She can be reached at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca. Sharon Kay Darling, age 83, of Owosso, MI, passed away Monday, February 20, 2023, at Medilodge, East Lansing. Learn more or change your cookie preferences. Snyder-Green Funeral Home Inc. 402 E Church St. Ligonier, PA KATHERINE SMITH OBITUARY It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Katherine Clare Smith, 36, of Stahlstown,. She had a true affection for all young people and amassed an impressive childrens book collection. A former freelance copywriter for Chatelaine and the Toronto Star, she survived off an $800-a-month pension income and drifted between boarding houses and shelters after a fire destroyed her house in 1994around the time the Laans opened their first retirement home. Katie was a member of the USA Boccia Paralympic national team, competing and training in destinations including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. She would light up any room she entered. Another resident told police he had no shower facilities and was told he'd be taken to Fern Glen to shower once a week. Katherine Ann Smith Mahan, age 86, of Talbott, departed to be face to face with the Lord at Signature Lifestyles assisted living on Wednesday, December 30, 2020. He initially said he scared them in to the bush or that people fishing in the lake adjacent to the property had killed them. I personally never met anyone who did not like Katie, Badger said. Asked about the disappearances of Joan Lawrence, John Semple, John Crofts, and Ralph Grant, she replied, Fake news, sir, and climbed into the drivers seat of a dark blue Volvo. One of those people who died while being cared for by the Laanswas 76-year old John Jefferson (Jeff) Hurley. You can contact Joe by email at jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter . Officiating will be Rev. She was the school's volunteer treasurer at the time. Smith was such a happy person, said Barb Zablotney of Windber, a 2018 Ms. While at Fern Glen, he said he spent all his time in bed. For two decades, Canadians have relied on our thought-provoking journalism to make sense of our world. "And she was a very good one, apparently.". One resident told police he noticed that he wasn't receiving any of his cheques in the mail as he normally did, and that he didn't remember signing any documents allowing the Laans access to his money. In mid-December 1998, police found the bodies of six of Lawrence's cats with bullets in them during a search of the property where Lawrence was last seen. Obituary. Katie Smith had been working for the Disabilities Option Network in Greensburg as its youth engagement director. Last month, Fifth Estate journalists and I interacted with Kathrine outside a movie theatre in Bracebridge. I was part of a seven-month joint investigation with the CBCs The Fifth Estate that drew on unsealed Ontario Provincial Police files. Interment will be private. Lawrence told the friend that Allen later admitted to her that he had forged her signature and cashed the cheque. Lessons from Fort Jefferson continue to have impact. (Matthews declined to be interviewed.). They were run mostly by four members of the Laan family David, Paul, Walter and Kathrine and their uncle Ron Allen, who was a caretaker at one property. The Walrus is a registered charity with an educational mandate. She competed in the Pittsburgh Marathon three times as a hand cyclist, having been instructed by instructed by Three Rivers Adaptive Sports. Box 38235, Pittsburgh PA 15216 and www.traspa.org and the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers www.steelwheelers.com. Anthony Varcak Sandy Weingartz . Katherine was born on May 1, 1935 in Kennewick WA to Percy and Vivian (Marberg) Sellick and grew up in Everett, WA. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Katherine J. Smith to show support. Service map data OpenStreetMap contributors, Friends and family will be received on Sunday, March 6, from 1-4 p.m. at the Snyder-Green Funeral Home; 402 E. Church St.; Ligonier, PA 15658; (724) 238-2611. . More than two decades later, CBC Podcasts has found Lawrence's family. "[I hope] we can finally bring justice to the families of those victims," he said. Some information may no longer be current. She was born December . The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. Chris Tribula Katherine Ulewicz Kathy Ulewicz Roger Van Elslande. 01:05:17 - The Muskoka region of Ontario is usually a beautiful summer destination for cottage owners in Canada, but this week we tell you the story of its dar The affidavits, calledinformation to obtain search warrant documents (ITOs), are written by police officers or detectives and are presented before a judge in an effort to obtain a search warrant. For tips about this story or any other, contact Lisa Mayor at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca or Timothy Sawa at timothy.sawa@cbc.ca. Not long after Kathrine was found stealing money from the school, she and three of her brothers all four Laan family members who shared in the ownership of the retirement homes were charged with stealing pension and old age security cheques from residents of homes they operated before and for years after their deaths, at least $100,000 in all. A Loved One Has Passed Away Customer Service Plan Ahead . Your sweet mother was truly a Godly woman with a huge heart. And there was never a time that she allowed anything to stop her from doing what she loved. The care homes were described in promotional material as "Christian Retirement Homes," with names like Cedar Pines and Fern Glen Manor. