Century-old family home in Holdenville hit by tornado again, months after previous damage
HOLDENVILLE, OKLA. (KTUL) — Holdenville resident, 86-year-old Judy Keesee has lived in the same house her whole life, and just recently only moved back in last week before Saturday's tornado hit.
The winds were so strong, nearly the entire roof was ripped off of Keesee’s home as her family frantically called to warn her to take cover.
"He got on the phone with her and said get down get down it’s coming and boom it hit and it went silent on the phone," said Stephanie Keesee, Judy's niece.
The only part of the roof left untouched is where Stephanie said her aunt hid.
"If you live in Oklahoma everyone has that Tornado story and I saw the atypical tornado going over my parents over my brothers, over my aunt's house. So helpless and thinking the worst that oh my gosh my whole family gone," Stephanie said.
She is incredibly grateful all of her family members survived, and their focus now is on picking up the pieces.
"We��ve all grown up in that house, it’s been in our family for 100 years. Every relic, every momento, everything that when I was a little kid was so neat to look at but couldn’t touch was shattered and scattered everywhere. It’s such a shift change to see all of these possessions that you held to such a high standard scattered on the ground," Stephanie said.
It’s a process they just went through in September following a suspected tornado. The 86-year-old had only moved back last week.
"Her stove hadn’t been installed yet her carpet hadn’t been installed yet," Stephanie said.
In this tight-knit community where everyone knows each other, the Oklahoma standard is on full display.
"That’s the amazing thing about Oklahoma. I’ve lived in different parts of the country and it’s not the standard other places. That Oklahoma standard that everyone talks about is true. I got to see it yesterday. It was so amazing we are so thankful for everybody that came and helped," Stephanie said.
The plan is to rebuild.
Judy has filed an insurance claim, having to go through the same process she just went through only months ago.
