Twylia May disappeared from North Platte sometime in 1953.

Twylia's great-niece, Jennifer Kitt of North Platte, and Twylia's sister - and Kitt's grandmother - Mildred Garner of Wellfleet, read the articles "City works to discover Jane Doe's real identity" and "50 years later, she's still a mystery" in The Telegraph Dec. 25 and 26. The stories were about a young woman who had been murdered in 1954 in Boulder. When the City of Boulder never learned the young woman's identity, she was buried in a private grave marked "Jane Doe April 1954 age about 20."

After reading The Telegraph articles, Kitt and Garner began to wonder if Jane Doe and Twylia weren't one and the same.

Kitt contacted Silvia Pettem of Boulder, a historian who has been trying to learn Jane Doe's identity.

Kitt and her grandmother relate the story of Twylia May Embrey.

Twylia was born to Charles and Iva "Addie" Embrey in 1934, the second to the last of eight children. They lived on a farm near Maywood.

Garner said, "When she was in her senior year of high school my dad and her never got along. One day the car broke down. Tempers rose and Dad whipped her in the face with his gloves.

"She told them 'When I'm out of high school you'll never see me again.'"

After that incident, Twylia moved to Maywood to live with one of her sisters.
The day after she graduated from Maywood High School in 1952, Twylia moved to North Platte.

The family knows she had a job at the Little Lemon Café, which was near the old Depot.

Sometime in 1953, Charles Garner stopped at the Little Lemon Café for lunch and to see his daughter. When he asked for her the proprietors said she hadn't worked there for some time.

The rumor that Twylia had hopped a train to California made its way to the family. They believed she had run away as she threatened to do so many times.

Garner said, "You have to understand, we weren't able to keep touch with people as well as we do now. We didn't have a phone for many years. Gas was expensive and we didn't visit family but maybe once or twice a year."

Garner, being the oldest in the family, had married and moved away from the family farm by the time Twylia was 8.

The family never filed a missing persons report with law enforcement.

"We all thought 'She's run away, she won't be gone long,'" Garner said.

But after 51 years, not one member of the family has heard from Twylia.
Over the years the family made attempts to search for their lost sister, daughter and aunt.

When the youngest sibling moved away from the family farm, Charles and Addie Embrey began to search for their lost daughter.

"Dad bought an old rickety car that he fixed so they could sleep in the back," Garner said. "They traveled all over the country. They went to California many times. Dad just knew he would find her.

"He would go to ball games in towns and look at the faces in the audience. She liked sports. But after so many years she was bound to have changed."

Charles and Addie searched for many years until their deaths.

"I think Dad always felt guilty," Garner said, after a short pause. "Mom took it the hardest."

Garner said they had one man who swore he could find Twylia. He searched records and looked everywhere for her but came up empty.

Garner tried to locate her sister through her social security number. Garner sent a letter to Social Security. They said if they found some activity on the number they would send Garner's letter on to that address. After a few months Garner received a letter back that there was no activity on the number.

Now Kitt has taken up the hunt.

Kitt checked the social security number but there has been no activity with the number since Twylia disappeared in 1953.

Kitt talked to all of the family members who are still alive, jogging their memories for any clues that might point out where Twylia may have gone.

Kitt said the family remembers Twylia being a tomboy who was a real "spitfire".
"She loved horses," Kitt said. "They (the family) all say she was always with the horses. Twylia was an artist who drew pictures of family members."

Kitt checked college records for her great-aunt's name and hospital records from all over the country.

Kitt said, "Nobody in the family even knows for sure that she hopped a train to California. She could have been taken or gone to another destination. They don't even know the exact day she disappeared."

Garner threw up her hands and said, "We've all given up."

Kitt cut in, "No we haven't."

When Kitt read the articles about Jane Doe she thought the time period was right and the description was similar.

"I hope it isn't her. I would hate to think she died a violent death," Kitt said. "But if it is her, then we will finally know what happened to Twylia."

Kitt and Garner hope someone will read this story about Twylia and contact them with any information.

"We just hope someone will read this and we get some sort of response," Kitt said.
Kitt said there is a real possibility that the Boulder Police will be comparing Jane Doe's DNA with one of Twylia's family members.

Kitt and Garner acknowledge there is also the possibility that Twylia is still alive but doesn't want to be found.

Garner said, "Maybe she just doesn't want to come home. If she wants to contact me I live right where I used to when she was living here."

Anyone with information about Twylia May Embrey can contact Jennifer Kitt. Her address is 106 N. Elm, North Platte, NE 69101, phone number is 534-7198 and her e-mail address is kjckitt@hotmail.com.