TX TX - Floradean Walker, 25, Hext, January 1st 1951

[Mysteries1974]

Floradean Walker - Texas Missing Person Directory

Missing Person Case

 

[glamourkitty1922]

Lovely name but very little on the web about her.

 

[StarrChance]

Floradean (like the name too) was born about 1926, Missouri, maiden name Hawes, she is one of seven children. She married Wesley E Walker, Hext, Texas March 1950. He remarried in 1957.
There is a 1971 ad looking for her from a sister.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Floradean (like the name too) was born about 1926, Missouri, maiden name Hawes, she is one of seven children. She married Wesley E Walker, Hext, Texas March 1950. He remarried in 1957.
There is a 1971 ad looking for her from a sister.

Do you have this ad? I would like to see it

 

[StarrChance]

Sure, Wilma was her sister
6 May 1973, Page 14 - Neosho News at Newspapers.com

 

[Mysteries1974]

Sure, Wilma was her sister
6 May 1973, Page 14 - Neosho News at Newspapers.com
View attachment 171759

Thanks

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Floradean...it's now been 70 years.

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

She was leaving "a" residence? Was it ever reported whose residence? Why was she there? Did this person know where she was going once she left? Such vague details. I can't read the Neosho article due to lack of subscription so forgive me if these things are mentioned there. Another source said it was her residence she was last seen at. Who was this witness that saw her last?

 

[madamx]

Does anyone know if Floradean ever had any children?

 

[alb1on]

To answer the questions posed in previous posts. Ancestry has her shown in two family trees, but with no children listed (either by name or shown as private - ie still living). She was (according to the trees) previously married to a Charles A Pederson who she is shown as marrying in Galena, Kansas on 27 July 1943. Her subsequent marriage to Wesley Walker was in 1950, although no record for the div0rce from her first marriage is shown (or the death of her first husband, which is possible as a wartime marriage). As for the residence she was leaving, apparently it was her own home according to a 2014 article from the Houston Chronicle (Man who disappeared from stage coach in 1920 is oldest active missing-person case (chron.com)).

 

[Loralee]

One of the oldest Texas cases entered in the NamUs database is that of Floradean Walker, who lived in the town of Hext. She was 25 to 27 when she disappeared in 1951.

"Her last day of contact is unknown but was likely the spring or fall of 1951," Spamer said. "She was last seen at her residence in Hext."

The Houston article above wasn't able to confirm she left from her residence, either. Just that it was the last confirmed sighting.

 

[Loralee]

She was (according to the trees) previously married to a Charles A Pederson who she is shown as marrying in Galena, Kansas on 27 July 1943.

I'm not sure I would rely on this either, as when she married Walker her last name was still Hawes and no previous marriages were indicated.

I wonder how Wesley was able to remarry on 18 Jan 1957 if his wife wasn't found. Is 6 years enough time to be presumed dead?

It seems so strange that we haven't been able to find any newspaper notifications about her disappearance, or why the window of her disappearance is so broad.

 

[alb1on]

If she was 'last seen leaving a residence' (as specified in the missing sites) and 'last seen at her residence' (as in the newspaper report), the only logical interpretation is that the residences referred are the same. Anything else requires the newspaper report to be in error since both refer to the last sighting.

I share your caution about Ancestry trees (hence my qualification 'according to the trees' rather than citing an official record) but added the Pederson marriage only for information. It has no bearing given the timing and Walker marriage. The tree is quite clear that the Floradean who married Pederson is our missing as it specifies her as being from Neosha but I agree it is still possible for it to be in error.

 

[ralyla]

Sure, Wilma was her sister
6 May 1973, Page 14 - Neosho News at Newspapers.com
View attachment 171759

I wonder why her sister put the ad in the Neosho News in Neosho, Missouri and not in a Texas newspaper?

 

[ralyla]

I wonder why her sister put the ad in the Neosho News in Neosho, Missouri and not in a Texas newspaper?

Answering my own question - upon further research (ancestry & newspapers):

Floradean Hawes was born in Neosho Township, Missouri in 1926. Her name is mentioned in The Neosho Daily News on November 25th, 1929:

And again on April 19th, 1941 as part of an 8th Grade Graduation list:

She married Wesley Walker on 3/21/1950 in Benton, Arkansas. Wesley Walkers residence at this time was listed as Hext, Menard, Texas.

