PORT BOLIVAR — Four Bolivar Peninsula residents who drowned in Hurricane Ike’s storm surge have been identified by comparing their DNA to that of relatives, an official said Friday.
The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office has one more identification to make — that of an unidentified woman who drowned and whose body was found on Pelican Island.
Twenty people from Galveston County died as a direct result of Ike’s Sept. 13 landfall, which produced heavy flooding and damaged much of the upper Texas coast. The Laura Recovery Center still lists 24 people missing from Galveston County and two from Harris County.
The bodies of Marion Violet Arrambide, 78, Magdalena Strickland, 49, Charles Garrett, 42, and Rose Brookshire, 81, all of Port Bolivar, were found on Goat Island between October and December. They were identified through DNA, John Florence, a spokesman for the medical examiner, said Friday.
Results Received Thursday
The University of North Texas, which performed the tests on the genetic material, notified the medical examiner’s office by phone of the results Thursday afternoon, Florence said. All other attempts to identify the bodies through dental or other medical records failed.
The fifth unidentified storm victim was found Sept. 29. The university hasn’t finished her test samples, Florence said.
All of the unidentified storm victims were believed to have drowned, Florence said.
“It was a diagnosis of exclusion,” Florence said. “We had to look for other signs of trauma ... and when we don’t see that, then we look for circumstances of when they went missing.”
Sandy Stafford, of the Laura Recovery Center, divides the 26 people still missing into two categories. The center considers 11 reported missing from the peninsula and island as active cases.
There are 15 others, however, mostly from Galveston, that have been listed as cold cases. Stafford said the center has been unable to stay in contact with their relatives to confirm whether they’re still missing.
“Those 15 active cases I’ve been trying to track down and contact people, but I ran into a brick wall,” Stafford said. “Calls are not answered; letters are returned.”
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Ike victims
Here is a list of Galveston County residents who died in the county from effects of the storm:
• Martha Ferguson, 69, of Galveston; died Sept. 13, no electricity for breathing machine
• George Helmond, 72, of Galveston; drowned Sept. 14, found in his submerged truck
• Yong Seng Teo, 49, of Galveston; died Sept. 14 of pre-existing health condition, couldn’t reach hospital in time
• Charles Lively, 79, of League City; died Sept. 15 of pre-existing health condition
• Carolyn Williams, 64, of League City; died Sept. 15 of pre-existing health condition, lack of dialysis
• John Manley, 66, of League City; died Sept. 15 pre-existing health condition lack of dialysis
• Jim Devine, 76, of San Leon; drowned, found Sept. 17, near his home
• Robert Dort, 76, of Galveston; died Sept. 20 of pre-existing health condition
• Eddie Bailey, 64, of League City; found dead Sept. 23, pre-existing health condition
• Ruben Ramos, 60, of Galveston; found dead Sept. 23, pre-existing health condition
• Gail Ettenger, 58, of Gilchrist; found Sept. 23 near Chambers County debris field
• Herman Moseley, 48, of Galveston, drowned, found Sept. 27 on Goat Island
• Unidentified woman found on Pelican Island Sept. 29, believed to have drowned
• Shane Williams, 33, of Port Bolivar, found drowned Oct. 6 on Goat Island
• Rose Brookshire, 81, of Port Bolivar; found Oct. 6 on Goat Island north of Port Bolivar, believed to have drowned
• Charles Garrett, 42, of Port Bolivar; found Oct. 6 on Goat Island north of Port Bolivar, believed to have drowned
• Walter Fisher, 70, of Port Bolivar; drowned, found Oct. 25 on Bolivar Peninsula’s North Jetty
• Jennifer McLemore, 50, of Gilchrist; found Nov. 2 in Chambers County debris field, believed to have drowned
• Magdalena Strickland, 49, of Port Bolivar; found Nov. 20 on Goat Island north of Gilchrist, believed to have drowned
• Marion Violet Arrambide, 78, of Port Bolivar; found Dec. 22 on Goat Island north of Crystal Beach, believed to have drowned
Source: Galveston County
Medical Examiner’s Office and
Chambers County Judge Jim Sylvia
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Missing
The Laura Recovery Center’s active list of missing includes:
• Harry Bingham, 61, of Crystal Beach
• Susan Shealy, 52, of Crystal Beach
• Sandy D. Walton, 54, of Gilchrist
• Margaret Cordova, 55, of Galveston
• Jacqueline Johnson, 53, of Galveston
Helen Pendergraft, 85, of Galveston
• Ramon Ramos, 59, of Galveston
• Larry Smith, age unknown, of Galveston
• Glennis Dunn, 70, of Port Bolivar
• Janie Parodie, 50, of Houston
• George Ronald Ross, 38, of Pasadena
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Cold Cases
The center also has a cold case list. It is no longer able to reach relatives of the following:
