In 1948, This California Mother Vanished After Dropping Her Daughter Off At A Babysitter
In 1922, Lorraine Judith Chance was born in Boston to her father, Alfonso Barrie. Then, between 1942 and 1945, she lived in New York.
During that time period, Lorraine married her husband, Calvin “Bud” Chance, in 1944. Afterward, the newlyweds welcomed their first and only child into the world– a baby girl named Donna.
Calvin served in the Navy, though. So, following the birth of his daughter, Calvin’s career ultimately moved the family to Santa Clara, California.
But, in 1947, the couple’s new life came crashing down.
That year, Lorraine’s husband suffered an intracranial injury after experiencing a dry dock accident while stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia. He died following the accident and was transported back to California to be buried in his family’s home state.
This meant that 26-year-old Lorraine was left behind as a single mother to their daughter. Unfortunately, though, that did not last long, either.
On January 3, 1948, Lorraine dropped her daughter Donna off at a babysitter’s home in Santa Cruz and claimed that she would be back in just a couple of hours.
But strangely, Lorraine never went back to pick up her daughter– vanishing without a trace.
Nearly three months later, on March 28, 1948, she did apply for death benefits via Veteran Affairs following her husband’s passing. And the application was approved in August 1948.
Facebook – pictured above is Lorraine
By that point, though, Lorraine had moved and never left behind a forwarding address. So, she never actually collected any of the benefits, and her whereabouts have remained unknown since 1948. There was reportedly an arrest warrant out for Lorraine on the day she went missing. However, what violation she allegedly committed was unable to be determined.
A Naval agency and the Red Cross did search for the 26-year-old. However, the efforts were unfruitful. And according to The Doe Network, 1948 records from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department were destroyed– which only hindered the investigation into Lorraine’s case.
So, for nearly 74 years, the circumstances surrounding Lorraine’s disappearance have remained unknown. Lorraine’s daughter Donna was subsequently raised by Calvin’s sisters, Eleanor and Madelyn. Then, following Eleanor’s death in 1960, a family friend became Donna’s caregiver.
A Facebook account has since been created to help raise awareness about Lorraine’s case and bring closure to her family.
At the time of her disappearance, Lorraine Judith Chance was about five feet tall, weighed 95 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. She sometimes went by the nickname “Lee,” and her maiden name was Barrie.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 808-0621.
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