Parkersburg residents rebuilding lives after tornado
Most people building little bigger homes
By Kristin Buehner, Lee News Service | Posted: Friday, November 28, 2008
Almost six months after a deadly tornado destroyed nearly a third of Parkersburg, residents are busy rebuilding. There s a new gas station, the high school has walls and many residents have new homes. But the work is far from finished. (Photo by Teresa Prince/Globe Gazette)
PARKERSBURG, Iowa -- Houses are sprouting up where ruin and devastation once reigned, as residents of Parkersburg rebuild their neighborhoods and their lives after the May 25 tornado.
"The footings are done now," said Virgil Goodrich of the ranch-style home he and wife Diane are building on the site of their former home.
"I'm excited about getting into it."
Diane Goodrich, a teacher, expressed concern about the economy.
"It's probably not the perfect time to be building," she said. "But I guess you do what you've got to do."
As with most of the people rebuilding along Iowa Highways 57 and 14, the Goodriches are constructing a slightly larger home than the one they had previously.
The 1,700-square-foot modular house will have a three-stall garage, three bedrooms upstairs and one on the lower level. It will accommodate the couple's children and grandchildren when they visit.
The house will feature a gas fireplace in the living room, a main-floor laundry room, master bathroom, walk-in closets and an air-to-air heat exchange system.
"Those are the things people look for now when buying a house," said Virgil, who is Parkersburg's economic development director.
He said they planned their home with an eye toward its resale value.
The Goodriches hope to move into their home by March 1.
In the meantime, they are living in a small house they rented near their old neighborhood. A new bedroom set they have purchased is stored in the garage.
"All the neighbors are rebuilding," Diane observed. "The elderly lady next to us sold her lot to someone else. Otherwise, the neighborhood is pretty intact."
About 300 houses were destroyed, including her own, Deputy City Clerk Jan Thomas said.
"It's very encouraging to see so much building going on. It will minimize our loss of property taxes," she said.
Many residents are building pre-fab homes, she said, but there are also a lot of stick houses going up.
Thomas, who had lived in her ranch-style home for 30 years, has already rebuilt a stick home on the same site. She and her husband moved back into it, after living temporarily above the True Value hardware store uptown.
"I think people are settling into their new routine," she said. "It gets better all the time. There are so many decisions to make all at once. It adds a lot of stress to your household. You really don't have any down-time."
Janice Johnson is among those waiting for their houses to be finished. "You have to stand in line," she said.
The house is built and siding is being installed. "The heating's in. We're waiting for the electricity. Everybody else is waiting, too. But it's coming."
They hope to be in their new house in January.
In the meantime, she and her husband are living in a furnished home they are renting in Aplington.
The people of Parkersburg have come a long way, she said.
"At first, you were in a fog. You didn't know where to start. We didn't know how we'd make it. You see smiling faces now instead of people wondering 'what are we going to do?'"
Mayor Bob Haylock, whose house was spared by the tornado, said he is proud of the stamina of residents who picked themselves right up and started rebuilding.
"People are rebuilding and they're building better than it was," he said. "More and more are moving back in every day."
Glenda Vander Holt believes she is the first person who moved into her new house, a pre-fab, ranch-style home. She said she knew of 19 people who are in their new homes now and estimated 100 would be in their homes by Christmas.
Two of her sisters, two of her daughters and a son lost their homes in the tornado, too.
Vander Holt, who had lived in her previous home since 1960, was out of town Memorial Day, having gone to a daughter's cabin in Minnesota. It was the first time she missed a Memorial Day service in Parkersburg since the death of her husband 13 years ago.
"After you lose someone close to you, you never worry about 'stuff' again," she said. "I never cried a tear for my house. I have never felt so close to God in my life."
Larry and Judy Pruisner were also among the very first residents to be in their new homes, moving in Sept. 1.
The couple, who are retired, built their home over the basement of the old one. "Our basement wasn't destroyed," said Larry.
The Pruisners rode out the tornado under the basement stairs, with a sofa pulled over their heads.
"Right now at least we can find our way, because at first there were no houses," he said. "You couldn't even find your own lot. There was nothing here."
Motor vehicles were also destroyed, Larry Pruisner said.
"Everybody at this end of town is in different cars. Nothing's normal. Everything is completely upside down."
The Pruisners hired carpenters for the construction of their new home, but did all the finishing work themselves.
Like others in the tornado-stricken area, they have moved on with their lives.
"I think we're back in a routine, but we're tired," Judy Pruisner said. "We have been working since May 26."
Larry works one day a week at the Waverly sale barn and helps out at an appliance store in Aplington.
Judy regularly meets her sisters -- both of whom also lost their houses -- uptown for lunch.
She recently put up some outdoor Christmas decorations, same as always.
The Pruisners plan to host Thanksgiving dinner for their children and grandchildren, as is their tradition.
"Is it really worth having this house vs. going through a tornado to get it?" said Larry. "Not really."
Darryl and Marlene Reints moved into their new ranch-style home three weeks ago.
"It's taking a little getting used to," she said. "I'm starting to put up things that we did find (from the old house)."
A favorite framed photograph of their three sons, damaged in the tornado, has been professionally restored and is hanging above their new fireplace.
Jolyn Timmer moved back into her new home in early September. Like the one she lost, it is a modular home.
Her life has changed a lot since May 25.
Two months after losing their home, her husband, Galen, was laid off from his job at Monsanto. He has since found a new job at Croell Redi-Mix.
Her son and his girlfriend have moved in with them, because they, too, lost their house in the tornado.
"It seems like we have just had one bad thing after another this year," said Jolyn, who underwent heart surgery in January.
