SC SC - Mary Elizabeth McMaster, 31, Winnsboro, 2 May 1983

[S.L. Ernandez]

I have pretty much hit a brick wall in my search for info. The Deborah I found is spelled as Debra Ann Ernandez in her father's obituary and Deborah Anne Ernandez in her mother's obituary. There is no date of death for her and no death record that I could find, which leads me to believe we have the right one. I also did not find a birth record for her but public address records indicate that that Deborah was born in 1961. I think she would have gone to high school in Chester, SC. Maybe that info will help find her yearbook photo. MOO.

 

[Gardener1850]

Deborah Ernandez was my first cousin. She graduated from Lewisville High in Richburg SC in 1979.

Welcome to Websleuths @S.L. Ernandez . I'm sorry your cousin is missing. Thank you for her high school info as that may help us find a photo of her. Is there anything else that you can tell us about the circumstances of Deborah and Mayte's disappearance?

 

[Marsha McNinch]

Deborah disappeared on Mother's Day 1983.

 

[S.L. Ernandez]

I have pretty much hit a brick wall in my search for info. The Deborah I found is spelled as Debra Ann Ernandez in her father's obituary and Deborah Anne Ernandez in her mother's obituary. There is no date of death for her and no death record that I could find, which leads me to believe we have the right one. I also did not find a birth record for her but public address records indicate that that Deborah was born in 1961. I think she would have gone to high school in Chester, SC. Maybe that info will help find her yearbook photo. MOO.

Welcome to Websleuths @S.L. Ernandez . I'm sorry your cousin is missing. Thank you for her high school info as that may help us find a photo of her. Is there anything else that you can tell us about the circumstances of Deborah and Mayte's disappearance?

Welcome to Websleuths @S.L. Ernandez . I'm sorry your cousin is missing. Thank you for her high school info as that may help us find a photo of her. Is there anything else that you can tell us about the circumstances of Deborah and Mayte's disappearance?

The last time I saw Deborah was at our paternal grandparents funeral in February of 83. I remember attending the visitation at the funeral home with her the night before the funeral. She asked one of the employees if working with dead bodies scared him. He replied that dead people can`t harm you, only the living can do that. How true that proved to be. She was a gorgeous person with blonde (almost white hair) and blue eyes. I'd love to find out what happened to her. There have been many rumors but no one knows.

 

[Luckyzmom]

Welcome to WS SLErnandez and Marsha McNinsh, can you share circumstances of their vanishing and anything else you think could be relavent. Thanks in advance glad you are joining us. Hopefully family and friends can get some answers MOO

 

[MadMcGoo]

Yes!! Thank you both @S.L. Ernandez and @Marsha McNinch ! And welcome!

Any information you can offer in terms of the ladies’ disappearance will be in good hands here. As you may have seen, we have tried finding additional information about both girls. Photos, for example. We found several of Mayte, but we were not able to locate anything about Deborah being missing. Without a report, we wouldn’t be able to post anything if we did find it. Do either of you know if Deborah was reported missing? And if so, why there’s no report for her like there is for Mayte? And forgive me if there is one somewhere and I’ve simply overlooked it.

I’m very sorry about Deborah, and like the others here on this forum, will help anyway that I’m able.

 

[Marsha McNinch]

Yes a report was made in Chester County. I'm not sure when. But she was reported missing by her parents and sisters to the sheriff's dept.

 

[S.L. Ernandez]

One of the main rumors concerning Deborah's disappearance was drug involvement. That she possibly had information that the wrong person(s) didnt want found out. How true this is, I don't know

 

[TigerAma#1]

This Deborah's Senior Picture (Lewisville High School 1978-79).

 

[TigerAma#1]

I found those other photos (great resource BTW)...the 1956 photos are of her mother, Jane Brooks McMaster (1908-1998) - Find A Grave... , I found her by using the names in the wedding announcement you posted. I haven’t looked through the entire books but maybe both sisters are listed? There was 2 years age difference between Matye and Jane/Jan. I did see a few other McMasters so I’m guessing that’s probably it. IMO

Ernandez is an unusual name and I’m thinking, like you said, given their age I’d guess Deborah may have been from somewhere else. It’d be helpful to have even a description of her. I wonder why only Mayte was entered into NamUs and not Deborah? It’s strange that she’s mentioned in the notes but there’s no report for her... JMO

Ernandez is a very common surname in Chester County, SC. Ernandez is her maiden name and she wasn't married.

 

[Kristinadean57]

There is an index listing all of Mayte's 1968 classmates and her 1969 classmates:
Winnsboro High School 1968
Winnsboro High School 1969

There's no Deborah Ernandez, Hernandez or Fernandez, although there are a few Deborah's, Debbys, etc. Perhaps her friend Deborah was married and had a different maiden name? Or maybe she was not a classmate of Maytes, since they disappeared when Mayte was 31 years old.

MOO.

