weekend to write to these individuals. I will plan to mail it out next week. I will keep everyone updated.

 

[shadowangel]

Council for WV Archaeology

http://cwva.org/

 

[shadowangel]

This guy, based in Morgantown, has an extensive archaeological resume---

http://www.prehistoricplanet.com/wv/features/petroglyphs/pyle.htm

This page contains links to WV archaeological resources...

http://archaeology.about.com/library/atlas/bluswv.htm

 

[mfmangel1]

I am very good friends with the current owners. I have spoken with them and they have granted me permission to excavate the land where the house sat and I am currently working on a grant to fund this dig. If anyone has grant experience...I would love the help.

Marshall University also offers support for research assisting faculty in pursuit of external funding and providing administrative services to deal with grants.
If you can get the faculty interested in the dig, they may provide the funding.

http://www.marshall.edu/www/research.asp

I live within a few miles of Marshall and some relatives are alumnis.

 

[Stacy Horn]

Jonathan, I work out of my home and I'm back in New York, so I'm pretty much available a lot. That is such great news about getting permission for the dig.

 

[welder 79]

This guy, based in Morgantown, has an extensive archaeological resume---

http://www.prehistoricplanet.com/wv/features/petroglyphs/pyle.htm I worked with and meet Dr.Pyle from WVU on a other case a very nice man and his crew was very nice and respectfull too. To me he did a very fine job on that case a little slow but very good. I think its better beening slow and correct than fast and a big mess on a case like this myself...Iam not sure what he like's to specialist in real old like thousand +, or last hundred year's old case's??? This might be a good question to ask him if you deside to go with a WVU team??? I honsetly forgot all about him until "shadowangel" posted this!! thank you shadowangel!!!!!..... Myself I very highly recommend him he surprized me with his knowledge and down to earth way of explain question's i had about that other case...

This page contains links to WV archaeological resources...

http://archaeology.about.com/library/atlas/bluswv.htm[/QU

 

[Shadow205]

Jonathan,


Any progress on the excavation?

 

[LButler]

Hi guys and gals. Stopped in yesterday to catch up on things and the news of the excavation of the site is great!!

With thoughts of the Sodders fresh in my mind once again, I decided to take a drive by the house site yesterday evening. It had been years since I had travelled in that direction. Even though I am somewhat familiar with the road and the area, I had never driven it with the thoughts of 5 kids possibly being abducted and travelling that route 60 years ago. I was struck by the wildness and the ruggedness of the area and it felt as if centuries of lost souls inhabit the place.

I decided that I would try to locate a topo map of the area for roughly the time period of the fire. I am completely curious to know what houses were there at the time, what roads they used, and so on... I'm not sure how easy that search will be, but I know those maps are out there.

I have a thought on the theory of a coal fire burning extra hot. And, I agree that they will. My only thought is this: Will coal stay hot enough for the time period needed to completely destroy the bones? I know it will if coal is continually fed onto the fire, but no one was feeding this fire. Just a thought. My experience on coal fires is standing in front of my grandma's hearth in the winter until the backs of my legs were burning. So, just like grandma, I'm sure they used coal to heat the house. Her coal pile was outside.


jbandy ... sorry i missed the PM from you moons ago, I simply haven't been on here. Sounds like you're getting a lot done. I think the key to answers is simply forging relationships with folks in the area (like you have done with the current property owners). There were people who knew what happened that night. Those stories have been passed down and I trully believe the answers are closer than we think.

 

[welder 79]

I done some refresh studing about the coal fire theory from my last post..This is still just a long shot guess of what maybe happened really we don't have no fact's that i see that there home was even heated by coal but this was very common at this time and area to do so, but again so is if they had natural gas and had a gas well on there property it was very common for the gas company to give them free natural gas service.. Iam really trying to say it would be unfair at this time that this is maybe what happened when we really have no fact's supporting it...But yes i think the basic theory is sound. time of year yes they should had a good stockpile of coal, I allmost sure i saw where they was high or very high wind's at the time of the fire this make it hot enough to melt mild steel..But there still got to be a lot of thing's to have too happen just right to cause this tragedy!! the placement of the coal stockpile at the homesite, the area where the missing loveone's was to this area, type of heating stove and number of them, I could keep on going but i feel we need to wait until more proof is established...But yes i feel this is possible this could have happened but all the number of person's missing i would have to say it's a very long shot without leaving some type of bone's or something to see beside's teeth..

 

[Granddaughter]

Hi all -

Sorry for the long absence. As indicated in an earlier post, my brother and I both have been involved in major commitments at work recently.

On with the important news ... my brother has completed an initial version of the website! Some information is already posted, and we will continue to add to it. The web address is http://www.sodderchildren.com.

 

[Mira]

such beautiful children.

i found it odd that not one has a smile. the youngest looks like she is about to cry, and the oldest looks positively haunted.

does anyone have some portrait photos from this same era? im wondering if photographers didnt ask for a smile, in those days.

 

[MagicRose99]

If you look at pictures from the "younger years" you hardly ever see one smiling. I think it was considered "undignified" or "proper" not to pose serenely for the pictures.

such beautiful children.

i found it odd that not one has a smile. the youngest looks like she is about to cry, and the oldest looks positively haunted.

does anyone have some portrait photos from this same era? im wondering if photographers didnt ask for a smile, in those days.

 

[MagicRose99]

Wonderful website! Your brother did a fantastic job!

Hi all -

Sorry for the long absence. As indicated in an earlier post, my brother and I both have been involved in major commitments at work recently.

On with the important news ... my brother has completed an initial version of the website! Some information is already posted, and we will continue to add to it. The web address is http://www.sodderchildren.com.

 

[mysteriew]

Just took a look at the website. Great Job! Nice clean look, simple to navigate.
Now the thing is to get the site targeted to the people who may have info. If I could make a suggestion?.......several of the printers offer samples of their work by making up business cards and the only charge is for shipping. Would it be possible to make business cards with the website address on it and leave them in public areas there.....library, grocery, laundrymat, post office etc?
Also, for family members.....the question has come up as to how the home was heated? And where the fuel source was stored?

 

[Shadow205]

Granddaughter,

So glad to see the website go up. Maybe it will generate some new information. IMO, there are still people around who know what happened that night.