MO MO - Phyllis Corbin, 16, St. Louis, 1 Nov 1963

[Coffee56]

MISSING
Missing Person / NamUs #MP50556Phyllis Marie Corbin, Female, White / Caucasian
Date of Last ContactNovember 1, 1963
Missing FromSt. Louis, Missouri

Case Information


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number1334372
Demographics
Missing Age16 Years
Current Age71 Years
First Name Phyllis
Middle NameMarie
Last NameCorbin
Nickname/Alias--

SexFemale
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian
Height5' 5" - 5' 8" (65 - 68 Inches)
Weight100 - 155 lbs
Circumstances
Date of Last ContactNovember 1, 1963
NamUs Case CreatedJune 11, 2018
Last Known Location Map
LocationSt. Louis, Missouri 63112
CountySt. Louis City
Circumstances of DisappearancePhyllis was placed at the House of Good Shepherd at 3800 Gravois Ave., St Louis, MO. While she was there in the fall, beginning of November of 1963, she met another young lady and they ran away together. She was given a ride to the bus station where reportedly they were heading to New Orleans. The home supposedly reported her missing but family hasn't been able to confirm. It was originally believed the other girl may have returned three weeks later but that too is not proven.
Physical Description
Hair ColorBrown
Head Hair DescriptionReddish/Brown; Shoulder Length; Wavy
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorBlue
Right Eye ColorBlue
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered
Additional Case Info

Transportation
No Information Entered
Transportation Notes
She was dropped off at the Greyhound bus station and reportedly headed to New Orleans.

Missing Person Case

Phyllis Marie Corbin – The Charley Project

Donna Corbin

 

[Richard]

Phyllis Corbin, DOB 9/6/1947 or 1948 went missing in the fall of 1963 from the St. Louis/Lemay area of #Missouri.

She would have been 15 or 16 when she ran away with another girl headed to New Orleans. 3 weeks later the other girl returned, but not Phyllis.

She was thin build, blue eyes, with reddish brown curly hair and wore glasses, stood about 5'6-5'8 and had ears that stood out more than others. ...

LINK:

Unidentified And Missing People


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...jih0-1HXIu1cFitmpr_YZMqmuuN-k0O&__tn__=EEHH-R

 

[Richard]

Phyllis Marie Corbin

• 
• 

Phyllis, circa 1963; Age-progression to age 71 (circa 2018)

• Missing Since 11/01/1963
• Missing From St. Louis, Missouri
• Classification Endangered Runaway
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 09/06/1947 (72)
• Age 16 years old
• Height and Weight 5'5 - 5'8, 100 - 155 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.

Details of Disappearance
Phyllis was last seen in St. Louis, Missouri on November 1, 1963. She was staying at the House of Good Shepherd, a shelter for juveniles in the 3800 block of Gravois Avenue. She ran away with another girl who lived in the home.

They got a ride to the Greyhound bus station and were reportedly heading to New Orleans, Louisiana. The other girl may have returned about three weeks later, but Phyllis has never been heard from again.

The staff at the home supposedly reported her missing, but Phyllis's family has not been able to confirm this. There has been no indication of her whereabouts since 1963 and her case remains unsolved.

Source:

Phyllis Marie Corbin – The Charley Project

 

[alb1on]

There is a picture in Ancestry from the 1963 yearbook of Roosevelt High School in St Louis. It has Phyllis Corbin shown (2nd from left on the bottom row of the top picture). It appears to be the same girl as in the above picture, but at the age when she disappeared and hence more useful. It also ties in with references I have seen elsewhere to the girls in the home attending Roosevelt. Unfortunately I am having a problem downloading the picture, but perhaps someone with access and better skills can do so. The picture can be found on Ancestry by a simple Ancestry search on Phyllis Corbin and her birth year of 1947. The picture also includes her classmates by name which would be a good start point for relatives and others searching.

 

[Laughing]

Good Shepherd was a convent -- was Phyllis under care of the Sisters, or supposed to become a Sister?

