Police find woman missing 42 years — but mystery remains

Flora Stevens appears in an employee photo from the Concord Hotel circa 1975. Courtesy of Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office

“One of the things we talk about for late stage care is to find alternative ways to connect with them,” said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services at the Alzheimer’s Association. “They’re still alive, they’re still living here, so that helps make their quality of life better when you can find ways to connect with them. One way to do that is to look through old photos or to tell them about old memories or past events.”

Stevens had spent time at nursing homes in New Hampshire and New York City, but the mental health records are relatively vague and no one is quite sure what caused her to leave the small New York town of Monticello 42 years ago, officials said. She has no living relatives who could fill police in, either, they said.

“The main thing is that we know that Flora is safe,” said Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff.

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