I will expand my search of the namus database of unidentified remains to missouri.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Floradean is still listed as missing, no other information found

Missing Person / NamUs #MP8609

View NamUs missing person case MP8609 for Floradean Walker missing from Hext, Texas. Date of last contact: Jan 01, 1951. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

 

[Brightchaser47]

Sure, Wilma was her sister
6 May 1973, Page 14 - Neosho News at Newspapers.com
View attachment 171759

I'm not sure I would rely on this either, as when she married Walker her last name was still Hawes and no previous marriages were indicated.

I wonder how Wesley was able to remarry on 18 Jan 1957 if his wife wasn't found. Is 6 years enough time to be presumed dead?

It seems so strange that we haven't been able to find any newspaper notifications about her disappearance, or why the window of her disappearance is so broad.

Hello, yes it's very strange. Not having an exact date she went missing is one thing, but not even sure what  season ?
Also, there's a gap of 20 years between her disappearance and her sister's ad which makes me wonder if maybe Floradean was in the habit of taking off on a whim and family didn't always know when (or if) she'd return. Just some thoughts.

 

[iulia]

Floradean's NamUs page has been removed. Three MPs from TX were removed since my last check yesterday, but the resolved counter went up only by 2 cases. I don't know which one was not counted as resolved, but the other two were more recent (2022-2023) and I think had better chances to have been resolved. JMO.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Hello, yes it's very strange. Not having an exact date she went missing is one thing, but not even sure what  season ?
Also, there's a gap of 20 years between her disappearance and her sister's ad which makes me wonder if maybe Floradean was in the habit of taking off on a whim and family didn't always know when (or if) she'd return. Just some thoughts.

My words are in red:

On July 14, 1943, Floradean Hawes was picked up by Joplin, MO, police, returned to Neosho and released to her parents. She was 17. (Joplin is about 22 miles north of Neosho)

Then next we hear of her she was married to Charles A. Pederson (Peterson) 27 July 1943 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. 13 days later? Did she take off again and get married in Kansas? Was she on the way to Kansas when she got picked up by the police? In 1943, the age of consent in Kansas was 16 years old. It still is.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102243660468/facts

Then, the Fri, Feb 8, 1946, page 1 Neosho Miner-Mechanic someone by the name Floradean Hawes Peterson enters a plea of guilty to a charge of prostitution and was sentenced to a two-year penitentiary term. Here, her last name was misspelled Peterson by accident or design. IMO, this is Floradean Hawes. I could find no one else by the name Floradean Hawes Peterson online or at Ancestry which tells me it's two last names put together.

The Newton County News, Thu, April 11, 1946 shows the State of Missouri vs someone named Floradean H. (Hawes?) Peterson (Pederson?) This could be her sentencing in court, IMO. Can we assume her divorce from Pederson (Peterson) happened sometime after her arrest?

Then, she marries under her maiden name, Floradean Hawes, 21 Mar 1950 in Burtonville, AK. to Wesley E. Walker, of Hext, TX. He was born in Sampsel, Mo. He died in Buckner, TX at age 78 according to his obit. The Kansas City Star Thu, Jan 28, 1982 ·Page 10 has his obit.
A family tree, 6 September 1919, shows he was born in Menard County, Texas, which conflicts with the above obit.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102242203272/facts

https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Man-who-disappeared-in-1920-is-oldest-active-5423724.php

One of the oldest Texas cases entered in the NamUs database is that of Floradean Walker, who lived in the town of Hext. She was 25 to 27 when she disappeared in 1951.

"Her last day of contact is unknown but was likely the spring or fall of 1951," Spamer said. "She was last seen at her residence in Hext."

The Houston article above wasn't able to confirm she left from her residence, either. Just that it was the last confirmed sighting.

