Gertrude "Gertie" Birlew, approximate age 16, was living in Springfield, Greene Co., Missouri and working for the Albert D. Squires family, 1919-1921. She lived with the family and took care of the children while the parents worked. When she had time off from her job she would take the train to Low Wassie, Shannon Co., Missouri to visit with her parents & siblings for the weekend. Since the family did not have a telephone, they never knew when she was going to arrive. One day the Squires family arrived at the Birlew home in Low Wassie. They had come to find out if Gertie was sick. They said they had put her on the train in Springfield for a visit home, 2 weeks prior, but she had not returned when expected. Gertie was very close to her siblings and parents, and there had been no type of disagreement among them. About a year later a letter arrived from her. She did not explain anything, and requested that some money be sent to her at a Sikeston, Missouri post office box number. Gertie's father was in poor health at the time and he asked a son-in-law to go to Sikeston, watch for Gertie to come to the post office and collect her mail, talk to her and try to get her to come home. The son-in-law reported that he never saw her. When he grew up, became employed, and had the money to do so, Gertie's only brother hired a private detective in St. Louis, Missouri to try to discover something about her disappearance. This would have been about 1940 and 20 years after the fact. Nothing was discovered. Gertie has 2 very elderly sisters still living......one is 94. They want so badly to know what became of her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Gloria (Birlew) Hursey