In 1915, two men named Jim and Joe Cole found a young boy frozen to death in the Smoky Mountains. The boy, who was discovered under an overhanging rock where he had sought protection from a snowstorm, was transported to the Sugarlands community just south of Gatlinburg. Regrettably, nobody in the community recognized him, and he was eventually laid to rest in the old Sugarlands Cemetery.

The mystery surrounding the boy’s identity lingered for six decades until 1975, when Virgie F. Smith approached the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center seeking information about her long-lost brother, Edward McKinley, known as Edd. Smith believed her brother, who had disappeared in 1915 following an altercation with their father, had ended up somewhere in the Smoky Mountains.

Ranger Glen Cardwell connected Smith with Lucinda Ogle, whose husband had helped bury an unidentified boy in the Sugarlands Cemetery around the same time. After several meetings, Smith, Ogle, and their families concluded that the unidentified grave indeed belonged to Edd McKinley. They felt a strong sense of closure as the gravestone marking the resting place of Edd McKinley was finally put in place. Born on March 10, 1903, Edd had died on April 2, 1915.

This article is a reminder of the importance of remembering and honoring the memory of lost individuals. For those seeking closure or information about lost individuals or records, contacting various agencies, such as EDD (Employment Development Department) in California, can prove instrumental. One example is, if you’re seeking closure about unemployment claims or payments in California, EDD customer service agents can provide crucial assistance. Individuals seeking help can visit eddcaller.com for instructions on how to contact a live person at EDD in California.