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Saturday, June 28, 1997

Rebuilding in Jarrell begins

JARRELL, Texas (AP) - Residents are still waiting for insurance claims to be awarded, loan checks to be approved, cement slabs to be inspected, and property lines to be identified.

But signs of recovery are everywhere in Jarrell, where last month a monstrous tornado flattened dozens of homes and killed 27 people.

Esther and Eddie Tschoerner are awaiting blueprints to begin rebuilding their home, which was obliterated by the May 27 twister.

"I don't know how to thank the people enough. Words are all we have to say, and we'll be thanking them for the rest of our lives," Mrs. Tschoerner said of the outpouring of help.

People are returning to their land. Telephone lines and fences are being reconstructed.

"We are making some progress, but it's still in the beginning stages of recovery," said Rev. Max Johnson, a pastor of the First Baptist Church.

Monetary support for the town, which sustained $20 million in damage, has passed the $1.3 million mark. Dallas Cowboy Bill Bates on Thursday presented a check for $150,000 - the single largest donation.

While repairs are under way, no one has actually started to rebuild, said the Tschoerners' son, Clifford Tschoerner Sr., deputy chief of the Jarrell Volunteer Fire Department and one of eight members of the Jarrell Recovery Board.

Debby LaFrance, 40, and her daughter Kristin, 9, remain at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple and will require months of physical rehabilitation.

"I plan to go back out here. We will probably try to rebuild the house," Mrs. LaFrance told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a telephone interview.

"I like the schools out there, and my daughter has her friends there. I know it will be hard to go back," said Mrs. LaFrance, whose husband, Billy, died in the tornado.

James and Virginia Davidson say they are struggling with not owning anything. Even their mobile home is on loan for six months.

Davidson said he has grown accustomed to wearing underwear that is the wrong size.

"It's like you're borrowing someone else's things. You don't own it. You didn't choose it. You didn't buy it," Mrs. Davidson said.

"I've got shoes that aren't the right size. So I think, 'OK, with those I'll wear a thin pair of socks and with these others I can wear three thick pairs. Then they'll fit.' "

With the help of thousands of volunteers, residents of Double Creeks Estates, the subdivision that was leveled by the storm, have cleared most of the debris.

So far, 29 residents have been approved for $1.7 million in disaster loans through the Small Business Administration, said Jim Atkins of the agency. Of those loans, 24 have been awarded to homeowners, he told the Temple Daily Telegram. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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