At a Glance
- Ernestine Merritt, 79, vanished from her Ellenwood home at 4:30 a.m. Jan. 4
- A Mattie’s Call emergency alert is active; she wore a black mink coat, red skirt, black shoes
- Greenforest Community Baptist Church members search daily: “We gonna keep on walking till we find her”
- Why it matters: A beloved retired teacher with dementia needs public tips to come home safely
A retired high-school English teacher disappeared before dawn Sunday, and now her Georgia church family refuses to stop looking.
The Disappearance
DeKalb County Police say Ernestine Merritt left her Yolanda Trail house at 4:30 a.m.-captured on a doorbell camera. She is 4’11”, 120 lbs., gray hair and was dressed for church despite the early hour.
Her cousin James Robinson believes confusion set in:
> “She thought she was going to church.”
Community Response
Greenforest Community Baptist Church immediately rallied. A Facebook post labeled her “Sister Ernie, an usher recently diagnosed with dementia.”
Daily search parties form at dawn:
- Members canvas neighborhoods on foot
- Flyers circulate across social media
- Church prayers request any sightings
Faye Coffield, a fellow member, vowed:
> “We might be old, and we might be walking with canes and sticks, but we gonna keep on walking till we find her.”
Appeal for Tips
As of Wednesday, Jan. 7, police report no new leads. Anyone spotting Merritt should call 911 immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Merritt has dementia and may appear disoriented
- Last seen in black mink coat, red skirt, black shoes
- Community-led searches continue daily
The church and police urge neighbors to check yards, sheds, and doorbell footage-every glance could bring Ernestine Merritt home.
