On April 9, 1947, a vastatg F5 tornado swept across the North Amerin plas, leavg stctn s wake. The small town of Woodward, Oklahoma, was leveled, and 185 liv were lost. Amid the chaos, 4-year-old Joan Gay Croft vanished whout a trace, sparkg a mystery that endur to this day. This article lv eper to the tragedy, explorg the var theori surroundg Joan Gay's disappearance and providg addnal sights to the circumstanc that led to her vanishg.
Contents:
- THE TWISTED DISAPPEARANCE OF JOAN GAY CROFTAN OKLAHOMA CHILD ABDUCTED PLA SIGHT FOLLOWG ONE OF THE ADLIT TORNADOS US HISTORYHEATHER MONROE·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·9 M READ·OCT 22, 2020--1SHAREJOAN GAY CROFT, EASTER OF 1947, COURTY OF NAMUSA PERFECT STORMON APRIL 9, 1947, AN F5 TORNADO SWEPT ACROSS THE NORTH AMERIN PLAS. THE TWISTER KILLED HUNDREDS, JURED HUNDREDS MORE, AND LEVELED THE SMALL TOWN OF WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA. 185 LIV WERE LOST THE STORM. IN THE ENSUG PANMONIUM, SURVIVG MEMBERS OF THE CROFT FAY WOULD BE LEFT TO WONR WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR YOUNGT MEMBER, 4-YEAR-OLD JOAN GAYE CROFT.THE TWISTER STRETCHED NEARLY TWO ACROSS AND TOUCHED DOWN AT 8:43 PM. WDSPEEDS SI THE TORNADO FLUCTUATED AN CREDIBLE 220 TO 440 PER HOUR. IT TOOK ONLY FIVE MUT TO STROY EVERYTHG S WAY, CLUDG THE CROFT FAY HOME.JOAN GAY CROFT WAS AT HOME WH HER PARENTS AND HER SISTER, GERI, WHEN THE TWISTER OBLERATED THEIR HOE. HER MOTHER, 26-YEAR-OLD CLETA MAE CROFT, TYPILLY WORKED AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR THE EVENG. HOWEVER, THE NATNAL FERATN OF TELEPHONE WORKERS WAS ON THE THIRD DAY OF A STRIKE THAT EFFECTIVELY DISNNECTED TELEPHONE ACCS TO THE ENTIRE TOWN. FOR THIS REASON, CY OFFICIALS DIDN’T RECEIVE ADVANCE WARNG OF THE DISASTER ABOUT TO HAPPEN; THEY ULDN’T WARN RINTS TO TAKE SHELTER.THE RUBBLE
- JOAN GAY CROFT
- 2557DFOK - JOAN GAY CROFT
- MISSG: THE KIDNAPPG OF JOAN GAY CROFT
- THE TRAIL WENT COLD – EPISO 148 – JOAN GAY CROFT
- THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF JOAN GAY CROFT: A DEEPER LOOK TO THE 1947 TORNADO TRAGEDY
- CROFT, JOAN GAY 04/09/1947CROFT, JOAN GAY 04/09/1947
THE TWISTED DISAPPEARANCE OF JOAN GAY CROFTAN OKLAHOMA CHILD ABDUCTED PLA SIGHT FOLLOWG ONE OF THE ADLIT TORNADOS US HISTORYHEATHER MONROE·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·9 M READ·OCT 22, 2020--1SHAREJOAN GAY CROFT, EASTER OF 1947, COURTY OF NAMUSA PERFECT STORMON APRIL 9, 1947, AN F5 TORNADO SWEPT ACROSS THE NORTH AMERIN PLAS. THE TWISTER KILLED HUNDREDS, JURED HUNDREDS MORE, AND LEVELED THE SMALL TOWN OF WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA. 185 LIV WERE LOST THE STORM. IN THE ENSUG PANMONIUM, SURVIVG MEMBERS OF THE CROFT FAY WOULD BE LEFT TO WONR WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR YOUNGT MEMBER, 4-YEAR-OLD JOAN GAYE CROFT.THE TWISTER STRETCHED NEARLY TWO ACROSS AND TOUCHED DOWN AT 8:43 PM. WDSPEEDS SI THE TORNADO FLUCTUATED AN CREDIBLE 220 TO 440 PER HOUR. IT TOOK ONLY FIVE MUT TO STROY EVERYTHG S WAY, CLUDG THE CROFT FAY HOME.JOAN GAY CROFT WAS AT HOME WH HER PARENTS AND HER SISTER, GERI, WHEN THE TWISTER OBLERATED THEIR HOE. HER MOTHER, 26-YEAR-OLD CLETA MAE CROFT, TYPILLY WORKED AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR THE EVENG. HOWEVER, THE NATNAL FERATN OF TELEPHONE WORKERS WAS ON THE THIRD DAY OF A STRIKE THAT EFFECTIVELY DISNNECTED TELEPHONE ACCS TO THE ENTIRE TOWN. FOR THIS REASON, CY OFFICIALS DIDN’T RECEIVE ADVANCE WARNG OF THE DISASTER ABOUT TO HAPPEN; THEY ULDN’T WARN RINTS TO TAKE SHELTER.THE RUBBLE
Real Name: Joan Gay Croft Nicknam: No known nicknam Lotn: Woodward, Oklahoma Date: April 9, 1947 Occupatn: None Date of Birth: October 28, 1942 Height: 3'5" Weight: 42 lbs. Maral Stat: Sgle Characteristics: Whe female wh shoulr-length, strawberry-blond hair and blue ey... * joan gay croft found *
An Oklahoma child abducted pla sight followg one of the adlit tornados US historyJoan Gay Croft, Easter of 1947, Courty of NAMUSA Perfect StormOn April 9, 1947, an F5 tornado swept across the North Amerin plas.