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Erin Burke wrote in the search warrant application. David, Walter, Walters wife, Karen, Paul, and Kathrine were eventually charged in relation to the theft of residents government benefit chequesincluding cheques belonging to three of the missing seniors. Despite considerable media attention in the case, Manishen is the first person to speak publicly on behalf of the Laans and their uncle, none of whom responded to repeated interview requests. She battled. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 80+ Katherine Smith West Milford, NJ (previously lived in Wanaque, NJ) View Full Report Addresses To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Katherine Fields Smith, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. "I had significant concerns regarding the care of these individuals," he said. Interment will be private. Ron Allen was a caretaker there and David Laan was the landlord. "I thought to myself, if my grandfather was here, he'd be going in the truck with me right now.". Katie was also an accomplished athlete. A private investigator hired by the CBC in 2017 was unable to locate Kathrine, now fifty-four. Zablotney said that she and Smith were both told they were limited in what they could do, so they found a new way to do things in their life. He signed all but two of the forms. Police believed an elderly woman who disappeared in Ontario's cottage country two decades ago was killed to "prevent her from reporting frauds, thefts, mistreatment and neglect she was enduring" from her landlords, according to documents recently obtained by The Fifth Estate. As we look at Who We Are Now in 2023, help us power the next 20 years of inspiring conversations and fact-checked journalism. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. None of the Laans, or their uncle, Ron Allen, reported their residents as missing. Of thepages the organizations received, almost two-thirds were redacted. The portions of the search warrants that remain under seal will be challenged by The Walrus/CBC in a hearing later this month. Hurley made several visits to Cedar Pines to see his father and said he didn't think anything was off at the time. Connersville native, Katherine L. Smith, 68, died Sunday, August 21, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Paul was given a restitution order to pay back more than $20,000, and Walter more than $10,000. Katie was a storyteller and story collector, dedicated to telling her own to inspire others, and invested in those of strangers and friends alike. In addition to new facts, the documents paint a more detailed portrait of previously known individuals. "Every police officer, I think, if you ask them, 'Why do we do this, we do this to serve?' Quite apart from the potential of vigilante justice, Manishen continues, the enhanced public scrutiny of highly dramatized commentary in all forms of media, including the nations public broadcaster, have the potential for reaction at an international level. Stories about his clients could also affect their jobs and give rise to psychological and emotional distress which may continue indefinitely.. Get this The News page for free from Friday, June 26, 1925 TRICTS HIGH LIGHTS OF HISTORY by J. CARROLL MANSF1ELI Founding of Georgia. When Hurley inquired with the Canada Pension Plan about his father's survivor benefits paid to the next of kin to assist with the costs of a funeral, he was told that the payout had been made to "the other applicant.". "It's amazing," said Matthews, who has been working on the case since the beginning. And her sister, Jillian Mariani. Burial will take place at a later date at Fairfield Township. Katie Smith of Stahlstown did not let a car accident that left her paralyzed stop her from living life the way she wanted, from continuing to play sports here and abroad to being a positive impact in peoples lives, according to her friends. The unredacted documents reveal new details, including that the Laans were systematically defrauding residents by stealing the seniors pension and benefit cheques, allegedly giving alcohol to alcoholics, and abandoning seniors on rural properties 230 kilometres north of Toronto. She courageously battled an illness and died in the hospital at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, PA. Most of the information contained in the files, however, remained blacked out. jingnuo water fountain instructions hollywood hillbillies cast salaries. Siblings Kathrine, Walter, Paul and David Laan had purchased residential homes in the area and operated them as what they described as "Christian retirement homes," with names like Cedar Pines and Fernglen Manor. She also began honing her craft as a public speaker and developed a program she presented to students geared toward cultivating inclusive environments and promoting self-advocacy for youth. She had an impeccable sense of humor. Grand Rapids, MI WILLIAM VAN LAAN OBITUARY VAN LAAN, WILLIAM William C. Van Laan, age 88, of Kentwood, began his eternal life in heaven on Friday, September 21, 2012, after battling cancer. Members of theLaan familyrecruited people from Toronto who were on the fringes of society and promised them a quiet life in Muskoka, with activities like bowling, woodwork and singsongs at their care homes. Now, after a successful court battle by the CBC and The Walrus, the sealing orders on the remaining documents have been lifted. Walter, fifty-seven, operates Esto Mechanical, a North Yorkbased heating, refrigeration, and air-conditioning company. 