My Momma went to school with Mayte and says, she was the toast of the town and very popular in school. Her Momma and Aunt were teachers at Everett Elementary (She says, "It was green", lol... when referring to the school...she said mayte's aunt was super nice. But, her mom not so much! I've heard about this case many times, and I think what is most interesting to me is that people said her Momma never spoke about Matte after the disappearance. I just showed her a picture of Deborah and she says she's seen her, possibly knew her. She's trying to remember the details. I know Mayte's disappearance has bothered her for many many years...

 

[MadMcGoo]

This Doe reminds me of Deborah. The teeth and nose especially. I think she might be a little to young though. I wasn’t sure where to post this since Deborah doesn’t have a thread or even a MP report that we know of.

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1262

 

[Bit of hope]

Hi everyone,
Some things I noticed.

Mayte went missing on May 2, 1983. Deborah went missing on Mother's day of the same year, according to @Marsha McNinch. Because it's such a typical day you would remember right. The thing is Mother's day in 1983 was on May 8. Are we sure they went missing together?

 

[MadMcGoo]

Hi everyone,
Some things I noticed.

Mayte went missing on May 2, 1983. Deborah went missing on Mother's day of the same year, according to @Marsha McNinch. Because it's such a typical day you would remember right. The thing is Mother's day in 1983 was on May 8. Are we sure they went missing together?

Good observation!

 

[meli1951]

I'm not sure what this is but there is another picture of Mayte McMaster here: http://www.fairfieldgenealogysociety.org/Yearbooks/MountZion/1956/MountZion-1956-0087.pdf

However, the date says 1956 which is confusing me-- possibly wrong date in the heading or another Mayte McMasters in Winnsboro, SC?

Some history on Mount Zion Institute: Mt. Zion Institute - SC Picture Projectbeleive

ETA: I found the entire yearbook scan for the above page. I think the 1956 one is not her-- it might be her Aunt? Mayte McMaster is mentioned (Pg 90, 91,) and there's no doubting it's from 1956, when the missing Mayte would have been around 4 years old: http://fairfieldgenealogysociety.org/Yearbooks/MountZion/1956/MountZion-1956-Yearbook.pdf

ETA 2: Even though I don't think the above yearbook is for the missing woman I'm going to leave this info here and I hope that's within the TOS here. It's important to know that there is more than one "Mayte McMaster" when searching for info on the missing woman. MOO.

Mayte took Home Ec in 1969 and learned to sew her own clothes: http://fairfieldgenealogysociety.org/Yearbooks/WinnsboroHigh/1969/WinnsboroHigh-1969-0031.pdf

View attachment 220084

Mayte's mom taught Home Ec.

 

[meli1951]

Hi everyone,
Some things I noticed.

Mayte went missing on May 2, 1983. Deborah went missing on Mother's day of the same year, according to @Marsha McNinch. Because it's such a typical day you would remember right. The thing is Mother's day in 1983 was on May 8. Are we sure they went missing together?

I wonder why she wasn't reported missing until 12-31-83.

 

[Bit of hope]

I found this...(the only Deborah A. Ernandez listed, born between 1960 - 1962) and don't know what to make/think of it. I wonder what her DOB was.

FamilySearch

Deborah A Ernandez
United States Public Records, 1970-2009

Name: Deborah A Ernandez
Event Type: Residence
Event Date: 1 Jan 1998
Event Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
Event Place (Original): Chester, South Carolina, United States
Previous Residence: Chester, SC
Previous Residence Postal Code: 29706
Birth Date: 14 Sep 1961
Second Previous Residence Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
Third Previous Residence Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
2nd Address Date: 1 Jun 1996
3rd Address Date: 1 Jan 1995

 

[TigerAma#1]

I found this...(the only Deborah A. Ernandez listed, born between 1960 - 1962) and don't know what to make/think of it. I wonder what her DOB was.

FamilySearch

Deborah A Ernandez
United States Public Records, 1970-2009

Name: Deborah A Ernandez
Event Type: Residence
Event Date: 1 Jan 1998
Event Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
Event Place (Original): Chester, South Carolina, United States
Previous Residence: Chester, SC
Previous Residence Postal Code: 29706
Birth Date: 14 Sep 1961
Second Previous Residence Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
Third Previous Residence Place: Chester, South Carolina, United States
2nd Address Date: 1 Jun 1996
3rd Address Date: 1 Jan 1995

This is her correct date of birth,

 

[TigerAma#1]

This Doe reminds me of Deborah. The teeth and nose especially. I think she might be a little to young though. I wasn’t sure where to post this since Deborah doesn’t have a thread or even a MP report that we know of.

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1262

The age would have been correct. She would have been 22 which is only a couple of years off. She was very petite.

 

[Bit of hope]

Ernandez is a very common surname in Chester County, SC. Ernandez is her maiden name and she wasn't married.

Did Deborah had a child/children? https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1262 Jane Doe is thought to have given birth to at least one child. And did she had a space between her front tooth?