Gary's Notes About Tornados

My grandmother also had a great fear of Tornados from her childhood.     Learning of the severity of the storms she had experienced helped me understand the origination of those fears. We too headed for the storm cellar whenever the clouds started rolling.     The storm of May 27, 1896 destroyed about 50 homes in New Minden (most of the town). This storm was one of many during the month of May. It first hit St. Louis killing 137 there and 118 in East St. Louis and progressed eastward along present I-64. Eleven people in the New Minden area were killed. Richview and Hoyleton also received damage.     On June 8, 1907 another tornado struck the area of New Minden killing 5 people and damage, mostly north of the town. Covington also received damage from this storm, but no deaths.     The storms are and the destruction are described in the history book of the St. John's Lutheran Church of New Minden.     It is also documented in the Quarterlies that were published by the Washington Co. Historical Society back in 1976-77.                                Gary Ramthun

This is not a total list, only what is listed in the history of St. Johns, Lutheran Church. May 27, 1896 Tornado Three children killed: Fred Arthur Koch    (infant son of Fred Koch) Otilie Rinne    9 yr old daughter of Fred Rinne Paulina Minna Heinrichsmeyer    infant daughter of Mr E. Heinrichsmeyer Also killed: Karolina (Rueter) Heinrichsmeyer    wife of Mr. E. Heinrichsmeyer Ren Smith,    a farm machinery salesman from    Nashville who was at New Minden when the storm hit. Ernest Brink    age 53 of Hoyleton Fred Weihe Seriously injured members : Mrs. Fred Koch William Vogt William Weihe William Rinne Louis Vulbrock, Sr. Henry Vulbrock Simon Wiese William Brinman and his wife Willie Backs Houses destroyed belonged to : H. Heidenreich Ernst Weihe Wm. Woker John Schuette Fred Oexeman L. Rueter P. Fassbender Fred Heseman Fred Ellerbusch Ed Schrieber Mrs. Justine Reinhardt Chas. Winte, Sr. Chas. Winte, Jr. F. W. Nollman D. Holzhauer Lena Woker Geo. Jones F. Meier Mrs. Gerfen Mrs. Kracht Louis Lindner Wm. Lueking Louis Koelling Herman Luecke, Sr. Louis Klenke Fred Ellerbusch L. Brinkman S. Weiss Fred Backs F. Hoffman Wm. Weihe Louis Vulbrock Chas. Volle Mrs Marks E. Heinrichsmeyer John Weihe Wm Heseman Ernst Weihe H. Meier G. Friedrichsmeyer Mrs. Rinne - - - - - - -      The Centralia Daily Sentinel reported that only four houses are left out of about seventy-five. June 7, 1907 Tornado Killed : Henry Weihe, age 33 Mrs Anna Wwihe, age 32 Theodore Weihe, age 7 Edwin Weihe, age 2 Eida Stuehmeier, age 2 Injured : Herman Weihe, age 5 Fred Heseman, Lydia Heseman, age 10 Clara Heseman, age 8 Prof. Herman Wente Gottlieb Friedrichsmeyer Mrs. Gottlieb Friedrichsmeyer Miss Sophie Nottmeyer Mrs Henry Stuehmeier Dwellings destroyed : Mrs. August Grefe Teaher Wente Gottlieb Friedrichsmeyer Fritz Heseman Henry Weihe      In Covington the home of George Cook was completely wrecked.      The Hogshead school house was completely destroyed and at the residence on the Hogshead place occupied by Carl Muening had the roof torn off.      Property of Mrs. Finke, recently sold to Fred Boester lost its roof.

© 2000-2007 Wayne Hinton