Missing Woman's family offers reward

The Clarion-Ledger ^

[JMJ333]

A $5,000 reward is being offered by the family of a missing Clarksdale woman whose abandoned car was left on a logging road 8 miles outside of Yazoo City, authorities said.

After canvassing the area with K-9 dogs, authorities called off the search for 83-year-old Nell Califf, the head of Clarksdale's tourism board, after the dogs lost her scent, said her daughter June Hornsby.

[JMJ333]

Memory problems are an understatement. Nell suffers from Dimentia. She is the mother of my next door neighbor. Any prayers would be appreciated. Thanks.

[JMJ333]

Your prayers would be appreciated.

[Cultural Jihad]

From the net:

Creativity -- Nell Califf of Clarksdale, in 1987, took stock of her contributions to her community and found herself lacking. "I had been a sheep, grazing contentedly, head down and straight ahead, concerned for myself and mine," she says. So at the age of 68, the beauty salon owner decided to commit her creative energies to doing all she could for Clarksdale and Coahoma County.

Since then, she has lent her talent and enthusiasm to a variety of projects to enhance her hometown. But she's proudest of spearheading a drive to create a tax to fund tourism efforts in Coahoma County. Since it passed, the tax has helped build an exposition center and to renovate the abandoned Clarksdale Depot into Clarksdale Station, a soon-to-be bustling mall.

"Life is better the more active you are," says Nell. "Since I made my commitment to give something back to my community through volunteerism, life has treated me well." She was named a Mississippi Ageless Hero at the age of 80.

---

Source: http://www.bcbsms.com/2000_north.asp

[JMJ333]

Thank you. She also runs a hair salon in clarksdale and everyone really liked her. Her family is panic stricken. They have organized 3 different search parties and have searched the entire length of Yazoo city. She isn't there. I think she got lost and ran out of gas, then perhaps took a ride from a stranger. We are scared because any decent stranger would have notified the authorites by now. Please pray for her. She was a loving and gentle woman.

[NautiNurse]

Prayers offered asking God to grant strength and courage to Nell's family, friends, and neighbors during this difficult time.

[Cultural Jihad]

Yazoo City 05/29/02
Missing Woman's Car Found in Yazoo County

By Roslyn Anderson
roslyn@wlbt.net

An all-out ground and air search began in Yazoo county Wednesday to locate the president of the Clarksdale Tourism Commission. 

Nell Califf, 82, has been missing since Saturday.  Her disappearance is disturbing to family members who say she was en route to a funeral and never showed up.

Clarksdale assistant police chief Tom Fortenberry traveled three counties south to help locate Califf. 

"Right now we're just trying to see if the dogs can locate her before we have to do a full-scale search," he told WLBT Wednesday. 

Califf's car was found on rural Graball-Freerun Road in Yazoo county. Authorities say she had left Clarksdale Saturday morning to attend her sister's funeral in Tylertown. Family members say she was seen in Walthall county Sunday, but never attended the funeral service.

"This morning I got a call from a lady here in the Yazoo City area that saw her Monday night," Fortenberry said. "She had run her car off into a ditch. They helped her get out and she was acting confused."

Tammie Bright of Carson Road in Yazoo City identified a white 1995 Buick Lesabre as the car that Califf drove across her yard Monday evening around 6:00. Bright says she gave the Clarksdale resident directions back to Highway 49, but she still didn't go the right way.

The car was found locked parked on a rural county road 12 miles outside of Yazoo City.  It is located more than an hour's drive from her home in Clarksdale."

"It didn't look like anyone had taken her," said Yazoo County Sheriff James T. Willaims. "It's a lot of elements out here that a lady that age doesn't need to be out here in at this time by herself."

Nell Califf is five feet nine inches tall and weighs about 182 pounds. She has blond hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a blue and white shirt and light-colored pants. She was carrying a brown purse.

The woods near where her car was found are being searched by trackers with dogs. Two days of rains are hampering efforts, but law officers say they are in for the long haul.

"If she's here,we'll find her, and we'll be here for a while," Sheriff Williams told WLBT. 

They were still searching Thursday morning.

Source: http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?s=800906

[JMJ333]

Duh. I see your post includes the thingy about the salon. I am just a bit worried. My apologies.

[EODGUY]

She will added to my prayer list. I fear that the time that has elapsed since her disappearance is discouraging, but anything is possible through prayer.

God Bless,

EODGUY

[JMJ333]

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[Cultural Jihad]

What a beautiful profile page you have assembled.

[JMJ333]

Thanks. I will be saying a rosary for her at 8:00 if anyone wants to join me.

[hergus]

My heartfelt prayers for her swift recovery. I lost my mom to Alz. after taking care of her for 5 years at home. She wandered away too at times. It is an awful thing to go through for all invloved.

Please keep me posted.

[JMJ333]

Thanks. You also. I like your archived one as well.

[JMJ333]

I will. Thanks for your prayers.

[Siobhan]

I will pray, and I will get my father to pray for Nell. What a wonderful woman. We'll also pray for the family.

May the Divine Child escort her to safety back in the arms of her family.

Prayer Request Ping

[JMJ333]

Thanks very much.

[Siouxz]

If this woman is running her car into ditches and suffering from dementia, WHY was she driving at all???? I feel very sorry for her family to be going through this, but this woman had no business whatsoever on the road. She's lucky she didn't kill somebody while in a "disoriented" state.

Her kids should have taken her car keys away when her mental status began to change. Had they done that, they would know where their mother is today.

[JMJ333]

I agree, but I have no intention of throwing that in the face of my neighbors. Its easy to say "shouda coulda woulda" but Nell was a strong willed individual and did her own thing regardless of the dimentia.

[constitutiongirl]

Prayers from my house as well.

[JMJ333]

Many thanks!