May 09, 2009 11:16 pm
—
By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
SENECA, Mo. — Survivors, emergency responders and the general public will mark the first anniversary of last year’s deadly tornado today with a ceremony at a new memorial.
A parcel of land next to Lant’s Feed Store — which was demolished by the May 10 tornado and then rebuilt on the original site — has been converted into the memorial with a flagpole, flower bed and stone bearing the names of those from Newton County who perished.
Bill Lant, who donated the land for the memorial and spearheaded its creation, said Sunday will act as a remembrance ceremony.
A total of 14 people were killed in Newton County by the storm. All of them died within a few miles of the intersection of Iris Road and Missouri Highway 43, where Lant’s Feed Store is located. One person died in Barry County and another in Jasper County in Missouri, and six people were killed in Picher, Okla. Hundreds of other people in the region were injured that day.
“Hopefully, it’s a form of closure for some people who lost their family in the storm,” Lant said.
Family members of the dead are expected to attend, as are state lawmakers such as House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin; state Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin; and state Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, Lant said.
Representatives of the different agencies that responded to the emergency will place a wreath on the memorial, while family members of the dead will place flowers on Sunday.
The names of the deceased will be read aloud, including that of Tyler Casey, the 21-year-old volunteer firefighter and storm spotter from the Seneca Volunteer Fire Protection District. He died while warning motorists to seek shelter.
“Depending on the weather, I expect a big crowd,” Lant said.
Gary Roark, Newton County’s emergency management director, said more than one person considered the Iris and 43 intersection “ground zero” for the tornado.
“The (Newton County) deaths were all within two miles of that site,” he said.
Roark said that area is a fitting site for a memorial.
In Newton County, a total of 195 homes were destroyed, while another 115 sustained major damage and 180 received minor damage. Nine businesses were destroyed, while six suffered major damage.
Another 160 homes were destroyed in Picher, Okla., and 12 homes were destroyed by the same storm in Barry County.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.