Husband of Catherine Clayburn of Harrison Twp. thanks community for support

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The husband of Catherine Clayburn, the Harrison Twp. resident who was listed as missing until her body was found Tuesday evening, is thanking the community for its help.

“When I think about it, it’s what moves me to tears,” Bob Clayburn told News Center 7’s Mike Campbell on Thursday. “It’s just the outpouring of support, both professional and private.”

>> Sheriff: Heavy storm debris made locating missing Harrison Twp. woman difficult

Catherine Clayburn, 71, was reported missing Memorial Day, just hours before an outbreak of tornadoes slammed the region.

Her body was found amid storm debris, in a creek near the Stillwater River. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is working to determine whether she died in the area where her remains were discovered or if the storms carried her body to the area. The coroner’s office also is working to determine what caused her death.

Bob Clayburn spoke about the challenges of Catherine’s dementia, how he searched for her in their Harrison Twp. neighborhood when he realized she had stepped out of their home and about their life together.

>> Woman missing just before storm may be county’s first tornado fatality

He said they had been married almost 50 years.

Montgomery County sheriff's deputies, sheriff’s detectives and the Ohio Division of EquuSearch had been searching for Clayburn with the help of the public.

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