Gerald Clifford Bartlett
Also Known As: Cliff or Dutch
Unidentified Person Notice: In English, unidentified women are generally known as “Jane Doe” and unidentified men as “John Doe.” This means the victim’s true name is not available at this time.
Gerald Clifford Bartlett was last known to be in Devils Lake, North Dakota as of spring 1925. It is unclear who was looking for him or when he officially disappeared.
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Details
🪪 Description
Date of Birth*: There is a photo of his Military ID that seemingly states his DOB was January 10, 1902. Other sources put it at August 17, 1903 but it is unclear where that date came from. Still other sources say he was born in 1904. His age in the various census were inconsistent with any particular date of birth. The best estimate is sometime between 1902 – 1903.
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: Most sources say 21, but he was listed as 22 when he was registered in the 1925 census.
Age Group: 20s
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Strawberry Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Caucasian or White
Nationality: United States
Languages Spoken:
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
💪Physical Build
Physical Build:
Height:
Feet and Inches (ft’ in”)
5’8″ – 6’0″
Centimeters (cm)
173 – 183 cm
Weight
Pounds (lbs)
150 – 200 lbs
Kilograms (kg)
68 – 91 kg
👁️ Distinguishing Features
Distinguishing Marks:
Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks:
Piercings:
Tattoos:
Other Descriptors:
👕 Possessions
Clothing
Possessions:
The Facts
❓Disappearance
Date of the Disappearance*: July 1, 1925
Description: Gerald Clifford Bartlett was last known to be in Devils Lake, North Dakota as of spring 1925. According to historical records, he had served as a private in Troop H, 7th U.S. Cavalry and was considered a deserter from Fort Bliss, Texas at some point; this was reported to the adjutant general’s office before his disappearance. He was in Devils Lake when they took information for the 1925 census. Where he went after that remains a mystery.
*Okay, so I ended up on a bit of a dive into the family genealogy records here.
- They allege that he is the son of Howard Lee Bartlett and Ethel Leona Bowers, originally married in Woodbury, Iowa. They had 10 children, including Clifford.
- This family appears in the Minnesota 1905 census as living in Otter Tail, Minnesota. Gerald appears as “Gerald C” , age 2, male, Caucasian.
- The family reappears in a North Dakota 1910 census as living in Steele County. Gerald is listed as a Male, Caucasian, age 7.
- The family reappears in the North Dakota 1915 census, still in Devils Lake. Gerald is with them but no other information is given.
- The family reappears in the North Dakota 1920 census, still in Devils Lake. Gerald is now 16 years old.
- The family reappears in the North Dakota 1925 census, sill in Devils Lake. Gerald is now 22 and going by ‘Clifford’ instead of his first name.
Long story short, the family moved from Iowa to Minnesota and then on to North Dakota where they remained for many years. Gerald’s age and date of birth seemingly change.
Multiple Victims?: No
Rumored or Actual Sightings:
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🪦Recovery
Date the Body was Recovered:
Description: Unknown
Time of Death:
Cause of Death:
Recovered Remains (if partial):
Suspected Homicide?: No
Multiple Victims?: No
DNA Tested (No Match):
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🚗 Vehicle
Description:
License Plate:
🧑🤝🧑 Key Person(s)
Description:
Location
Address:
City: Devils Lake
Province or State: North Dakota
Country: United States of America
Postal Code: 58301
Latitude, Longitude: 48.1131417,-99.0319235
General Location:
More Details
Related Cases:
Map of Key Specific Locations:
N/A
Photos
Additional Resources
Contact Police
Contact Information — United States of America
Agency 🏢
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Phone Number 📞
Emergency Phone Number 🚨
Website 💻
Email Address 📧
IDD Prefix
011
Country Code
+1
Additional Contacts
- National Crime Information Center (NCIC) — Website
- Crime Stoppers USA — Locate a Program
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) — Website
- National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) — Website
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