78-year-old woman with dementia missing for 1 week from Country Club Hills area; search underway

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. (WLS) -- The search continues for a missing woman in the south suburbs.

The 78-year-old was last seen a week ago.

She was last seen at 1 p.m. last Wednesday at 187th Street and Cedar Avenue in Country Club Hills.

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The cold weather is only adding to the concern for Yolanda Howell's whereabouts. The search for her intensified Wednesday.

"It's hard to continue to have hope considering that it's been so cold. I know she doesn't have on a coat or anything," daughter Claudette Edwards said.

Edwards said that this is not the first time relatives have wondered about Howell's whereabouts. They say she lives with her husband who is also showing signs of dementia.

"My stepfather would go to sleep and she would then leave the house and the police would bring her back," the worried daughter said Wednesday.

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Illinois State Police issued an Endangered Missing Person Advisory for Howell one week ago.

Police said she has dementia.

Lorenzo Longoria said Team Canine NWI located the body of his son, who went missing several years ago.

"This becomes personal when a loved one goes missing. We do our due diligence to bring closure to families," Longoria said.

Another team of volunteers will return on horseback to the forest preserve on Flossmoor Road near Cicero on Thursday to resume the search for Howell.

Authorities say she's 5-feet, 7-inches tall, weighs 130 pounds and was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and blue gym shoes. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

The Country Club Hills Police Department has also created a volunteer page for anyone interested in signing up to help search for Howell due to overwhelming support from those wanting to assist in trying to find her.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call Country Club Hills police at 708-798-3191, or call 911.