"The only thing that seems like it's routine is that I can come back to my house now."
Seeing pictures of the tornado brings back the hurt all over again, she said.
"It's a grieving process," she said.
Timmer looked out over her neighborhood at the numerous houses going up.
"It's going to be a beautiful town when it gets done," she said.{M7
"The footings are done now," said Virgil Goodrich of the ranch-style home he and wife Diane are building on the site of their former home.
"I'm excited about getting into it."
Diane Goodrich, a teacher, expressed concern about the economy.
"It's probably not the perfect time to be building," she said. "But I guess you do what you've got to do."
As with most of the people rebuilding along Iowa Highways 57 and 14, the Goodriches are constructing a slightly larger home than the one they had previously.
The 1,700-square-foot modular house will have a three-stall garage, three bedrooms upstairs and one on the lower level. It will accommodate the couple's children and grandchildren when they visit.
The house will feature a gas fireplace in the living room, a main-floor laundry room, master bathroom, walk-in closets and an air-to-air heat exchange system.
"Those are the things people look for now when buying a house," said Virgil, who is Parkersburg's economic development director.
He said they planned their home with an eye toward its resale value.
The Goodriches hope to move into their home by March 1.
In the meantime, they are living in a small house they rented near their old neighborhood. A new bedroom set they have purchased is stored in the garage.
"All the neighbors are rebuilding," Diane observed. "The elderly lady next to us sold her lot to someone else. Otherwise, the neighborhood is pretty intact."
About 300 houses were destroyed, including her own, Deputy City Clerk Jan Thomas said.
"It's very encouraging to see so much building going on. It will minimize our loss of property taxes," she said.
Many residents are building pre-fab homes, she said, but there are also a lot of stick houses going up.
Thomas, who had lived in her ranch-style home for 30 years, has already rebuilt a stick home on the same site. She and her husband moved back into it, after living temporarily above the True Value hardware store uptown.
"I think people are settling into their new routine," she said. "It gets better all the time. There are so many decisions to make all at once. It adds a lot of stress to your household. You really don't have any down-time."
Janice Johnson is among those waiting for their houses to be finished. "You have to stand in line," she said.
The house is built and siding is being installed. "The heating's in. We're waiting for the electricity. Everybody else is waiting, too. But it's coming."
They hope to be in their new house in January.
In the meantime, she and her husband are living in a furnished home they are renting in Aplington.
The people of Parkersburg have come a long way, she said.
"At first, you were in a fog. You didn't know where to start. We didn't know how we'd make it. You see smiling faces now instead of people wondering 'what are we going to do?'"
Mayor Bob Haylock, whose house was spared by the tornado, said he is proud of the stamina of residents who picked themselves right up and started rebuilding.
"People are rebuilding and they're building better than it was," he said. "More and more are moving back in every day."
Glenda Vander Holt believes she is the first person who moved into her new house, a pre-fab, ranch-style home. She said she knew of 19 people who are in their new homes now and estimated 100 would be in their homes by Christmas.
Two of her sisters, two of her daughters and a son lost their homes in the tornado, too.
Vander Holt, who had lived in her previous home since 1960, was out of town Memorial Day, having gone to a daughter's cabin in Minnesota. It was the first time she missed a Memorial Day service in Parkersburg since the death of her husband 13 years ago.
"After you lose someone close to you, you never worry about 'stuff' again," she said. "I never cried a tear for my house. I have never felt so close to God in my life."
Larry and Judy Pruisner were also among the very first residents to be in their new homes, moving in Sept. 1.
The couple, who are retired, built their home over the basement of the old one. "Our basement wasn't destroyed," said Larry.
The Pruisners rode out the tornado under the basement stairs, with a sofa pulled over their heads.
"Right now at least we can find our way, because at first there were no houses," he said. "You couldn't even find your own lot. There was nothing here."
Motor vehicles were also destroyed, Larry Pruisner said.
"Everybody at this end of town is in different cars. Nothing's normal. Everything is completely upside down."
The Pruisners hired carpenters for the construction of their new home, but did all the finishing work themselves.
Like others in the tornado-stricken area, they have moved on with their lives.
"I think we're back in a routine, but we're tired," Judy Pruisner said. "We have been working since May 26."
Larry works one day a week at the Waverly sale barn and helps out at an appliance store in Aplington.
Judy regularly meets her sisters -- both of whom also lost their houses -- uptown for lunch.
She recently put up some outdoor Christmas decorations, same as always.
The Pruisners plan to host Thanksgiving dinner for their children and grandchildren, as is their tradition.
"Is it really worth having this house vs. going through a tornado to get it?" said Larry. "Not really."
Darryl and Marlene Reints moved into their new ranch-style home three weeks ago.
"It's taking a little getting used to," she said. "I'm starting to put up things that we did find (from the old house)."
A favorite framed photograph of their three sons, damaged in the tornado, has been professionally restored and is hanging above their new fireplace.
Jolyn Timmer moved back into her new home in early September. Like the one she lost, it is a modular home.
Her life has changed a lot since May 25.
Two months after losing their home, her husband, Galen, was laid off from his job at Monsanto. He has since found a new job at Croell Redi-Mix.
Her son and his girlfriend have moved in with them, because they, too, lost their house in the tornado.
"It seems like we have just had one bad thing after another this year," said Jolyn, who underwent heart surgery in January.
"The only thing that seems like it's routine is that I can come back to my house now."
Seeing pictures of the tornado brings back the hurt all over again, she said.
"It's a grieving process," she said.
Timmer looked out over her neighborhood at the numerous houses going up.
"It's going to be a beautiful town when it gets done," she said.{M7
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Jeff K wrote on Nov 28, 2008 8:07 PM: