Arthur Lloyd

A woman searches for the brother her father put up for adoption.

A small boy with blonde hair is standing wearing a jumpsuit.

Arthur Lloyd

A young woman with her hair up in braids.

Peggie Lloyd

CASE DETAILS

A smiling soldier in uniform, his curl hair tucked into his hat.

Lee “Curly” Lloyd

Twenty-eight year-old Lee “Curly” Lloyd served his country as a member of the Army during World War II. He managed to survive, but his marriage did not. While Curly was away on duty, his wife filed for divorce and placed their son and two daughters in a boarding home for children in Oroville, California.

One day in 1944, Curly’s wife arrived at the boarding house with the man she would marry when her divorce was final. She said she had returned to take the girls. Peggie Lloyd and her sister went to live with their mother and the man who was to become their stepfather. Peggie’s brother, Arthur, was left behind.

Peggie grew up being told that her father had deserted the family. When she asked about her brother, she was ignored. Peggie began to wonder if Arthur had ever even existed. Peggie says she learned otherwise one summer day in 1948:

“I climbed up into the attic and crawled along kind of looking at things, and in the back was a bunch of boxes. So I was playing in this particular group of boxes and I found this picture. When I looked at the picture, I knew that it was Arthur. I couldn’t say that it was a memory. It was a feeling, it was like, he looked like me, he was the right age. I knew that it was Arthur.”

A woman holding a photo of her brother over other old family photos.

Peggie found a picture of her brother

Peggie showed the photo of Arthur to her mother, but wasn’t surprised by her reaction:

“She took the picture from me and I never saw the picture again and I still never got an answer. But of course, in mind I just knew. And so I guess that I just grew up believing that wherever my father was, Arthur was.”

It wasn’t until Peggie Reyna was an adult herself that she raised the subject again with her mother. Peggie says that in 1983, she gave her mother a genealogical chart as way to start a conversation about Arthur and Curly:

“I was an adult now and she didn’t have to be so afraid of what I did and, perhaps she would give me the information and she might feel like enough time had passed that she could do that.”

In the end, Peggie’s mother told her that Curly’s birthplace was Lindsey, Oklahoma.

“The next day I called there on the phone, and I put an ad in their local weekly newspaper asking if anybody knew his whereabouts, or Arthur’s. It was from there that things began to happen.”

A clown in white makeup, a red flannel suit and a bowtow that says 'Curly'

Peggie learned her father was in the circus

Just nine days after placing the ad, Peggie was bringing in a stack of mail when a letter caught her eye:

“And there I saw this one that said ‘Curly ‘n Cue. Clown Alley, Spokane.’ When I saw that the letter was from my dad, I felt like my heart stopped. And I opened the letter, and the letter said ‘My beloved daughter! How thrilled I am to hear from you!’ It was like, it’s indescribable.”

Peggie was surprised to learn that her father, Curly, had been a professional clown with Ringling Brothers and other circuses. In 1955, he had even performed within five miles of Peggie’s home in Southern California. On Peggie’s 43rd birthday, she was able to celebrate with her father for the first time since she was three years old:

“Suddenly, I had a grandfather, and aunts, and uncles, and cousins, and just this whole world of family, and they just all acted like I’d been there my whole life, like they’d always been my family. And it’s just a wonderful thing.”

The only sad note to the reunion was that Peggie’s brother, Arthur, was not with the family. Curly told her that for four years, Arthur had traveled with the circus watching him perform in towns and cities across America. Curly had no idea where his ex-wife and his two daughters were living. Curly had joined the circus when he was just nine and believed the traveling life would be good for his young son. According to Peggie, not everyone agreed:

“The circus people told him that Arthur needed to be in school. Arthur needed a home, stability, and that the circus life wasn’t a good home for him.”

In the fall of 1948, when Arthur was just six years-old, Curley left him in the care of a Catholic organization in Logan, Utah. Fifteen years later, Curly received two letters from his son, but Arthur didn’t include his adopted last name or his return address. The letters were mailed from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Peggie now had a new place to look:

“I tried Colorado Springs, but I didn’t find anything there. I seemed to be at a loss. I have to find Arthur. I have to find him to say, ‘You have a family, not just myself, but all of Curly’s family, who love you and want you and want to know you.’”

Photographs of Arthur Franklin Lloyd show that he has blonde hair and blue eyes. His birth date is April 21, 1943.

Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season five with Robert Stack and in season six with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.

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43 Comments

  1. Ben

    I would never forgive my mother for something like that. She abandoned her own son and pretended he didn’t exist. I hope they find him but he might be dead by now.

    Reply

    • Kevin smith

      Yea unfortunately he’s either passed away or has a completely different name and identity probably having no idea they were looking for him hell who’s to say he’s even still living in the United States

      Reply

  2. Julie Patrick

    Peggy, I hope you find your brother. What your mother did was mean and horrible. I hope you, your sister and Arthur are reunited. Your story brought tears to my eyes. God bless you and your family.

    Reply

  3. GG Garrett

    I knew a guitar player in Springfield Missouri named Curly Lloyd. I played music with him. He passed around 1980’s. Don’t know if there’s any connection.

    Reply

  4. Anonymous

    Peggie Reyna is very active. She is currently advocating for domestic violence and a recent video of her is on YouTube from 2020. I wonder if she ever found out the whereabouts of her brother? Personally, it would’ve been hard for me to forgive my mother. It makes no sense that she was in a foster home as a teenager and that her younger brother was abandoned. And who is the middle sister? So many unanswered questions.

