Photo from Google images, not 1944 tornado-KD

Tornado in Sherman Township

Pocahontas County, Iowa --- May 19, 1944

Source: Pocahontas County Iowa History by Pocahontas County Historical Society Members and Friends, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas, 1982, pages 158-159.

Pocahontas County, Iowa Surnames Mentioned: CEJKA, CHAPPELL, DEXTER, DEYOUNG, HARTSOCK, HATTEBERG, HAWLEY, HERSOM, HINRICH, LEITH, VIAL, WADE, WUNDER

TORNADO ON MAY 19, 1944

Although considerable time has elapsed, the passage of time has done very little to dim the memory of the residents of Sherman township.

The storm originated in the middle of Marshall 16.  Although it had been a hot, humid day, I had been so busy trying to finish some housecleaning jobs, I had paid little attention to the weather.  The first place the tornado hit was the BUNCH farm Marshall 16 southeast corner; the house was damaged and all the trees were taken.

Next, the Orville HAWLEY farm was the next victim – Marshall 11, southwest corner.  The family heard the roar of the approach of the tornado and at first decided to go to the basement.  Fate must have taken a hand, as on second thought they decided to outrun it in the car, along with Yvonne 2½ and Harlan who was slightly older.  Fern said they drove to Laurens to her mother’s in Laurens for 30 minutes.  Upon return, they found the farmstead a complete disaster – all they had left was the clothes on their backs.  The house was completely gone, a piece of the davenport was was lying by the creek a short distance away, the chicks in the brooder house were chilled by the rain and died later, the barn and the crib were still standing but were badly damaged and looked as if they were beyond repair.

The Ralph VIAL farm, Marshall 14 northeast corner, received only minor damage.  They had been to the last-day-of-school picnic and came home about 4 p.m.  Mrs. VIAL went to the brooder house in the far end of the grove when she saw the storm’s approach … boards flying etc. … she hurried back to the house, they went to the basement and escaped unscathed.

The Robert CEJKA farm, Marshall 12, the middle of the mile south side of the road was not hit, but the family took refuge in the potato cave by the dredge ditch and said the tornado, in passing over, sounded like a freight train.

Next on the list was the Amos HARTSOCK farm, Sherman 6 southeast corner.  They decided to outrun the storm as they had seen it approach – Harlan said it was so muggy the water dripped off the tools as he was working in the shop.  He was home on vacation from Illinois where he worked for Packard.  He and sister Donna Jean, outran the storm in his coupe; Mr. and Mrs. HARTSOCK took the family car and left … the big shaggy dog jumped in the car to go along … he had never before ridden in a car! … can these animals sense danger??  Upon their return, disaster was the understatement.  The house was badly damaged: the chimney lay on the ground, the windows were all gone, curtains all gone, the shade trees were no more.  The only way to get supper was on the oil burner because of no chimney.  There was a kerosene stove intact on the porch but the grids were swept away.  When they tried to get into the house the door was locked … it had never been locked as there was no key for it!  It took much manipulation to get the door open.  There was dirt in the refrigerator contents; the wash basin in the sink was lifted out and flung into the bedroom; the Pekinese was under the bed scared to death; chickens lost their feathers; a Stetson hat was in a pond a mile away, upside down, unhurt; a straw was driven into a tree; clothing was inside the hoghouse at the DEXTER farm which was just a short distance away.  Storm windows had to be installed before nightfall; the out buildings lay in ruins.

About 30 rods east, the DEXTER farm received considerable damage.  The family took refuge in the cave.  The first thing they heard was a loud crash on the door, much later they learned it was a large maple.  It grew dark as night in the cave; their ears felt the pressure of the storm which was similar to that pressure that is felt when one is high in the mountains.  When it grew lighter in the cave they knew the storm had passed and could not get out of the cave because of the tree on the door.  Nothing to do but wait.  The tree was too heavy to lift off from the door, the hinges were impossible to remove much as was tried.  The only thing to do was wait until someone came to look for them as it was known that Mrs. DEXTER was in precarious health.  Eons passed.  After some length of time, footsteps came up the sidewalk.  “Anybody home?”  “Yes,” we chorused.  It was Harlan HARTSOCK.  To this day we often re-live the day and reminisce; we are thankful to him that he let us out of our predicament.  There was dull axe – and I mean dull! – lying nearby.  He chopped, even though at times it seemed futile, still raining hard.  What devastation met the eye – all the outbuildings were in shambles.  The windmill and the Wincharger tower that provided electric current were gone, the house had only minor damage and the beds were dry and the bottled gas stove was in working order so we could both eat and sleep, only a few windows were broken but there was damage to all three porches.  The hoghouse was turned slightly but the pigs were sleeping inside, apparently unaware of the storm.  The only loss was some chickens – the ones left were wandering about in a daze.  Some of the horses were inside the barn, unhurt; the horses in the pasture had slivers in them.  The car in the garage did not have a scratch, but the garage itself looked as if it were beyond repair.  The threshing machine stored in the shed had minor damage but the shed was badly damaged.  Muddy water was driven into the house through the closed windows.  All the shade trees were gone.

The Joe WADE farm was damaged although the house escaped.  Their farm was in Sheridan 5 southeast corner.  The brooder house was carried to the DEXTER field – all the chicks were killed, even though the floor of the building was intact with the feeders still on it.

The Bill WUNDER farm ½ mile south, on the east side of the road lost the barn; the horse tank was in DEXTER’s grove.

About a quarter mile south on the east side of the road where the John HATTEBERGs lived, the barn was ruined.

Further down the road the Oliver LEITH barn was lost.

On Sherman 18 northeast corner lived Mr. and Mrs. Messer LEITH.  Son Murl and wife Marjorie were visiting there that fateful afternoon, as well as Mrs. Knute HATTEBERG who was wall papering a room.  The went to the Fred HINRICH’s home as they had a cave.  Also at the cave were Mr. and Mrs. Jerry DeYOUNG of Ware and Mrs. Oliver LEITH and children.  Soon Mr. HINRICHS came home and announced that the storm was over.  The crowd disassembled.  Then the storm hit; Marjorie and Mrs. LEITH and the LEITH children went to the basement except Messer and Murl who had great difficulty holding the basement door shut.  They could see debris flying by the windows.  Murl’s car, was upset and demolished; in some way the horn was shorted and blew the entire time the victims were in the basement.  The outbuildings and the trees suffered damage but the house was still standing but needed considerable repair.  Then the tornado turned directions and headed for Ware but it let up before it reached town.  The George CHAPPELL house, however, was damaged by a fallen tree.

The clocks stopped at 5:40 and it was 7:00 when the DEXTERs were freed from the cave.

C.I. HERSOM’s crew of men from Laurens worked the rest of the summer and into September to re-build the buildings at the DEXTER farm.  Even though the buildings were repaired.  Nothing could replace the shade trees.  How thankful we were that, considering the devastation, no one in the whole community received any kind of physical injury.

Thank you Sarah Thorson Little for this transcription!