Convent of Good Shepherd closes in St Louis, Missouri, moves to Florissant. - Newspapers.com

Oooooh, I suppose the "guidance program for maladjusted teen-age girls" is involved here!

JMHO YMMV

 

[MadMcGoo]

Name: Phyllis Corbin
Estimated Age: Abt 16
Birth Year: abt 1947
Yearbook Date: 1963
School: Roosevelt High School
School Location: St Louis, Missouri, USA
Photo Description: Advisories

Source: Ancestry

 

[Melt71]

NCMEC poster Have you seen this child? PHYLLIS CORBIN

 

[Molly's Mom]

Her NAMUS profile shows that only 2 exclusions have been made. This case really upsets me. I'm sure no one looked or cared to look for her because she had behavior problems.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Today I saw a post by her relative on social media who's been trying to find out what happened to her for the past few years.

Her parents probably didn't know what else to do in the 1960's. I don't think law enforcement back then did much, if anything, about teenage runaways. (Speaking generally, not about her case in particular.)

I do think it's odd (sad) no one seems to know anymore what the girl she was traveling with who returned a few weeks later had to say.
Surely the home would have shared that information with her parents?

 

[agapoyesoun]

My heart goes out to family and friends of Phyllis. May she yet be brought home. x

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Anniversary of her disappearance today.

 

[azure]

I hope Phyllis lived or is living a happy life and simply never felt like contacting her family. The House of the Good Shepherd sounded like a nightmare, and I applaud her bravery in running away.

I'm also drawn to this case because I grew up a stone's throw from Lemay in St. Louis city.

 

[Richard]

Missing for 58 years...

Phyllis Corbin

Phyllis' photo is shown age-progressed to 71 years. She was last seen on November 1, 1963 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Phyllis may have traveled to the area of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Missing Since Nov 1, 1963
Missing From Saint Louis, MO
DOB Sep 6, 1947
Age Now 74
Sex Female
Race White
Hair Color Red
Eye Color Blue
Height 5'6"
Weight 110 lbs

LINK:
Have you seen this child? Phyllis Corbin

 

[onceuponadecember]

I contacted Phyllis's niece through email and she and I have been emailing this evening, so here's a summary of what I've been told so far:
Phyllis came from an impoverished household in St. Louis with six siblings; her father was a gambler and womanizer often away from home. On the other hand, her mother was a strong-willed woman who was the main disciplinarian of the family. Phyllis was the one who seemed to have been abused the most and she felt that running away was better than living in this home. The niece said that she was definitely at Good Shepherd until late August 1963. The exact DLC is unknown, but she said it must've been before her older sister was born on December 12, so between 20 August and 12 December.
Note to admins: I can send a copy of the email if needed to verify!

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Anniversary of disappearance.

 

[alb1on]

I assume she is the daughter of John Wesley Corbin and Helen Marie Corbin, both of whom are now dead although John only died in 2014. This is from a 1950 federal census record on Ancestry which also shows 3 siblings (I assume the other 3 were born subsequently as her mother was only 26 in 1950). There seems very little trace in records and the obituary of her brother John Wesley Jr at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theledger/name/john-corbin-obituary?id=24572236 mentions the other siblings from the 1950 census but not Phyllis. However, the obituary of her brother Michael at Michael Corbin Obituary from 2019 does list her as predeceasing him. It does seem as though her memory has been somewhat lost, although it is good to know some relatives remain interested. With both parents and all but one sibling now deceased perhaps this is one reason.

I had previously overlooked that the Good Shepherd Home was part of the worldwide Magdalene homes which were at the centre of the huge scandal surrounding the Irish Catholic church, which lasted into the 1990s and which effectively destroyed the influence of the Catholic Church in Ireland when the truth emerged. If the St Louis home was even slightly similar to those in Ireland it would have been entirely sensible to run away.

 

[Diane Redfern]

This is the only thing I could do with her photos. Sorry.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Phyllis Marie Corbin – The Charley Project

 

[Caring1]

3 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[Kaleyilene01]

Maybe NamUs #UP15034. Found in St Louis in 1968. Anyone know an email contact or how to submit possible match online aside from calling?