In the ensug panmonium, survivg members of the Croft fay would be left to wonr what happened to their youngt member, 4-year-old Joan Gaye twister stretched nearly two across and touched down at 8:43 PM.
It took only five mut to stroy everythg s way, cludg the Croft fay Gay Croft was at home wh her parents and her sister, Geri, when the twister oblerated their hoe.
JOAN GAY CROFT
The disappearance of 4 year old, Joan Gay Craft, after the adly F5 tornado that stck Woodward, still leav vtigators baffled today. * joan gay croft found *
Schaad, Natnal Weather Service, Fair UseWhen the tornado waned, a neighbor bed through the bble that ed to be the Croft home and found Joan Gay and her sister. LEEDid a 69-year-old Oklahoma Cy woman born Joan Gay Croft watch the TV reports on Saturday night's Woodward tornado and rell that cy's prev vastatg tornado of April 9, 1947? It's possible sce a 4-year-old Joan Gay Croft survived that 1947 twister that killed 185 Woodward rints and molished a vast majory of the twister had h the Croft home, killg Joan Gay's mother, Cleta, a telephone operator.
Joan Gay and her 8-year-old sister, Geri, were taken to the small Woodward Hospal where a pencil-size woon splter was removed om Joan Gay's leg. The two were assigned to ts the hospal's basement, which was beg ed as a sleepg night after the storm, as Geri reported later, two men drsed khaki work cloth me to the basement and rried Joan Gay away, never to be seen agaAs news edor of the Woodward County Journal, 1957-67, I wrote April 9 anniversary stori about Joan Gay's disappearance. Often, women would ntact Joan Gay's relativ, claimg to be Joan Gay.
But none turned out to be the real Joan Gay. A May 22, 1993, episo of TV's “Unsolved Mysteri” about Joan Gay generated lots of rponse … but still no Joan movg to Enid and then to Oklahoma Cy to jo The Oklahoman staff, I ocsnally would redo the April 12, 1999, I received this email:“Mr. Lee“I know that you have wrten many articl about the 1947 Woodward tornado and about the missg Joan Gaye Croft.
2557DFOK - JOAN GAY CROFT
* joan gay croft found *
“How would you like to wre an article about what really happened to Joan Gay and where she has been this past 54 years? “If you want more rmatn, please ntact Joan Gay at (email addrs)“Ms Joan Gaye Croft”The puter gus at The Oklahoman told me that 1999 technology uld not trace the email addrs. “Yours, Joan Gaye Croft”I quickly rpond, sayg, “Sure, I'd like to know more about Joan Gay.
I retired, and durg tornado season often thk of Joan Gay a 69-year-old woman born Joan Gay Croft often rell the Woodward tornado of April 9, 1947? Retouched photo of Joan Gay. Real Name: Joan Gay Croft.
She spoke wh a d lisp and pronounced her name “Jogay. Details: Four-year-old Joan Gay Croft disappeared om Woodward, Oklahoma, on Wednday, April 9, 1947. Years have passed sce the disaster, but credibly, one survivor – Joan Gay – remas unacunted for today.
MISSG: THE KIDNAPPG OF JOAN GAY CROFT
After The Wd, Mystery (Joan Gay Croft) Joan Gay Croft is no more than 4. She has chubby cheeks and her blon hair hangs loose curls to eher si * joan gay croft found *
Joan Gay grew up one of Woodward’s most proment fai. He was able to provi a fortable life for the fay: his twenty-six-year-old wife, Cleta, a telephone operator; her eight-year-old dghter om a prev marriage, Geralde “Jerry”; and, of urse, Joan Gay.
Joan Gay’s great-nt, Ruth Bohn, scrib her as “perfect” and says she was the prettit ltle girl she had ever seen.
THE TRAIL WENT COLD – EPISO 148 – JOAN GAY CROFT
” Ruth says Joan Gay was very bashful. Ruth says Joan Gay was a “mama’s girl.
THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF JOAN GAY CROFT: A DEEPER LOOK TO THE 1947 TORNADO TRAGEDY
When Raymond Goble Jr., Joan Gay’s uncle, stepped out on the ont porch that eveng, he saw a r g down the street wh all four wheels locked up.
Joan Gay’s and Ruth’s dghter, Marvella Parks, then fourteen, says was a horrible experience. After speakg to Bs Irw, a hospal nurse, Ruth learned that her niec, Joan Gay and Jerry, had ma through the tornado.
CROFT, JOAN GAY 04/09/1947CROFT, JOAN GAY 04/09/1947
Joan Gay’s left leg had been pierced clear through wh a ten-ch-long, pencil-sized splter of wood. Joan Gay asked to see her parents.
When asked about Joan Gay, Jerry said that at around midnight, two men whom she did not regnize had picked Joan Gay up and taken her away. Ruth asked Nurse Irw about Joan Gay. She said she stopped the two men, who told her they were takg Joan Gay to a hospal Oklahoma Cy, 120 away, where other fay members were wag.
Nellie and her hband cid to go to Woodward, planng to adopt Joan Gay. One nurse at a hospal told them Joan Gay had died, but another nurse at a different hospal said she was alive and had been moved somewhere else. One of the unclaimed bodi was a young, blon-haired girl who bore a strikg remblance to Joan Gay.