Here’s a strange story that has haunted my family since 1935. My great uncle Louis T. Mackessy was born on October 2, 1906 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was the youngest of three boys, Thomas Francis Mackessy II (1899-1932) and John Noel Mackessy (1902-1966). His parents were Francis M. Snaith and Thomas Francis Mackessy I. Louis was a young lawyer who traveled quite often, which brings us to the last voyage he would embark on.
In sometime during the summer of 1935, Louis set off from Los Angeles on the S.S. California on his way to New York. However, he would never make it home. Louis mysteriously went missing off the S.S. California, and left behind no clue to his disappearance. It is reported that his belongings were neatly laid out on his bed as if nothing strange had occurred. One speculation was that he may have been robbed and thrown overboard.
Yet, as I mentioned before, the entirety of his belongings including valuables, remained in his cabin. Another speculation was that he may have committed suicide which may explain why his belongings were so neatly laid out on his bed, as if he was still concerned with being portrayed as orderly and professional even in the end. And that concludes what is known of Louis T. Mackessy thus far.
For years, my great-great grandmother (Fanny as she went by), and my great grandfather Noel kept Louis’s phone line open in hopes that he would call. He never did. Fanny also would go out scanning the streets of Elizabeth every single day trying to find his face in the crowd somewhere. She never did.
I find this story so utterly depressing because had this occurred now, there may have been more resources available to help find Louis and return him home safely to his mother. It breaks my heart that my great-great grandmother and those who knew Louis personally went to their graves not knowing the truth about what happened to him.
I have tried to find any records that detail what may have happened to Louis, but ancestry.com only has so many records. Missing persons cases now are often very difficult to unravel, and I can only image it being nearly impossible in 1935.
It has been one of my goals to try to find anything more about Louis and what happened to him. Right now, I am stumped, but I do not plan on stopping anytime soon. I can only hope that someone somewhere knows something and can help me to bring closure to Louis’s disappearance. Although I never knew him, he is still my family and I feel that I owe it to him and all my relatives who have gone after him to find out as much as I can.
