77-year-old mother of former ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star missing since March 23

Thelma Ferguson

Credit: Sandy Springs Police Department

Credit: Sandy Springs Police Department

Thelma Ferguson

Sandy Springs police are searching for the 77-year-old mother of a former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member who hasn’t been seen in more than two weeks.

According to police, Thelma Ferguson was last seen by her family March 23 after leaving her Sandy Springs home to go to the bank.

She is the mother of original “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Sheree Whitfield, who was married to former Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Bob Whitfield.

Sheree Whitfield was part of Bravo’s hit reality show for six of its 12 seasons, most recently Season 10. Her mother would show up on the show occasionally as a guest.

In 2017, Whitfield hosted a birthday party for her mother that was featured on the show. She told Bravotv.com at the time: "My mom definitely enjoyed her birthday. I think she was overwhelmed with such happy emotions. My mom is my hero; she always worked so hard to provide for me and our family. It felt good to be able to do this for her and make this milestone birthday so special for her. She had a smile on her face the entire night!"

Ferguson was last seen wearing gray pants and a black shirt and driving a gray 2009 Honda Accord with Georgia tag RMZ5773, police said. She has ties to people living in Ohio and California.

According to her family, the 77-year-old has no known medical issues, Sandy Springs police Sgt. Salvador Ortega said Wednesday.

Her daughter has 940,000 followers on Instagram and has posted several photos and videos in recent days. None of the posts mentioned her missing mother until Wednesday evening, when Whitfield asked her fans to keep her mother and family in their prayers.

“I was hesitant to post my concerns for my mother's safe return because, although I have been in close contact with the police for the past two weeks, I'm also pretty private when it comes to my family,” she wrote. “Also, in the past, my mom has taken personal vacations without letting the family know and we respect that side of her. However, this is the longest she have gone without reaching out to anyone from the family or her friends. Right now we are leaning on God and staying positive and prayerful for her safe return home.”

Whitfield did not return calls requesting comment Wednesday afternoon.

Anyone who sees Ferguson or knows her whereabouts is asked to call Sandy Springs police at 770-551-6923 or email the detective handling the missing persons case at rgehricke@sandyspringsga.gov.

— Staff writer Rodney Ho contributed to this article.

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