2, 2018. (82 years old). Privacy Policy and She graduated cum laude from Seton Hill University in 2012 with a BA in Psychology and with Elementary and Special Education Certificates. "[Kathrine] was a con artist," Hurley said after realizing the letter and the date they began stealing his money were almost identical. She was a regular and enthusiastic participant in The Moth Live Storytelling series in Pittsburgh. At the time of publication, I knew that Kathrine had a criminal record for possession, extortion, theft, and fraud. panloloko sa kapwa About a week later, his father died. Around 1994, David, Walter, Paul, and their sister Kathrinewho is not one of Manishen's clientsopened a series of retirement homes in Emsdale and Huntsville. Plant a tree Memorial Trees H Hope the tree helps some love Shannon, Bre & Tabby February 21, 2023 Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2013 and was a board member of the local chapter of United Spinal Association. For those four who disappeared and had no one to look out for them, Matthews is hopeful that justice will be served and they can finally be laid to rest. The Fifth Estate approached David and Walter Laan for comment, and they declined to speak. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. She is also survived by 6 beautiful nieces and nephews. Four weeks ago, I published a story in this magazine about one of Canadas most notorious cold cases. When an isolated 77-year-old vanished from Huntsville in 1998, the Ontario Provincial Police couldn't locate any next of kin. The documents show that, on three different properties owned by the Laans near Huntsville, Ontario, many of the residents paid between $400 and $750 a month to rent shared rooms and tiny outbuildings during the 1990s. In November 1998, the OPP began investigating the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old Huntsville resident known as the Cat Lady, who lived on a farm property owned by the Laans. Badger had handed her Ms. Pennsylvania crown to Smith. The newly released documentsinclude details about a gun found on the property from which Lawrence disappeared, along with insight into conditions of "care homes" run by the Laan family in the area and information about a forged signature on a tax cheque that police believe was the catalyst in Lawrence's disappearance. By the age of 25, their sister, Kathrine Laan, had spent time in jail for drug possession, theft and extortion. Most impressively, she had that exact same personality and character after the accident and through her therapy. Its thought that Lawrence moved to Huntsville from Barrie, Ontario, in 1963. OPP Det. She is also survived by other relatives and friends. She loved the many cats with whom she lived through her life and will be missed dearly by her cat Scruffy. View Katherine C. Smith's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more. Sister. Funeral arrangement under the care ofJenkins Funeral Home. "She had stated that she did not trust them and to call the police if anything ever happened to her," the police documents from an interview with a friend say. Smith was a member of the USA Boccia Paralympic national team. Along with Lawrence, three more residents, aged sixty-nine to ninety, are believed to have gone missing between 1998 and 1999. asheboro country club membership cost why did ruby bentall leave the paradise. She will deeply be missed. Walter and Paul pled guilty, and Kathrine was also convicted, though for reasons that have never been disclosed to the public, the charges against David and Karen were dropped. The documents show Lawrence told friends she was afraid of the Laans. Arrangements entrusted to Life Transitions Burial and Cremation Service Inc. To plant a tree in memory of Katherine SMITH, please visit Tribute Store . In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Benny Joel Smith; and brothers, Ronald and Larry Fields. Joan Lawrence, the so-called "Cat Lady," lived a hermitic life, spending her pension on cat food and an eight-by-ten-foot, $600-a-month shed. Daughter of the late Earl, Sr. and Alice Grant. Lisa Mayor is a journalist with CBC News on Prince Edward Island. David Neal officiating. OBITUARY Katherine Mae Smith October 11, 1961 - January 11, 2023. She was a prolific artist, plying her skill at pottery, collage, drawing, and painting. Another resident of Fern Glen had broken his hip and wasn't mobile. In the case of Ralph Grant, John Crofts, and John Semple, whose ages ranged from sixty-nine to ninety, no suspects have officially been named, though in 2001 Walter told the Toronto Sun that police were trying to put a murder charge on us.. Soon after her college graduation, she began a career in education that included positions as a private tutor and as a substitute teacher working in various school districts in the area. 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