I have been researching my Great Great Grandfather's 1948 disappearance from Gary Indiana, and i have uncovered very strong evidence he and George J Stein who was featured in a lost family heirs segment in Season 1 Episode 18 of Unsolved Mysteries, and my Great Great Grandfather Ira J Bowers were in fact the same man,
He was born Ira John Bowers on March 16th 1873, in ohio, and raised in portland indiana. From 1918-1924, his wife, parents, and brother passed away in Portland. from 1927-1933, he worked for a men's department store in Portland Indiana, and lived at boarding houses and ymca type places in jay county indiana. In 1933, he moved to my great grandparents house in Miller Beach near Gary Indiana when my grandpa was a year old. from 1933-1948, when he was 60-75 years old, Ira left the house in Gary for long periods of time along rail lines across the midwest, before disappearing for good in the spring of 1948. he has never been found. From 1936-1952, George J Stein began mysteriously showing up across rail towns in the upper midwest, and disappearing after depositing money in banks traveling along rail lines in indiana, illinois, iowa, minnesota, and wisconsin, before vanishing for good in 1952, never claiming his money. The only address George gave was for a men's department store in indianapolis, an hour from portland where Ira had worked as a salesman for a men's department store.
According to an entry made in our family tree regarding Ira's life, my grandfather Cloyce Bowers Jr. made the following signed, sworn statement: From 1920-1934, Ira worked as a salesman/sales manager for a carpet manufacturer, dry goods/animal feed, and men's department stores that served areas from near fort wayne indiana south to muncie indiana, and west to indianapolis indiana.
He began sporadically living at my great grandparents house at 643 Lake Street in Gary Indiana, and had left that many times, often for more than a year with no contact with the family until he was last seen in the spring of 1948, age 75 years old.
In 1951, Ira's son, my great grandfather Cloyce Bowers Sr. passed away, and an ad was placed in The portland indiana newspaper in hopes of establishing contact with Ira, and no response was ever received.
Let me know what you guys think in the comments.