According to a family tree on Ancestry, "Floradean disappeared in the early 1950's and was last seen in San Angelo, Texas. It is presumed she is dead. In 1950 she lived with Minnie Walker, her mother-in-law, in Hext, Texas." Minnie Walker was spouse of George M. Walker.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102242109410/facts?_phsrc=zmA3465&_phstart=successSource

According to the 1930 United States Federal Census Floradean Hawes (they misspelled her name Floradine Hames) was 4 years old on April 2, 1930, the date of the enumeration. A family tree shows her born 7 Sep 1925. So, if she disappeared in spring-fall 1951 she would have been 26-27. Her 26th birthday in 1951 was September 7.

Wesley Edward Walker married Lena Virginia Wilkerson on Jan 12, 1956 according to her obit on Ancestry.com..

One last item: Wesley Walker enlisted in the Air Force in 1943. He spent eight years overseas. Floradean had been living with his mother, Minnie Walker in Hext, TX, up until 1950.

1943 + 8 = 1951, the year Floradean disappeared. From the article below: San Angelo Standard Times, Fri Jan 29 1960. He comes home and she disappears. Coincidence?

 

[madamx]

My words are in red:

On July 14, 1943, Floradean Hawes was picked up by Joplin, MO, police, returned to Neosho and released to her parents. She was 17. (Joplin is about 22 miles north of Neosho)

View attachment 574007

Then next we hear of her she was married to Charles A. Pederson (Peterson) 27 July 1943 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. 13 days later? Did she take off again and get married in Kansas? Was she on the way to Kansas when she got picked up by the police? In 1943, the age of consent in Kansas was 16 years old. It still is.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102243660468/facts

Then, the Fri, Feb 8, 1946, page 1 Neosho Miner-Mechanic someone by the name Floradean Hawes Peterson enters a plea of guilty to a charge of prostitution and was sentenced to a two-year penitentiary term. Here, her last name was misspelled Peterson by accident or design. IMO, this is Floradean Hawes. I could find no one else by the name Floradean Hawes Peterson online or at Ancestry which tells me it's two last names put together.

View attachment 574014

The Newton County News, Thu, April 11, 1946 shows the State of Missouri vs someone named Floradean H. (Hawes?) Peterson (Pederson?) This could be her sentencing in court, IMO. Can we assume her divorce from Pederson (Peterson) happened sometime after her arrest?

View attachment 574019

Then, she marries under her maiden name, Floradean Hawes, 21 Mar 1950 in Burtonville, AK. to Wesley E. Walker, of Hext, TX. He was born in Sampsel, Mo. He died in Buckner, TX at age 78 according to his obit. The Kansas City Star Thu, Jan 28, 1982 ·Page 10 has his obit.
A family tree, 6 September 1919, shows he was born in Menard County, Texas, which conflicts with the above obit.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102242203272/facts

View attachment 574020

https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Man-who-disappeared-in-1920-is-oldest-active-5423724.php

The Houston article above wasn't able to confirm she left from her residence, either. Just that it was the last confirmed sighting.

According to a family tree on Ancestry, "Floradean disappeared in the early 1950's and was last seen in San Angelo, Texas. It is presumed she is dead. In 1950 she lived with Minnie Walker, her mother-in-law, in Hext, Texas." Minnie Walker was spouse of George M. Walker.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/171708874/person/102242109410/facts?_phsrc=zmA3465&_phstart=successSource

According to the 1930 United States Federal Census Floradean Hawes (they misspelled her name Floradine Hames) was 4 years old on April 2, 1930, the date of the enumeration. A family tree shows her born 7 Sep 1925. So, if she disappeared in spring-fall 1951 she would have been 26-27. Her 26th birthday in 1951 was September 7.
View attachment 574044

Wesley Edward Walker married Lena Virginia Wilkerson on Jan 12, 1956 according to her obit on Ancestry.com..

One last item: Wesley Walker enlisted in the Air Force in 1943. He spent eight years overseas. Floradean had been living with his mother, Minnie Walker in Hext, TX, up until 1950.

1943 + 8 = 1951, the year Floradean disappeared. From the article below: San Angelo Standard Times, Fri Jan 29 1960. He comes home and she disappears. Coincidence?

View attachment 574089

Wow you did a lot of digging and found good info. Thank you for posting all of this.
Also really interesting (great catch on this one) that Walker came home and she disappeared! Could he have had something to do with this.