LA LA - Penelope Elizabeth Pitzel Boyd, 46, Baton Rouge, Spring of 1983

[victoriarobinson642]

Unreported missing case:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldoe/comments/10k9crk

I also, do not have any kind of personal relationship with the person or direct kin of this person. I discovered this person while doing genealogy in my own family tree, and became very intrigued.

This person is my 2nd cousin, twice removed.

Penelope Elizabeth Pitzel DOB 10/7/1937 MN

She married Edward Russell Boyd in June of 1964, but at some point later, they separated.

The story goes that she has an argument with her mother, Thelma, and "ran off to Texas"

The only information I am able to find about her is from a court case in 1998 when her brother Ralph (died in 2019) tried to have her declared legally dead.

It is stated that last contact with her was in 1983 where she allegedly was living in Dallas. Later investigation found that her given place of employment she never actually had worked there. Hadn't been heard from since.

With her family deceased I am unable to possibly contact to find out if there are any further tidbits they have to offer. I have not been able to find any other articles, or even public records for Penny.

Would I call around to police dept to see if a missing persons report is available? I am just very intrigued to find something like this in my family. I have found people who "disappeared" in the 1800s or whatever, but 1983 is so recent. It crazy that one can just poof!

Does anyone know where I might start with this. Again, obligatory sorry if this is the wrong place.

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The OP suggests that she was last seen in Dallas but the petition to declare her missing implies she was last physically seen in Baton Rouge, Lousiana.

FindLaw's Court of Appeal of Louisiana case and opinions.

FindLaw's searchable database of Court of Appeal of Louisiana decisions since

caselaw.findlaw.com

In a Petition For Declaration Of Death filed on his behalf in East Baton Rouge Parish on January 23, 1996, petitioner, Ralph E. Pitzel (hereafter, “Mr. Pitzel”), asserts that he is the sole sibling of Penelope Elizabeth Pitzel Boyd (hereafter, “Penelope”), an absentee.   Based upon the facts as set forth by Mr. Pitzel, it appears that his sister Penelope was born in October of 1937, and last resided in East Baton Rouge Parish in 1983.   According to Mr. Pitzel, Penelope left Baton Rouge in the spring of 1983 after becoming angry with her mother, the late Thelma Harriet Johnson Pitzel (hereafter, “Thelma Pitzel”) and her brother, Mr. Pitzel, and “ran away to Dallas, Texas”.   She is reputed to have been 46 years old at the time.

It is further alleged that Penelope was last employed by the Callier School for the Deaf in Dallas, Texas, and was last known to be living with one U R or U R in that same city. According to the allegations of Mr. Pitzel, no member of the Pitzel family has had any contact with Penelope since her disappearance. Mr. Pitzel alleges that his mother, the late Thelma Pitzel, attempted to contact Penelope in June of 1986;  however, the letter was subsequently returned.   Thelma Pitzel is reputed to have died on January 14, 1990, without having any further correspondence from her daughter, Penelope.

At trial, Mr. Pitzel testified that following his mother's death, the Prudential Insurance Company tried unsuccessfully to contact Penelope or the last person she lived with in Dallas, but the pleadings allege that “no listing of her name or the name of U R or U R remains in Dallas, TX.” According to the testimony of Mr. Pitzel, Prudential Insurance Company also attempted to contact Penelope through her last known employment with the county school for the deaf. Mr. Pitzel alleges in his pleadings that the Callier School for the Deaf purportedly has no existing record regarding Penelope's employment at that institution.   Mr. Pitzel testified that he personally had not made any other effort to contact his sister.2

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She appears to have dark hair and dark eyes, and yearbooks suggest she also went by the name Penni/Penny.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

More photos from Gustavus Adolphus College.

 

[cenazoic]

Apparently solved in latest updates in /gratefuldoe?

 

[summergirl1]

I wonder why her brother was trying to have her declared legally dead then? Closure? Or something to do with their mother's estate? It certainly seems she was dead by that point, at any rate. He probably didn't have the money to hire a private investigator (something briefly mentioned in the court case that maybe he should have done), but was she ever reported missing? I didn't see that she was from the court case.

 

[cenazoic]

Doesn’t sound like she was ever reported missing. If she’s the same person discovered in Oregon (mentioned in reddit thread), she was alive at least as recently as 2020.