    Reply

    • CHARLES EDWARDS

      CURLEY WAS MARRIED TO MY MOTHER JEWEL AND MY DTEPFATHER. I HOPE PEGGY IS WELL AND LOVE TKO HEAR FROME HER CHARLES E EDWARDS ON F.B.

      Reply

      • Julie Patrick

        Charles Edward’s, now if we can help Peggy and Arthur reunite. Julie Patrick You were blessed to have a great stepfather. Your friend, Julie Patrick

        Reply

    • Phaedra Swearengin

      I think I found him.

      Reply

    • Julie Patrick

      I hope she finds her brother and her mother rots in hell for what she did to Arthur.

      Reply

    • Julie Patrick

      I hope she finds her long lost brother. I know the father thought he was doing the right thing. I am going to pray to God and Jesus that she and Arthur can reunite and he gets to know his father’s family. I hope they both accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior. I hope the other sister is OK and accepts Jesus Christ as her personal savior as well. I wish I could do something to help these beautiful people. I am crying as I right this. A friend to these people, Julie Patrick

      Reply

  5. Lorraine

    Peggy mother was wrong not to tell her daughters about their brother did Peggy never find her brother

    Reply

  6. Pk

    Peggy should try AncestryDNA! It’s possible Arthur has done the same thing.

    Reply

  7. Jen

    To the person commenting as Carl, any info you have, put it together and email the site via the page marked TIPS. time is running out

    Reply

  8. Carl

    My research indicates that his birth may be wrong. Jr. Lee Lloyd married to Georgia Abbott in 1939. An Arthur Franklin Lloyd was born in 9 May 1943 in Butte County, CA whos mom was an Abbott. Also they put the children in a boarding home in Oroville, Ca which is in Butte County, CA as well. The paper trail stops for this Arthur Franklin Lloyd after being born. Which makes sense if he was adopted. I doubt that they would change his first name upon being adopted since his name was well established at the time of his adoption. I have narrowed it down to about 20 people. I have an idea of what his name might be, but it is only a hunch.

    Reply

  9. Anonymous

    Arthur Lloyd is 72 years old, now. Does anybody know anyone by that name?

    Reply

    • Holly godard

      I’m curious if your dad, Curly is still living. My great Aunt, Dixie (Helen) Whitaker, was in Barnum and Baileys circus as a horse and elephant rider back in the 40’s

      Reply

      • Vintage Rose

        Sadly, the “Unsolved Mysteries” segment said “Curly” died in 1991, without ever finding Arthur, yet.

        Reply

  10. Anonymous

    BORN: April 21, 1943 – DIED: October 24, 2004 .. Lived for about 61.6 Years .. 75.3 years is the average lifespan for those with the last name Rylander

    Reply

  11. Anonymous

    Also, some of the dates may be inaccurate, try applying for the original birth certificate. Just doing a quick search I think the birthdate they have might be wrong. Good luck with your search.

    Reply

  12. Anonymous

    Did they ever find Arthur?

    Reply

  13. Jimbo

    I think Peggie should sign up for Long Lost Family. Now, it’s been renewed for a second season.

    Reply

  14. Susan

    Seeing Utah makes me wonder if Arthur was actually placed in the care of a mormon agency instead of catholic. Utah is the most part Latter Day Saints. Good luck!

    Reply

  15. Eric W Bohannon

    Peggie Lloyd and her sister went to live with their mother and the man who was to become their stepfather. Peggie’s brother, Arthur, was left behind. Your Son is a 2 star General, Marine, You 3 might have curly hair, Happy for You, hope this helps. Your Brother is at the Base in HI.

    Reply

  16. Mimi

    Dear Peggie I hope you find your Brother Arthur ;-((((. I know how it is loseing someone you can’t find;-((((. I lost my Cat Nellie Calico at a camping ground didnt find her I was soo dissaponted ??? Any way I hope you find him very soon. Arthur your Sister is looking for you.

    Reply

  17. Googler

    Can he be googled?

    Reply

  18. Keshan

    I hope Peggy be reunited with her brother soon.

    Reply

  19. Lyn

    Have you tried the show The Locator this guy has connections to Utah and has done some great work in reconnecting families. Good Luck!

    Reply

  20. Jackie UK

    This story really touched my heart. I really hope You find your Brother Peggy.

    Reply

  21. Pamela Ann Holmberg

    I would suggest utilizing DNA. I’ve had great success reuniting families this way, also try petitioning the adoption service; sometimes they will offer mediation services even if they won’t give information.

    Reply

  22. RAECH_86

    I tried to email but i cant find it but i think i have some info. Lloyd Arthur Remus. Could be his new last name. I did the math, since he was born in 1943 hes now 72 and thats how old This arthur is also. His other relative is jean jenkins also from Colorado springs. His other addresses are payton Colorado, Lincoln NE,
    Maywood NL. Probably past areas where he’s lived. I hope i helped. Thats ALL i know.

    Reply

  23. misty

    Ii hi hope she finds her brother.this story was very touching my birthday is April 21 maybe she should go to the church and see if they can help her

    Reply

  24. Me

    This story just brought tears to my eyes. I hope Peggie finds her brother. God bless.

    Reply

  25. Sydney

    USU has a Catholic Newman center. Utah State University is in Logan. Perhaps Peggie should travel there and try to find records from 1948. Has she already gone to search for this organization?

    Reply

  26. teresa torres

    I am don’t you but I like helping people look for there lost love is part of my good heart seen.i already found my now. I want them to find there love and have that special hugs like I had my.the end.

    Reply

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