The Simpsons: 10 Springfield Characters You Totally Forgot Existed
8. Laura Powers
Throughout The Simpsons' run spanning over three decades, the landscape of Springfield hasn't always been perfectly consistent. While Ned Flanders has pretty much always been a neighbour of the family, Homer and co. haven't always been shown to live at 742 Evergreen Terrace, and they even had Reverend Lovejoy as a neighbour at one point.
In season four's 'New Kid on the Block', the Winfields, the Simpsons' neighbours at the time, decided to move away from Springfield, allowing Ruth Powers and her daughter Laura to move in next door. While Bart fell in love with the latter, her heart belonged to Jimbo. After Moe embarrassed the elementary school bully and made him cry, Laura wanted nothing to do with him, and was happy making prank phone calls with her new friend, Bart.
This however, was literally the last time she was ever heard from in Springfield again. She has rocked up in the background a couple of times, and was mentioned by her mother in 'Marge on the Lam', but hasn't had a speaking role since this episode back in 1992.
Ruth played a part in 'The Strong Arms of the Ma', and can be seen in the background of season 32's 'Podcast News', suggesting that she has lived in Springfield ever since 'New Kid on the Block', yet for some reason her daughter has simply faded away almost completely.