Ornaments help bring love, hope

Marianne Asher-Chapman, executive director of Missouri Missing, decorates her Missouri Missing Christmas Tree of Love and Hope on Thursday at her home. The tree honors missing and deceased loved ones, through ornaments that contain names of missing persons that hang from the branches.
Marianne Asher-Chapman, executive director of Missouri Missing, decorates her Missouri Missing Christmas Tree of Love and Hope on Thursday at her home. The tree honors missing and deceased loved ones, through ornaments that contain names of missing persons that hang from the branches.

Timmy Porter, Christina Whittaker, Patsy Clark - Marianne Asher-Chapman knows them all - every missing person represented by an ornament on her Christmas tree.

Some of them have died, while others are still missing. However, Asher-Chapman keeps their names on her holiday evergreen, Missouri Missing's Christmas Tree of Love and Hope, to keep their memory alive and the faith that someday they will come home, one way or another.

Asher-Chapman is the founder and executive director of Missouri Missing. The missing persons advocacy group has worked since 2007 to help families in their searches and memorialize those who were never able to return to loved ones.

"This is supposed to be a joyous time of year," she said. "But for many families, it's not that joyous. It's hard. When you have your table set up, and there's that empty chair, it's not that joyous. We want our people recognized and not forgotten."

Her daughter, Angie Yarnell, disappeared in 2003; and Asher-Chapman taught herself how to make flyers, rent billboards and other ways to spread the word about the case. Although Yarnell never came home, Asher-Chapman takes solace in advocating for other missing people and building a community among the families.

Missouri Missing's Christmas Tree of Love and Hope is a way to build solidarity among this scattered but passionate fellowship.

The project began with just 40 ornaments but has grown over the years to include more than 160 names, written on Christmas cookie-style salt dough ornaments. The organization is accepting applications for new names to add to the tree until 10 a.m. Saturday.

"I take lots of pictures and tag their family," she said. "Many people will take that and make it their profile picture (on social media)."

As Asher-Chapman goes around the tree, she can tell many stories of what families have gone through, from the oldest to the newest.

Elizabeth Gill, 3, disappeared from her Cape Girardeau lawn in 1965. Asher-Chapman said she would be middle-aged by now, but she still holds out hope that one day she will be identified.

Mikayla Norris is the most recent addition to the tree. She was last seen Sunday leaving her job at a Kansas City barbecue joint. Her remains were found Tuesday. She would have turned 19 years old today.

"I made this for her," Asher-Chapman said, motioning to a glittery snowflake ornament. Shortly after the picture was posted on social media, her father, Mike Norris replied, "Well friends and family, I can't even begin to thank ALL OF YOU out there pulling and praying for the safe return of our baby girl. All the messages, calls, social media posts, shares, news reports and physical searches have been so appreciated and we are thankful for your love and attention."

Asher-Chapman said she would like to expand the project and take the Christmas Tree of Love and Hope to the state Capitol, if she were allowed to put it on display.