Katharina Buczek
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.
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