June 9, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
Rebuilding was a great thing
The message sent a warning to the entire world that Barneveld was not giving up but rather going on. And since that terrible time of tragedy the community has done that.
It was 26 years ago Monday that the tornado destroyed 90% of the village when it struck after midnight when most people were in bed. Power was lost in an instant and then the buildings started to crash down around the people in them. It was over in minutes and took nine lives with it. It not only shattered structures...it shattered lives.
I, along with several of my friends, spent some time in Barneveld helping sort through the debris and help with the clean-up. It tore my heart to see people I have known as friends line up for shots to fight disease and infection, be thankful for something to eat and a warm place to sleep, all provided by volunteers. I knew while I witnessed that their lives were changed forever from that point on. Rebuilding took a great deal of time and there were undoubtedly many tears that went with it.
Anniversaries of the tornado have come and gone. No doubt many of us did not remember it was 25 years ago when it happened. But many of us did.
I am sure the entire community of Barneveld, their friends and relatives along with those who have lived there and have since moved away thought about it. A tragic event like that will never leave your memory.
Barneveld is to be commended for what they did to recover and rebuild. It is a wonderful, close knit community today and a pleasure to visit.
Nothing will take away the heartbreak of that tragic event but hopefully some of the pain has lessened for those who went through it.
Our thoughts were with you then and they are now. You did a great job recovering and rebuilding. Nothing will ever be more important than that.
