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Lester was the owner/operator of the "Food Basket". This store was
known as a fancy food and gift store. Lester retired about 1980.
1592. Muriel Alice Lydia KINGSBOROUGH
The following is the notes from a conversation between Muriel and her
daughter, Yvonne. The subject got around to the tornado Muriel and
her family were exposed to when she was a young girl.
"Mother was recalling the 'cyclone' which wiped them out in Minnesota.
It was a Sunday afternoon and the family had just returned from
visiting Chester and Mae. (Mae was the sister of J.M. and Chester was
the brother of Muriel's future husband, Paul Martin.) Grandpa had
recently purchased a new Chevrolet "touring car', open at the sides,
with isinglass windows which rolled down (or up?). Lester put it in
the garage; they went in and changed into their working clothes.
Mother remembers how hot and oppressive the air was. They saw the
storm coming and went to the cellar. At some point Grandpa looked out
and saw a second storm, which joined the first--that's when they moved
to the another corner of the cellar. Mother remembers both Grandma
and Grandpa praying. (When it was all over, a big beam had fallen in
the corner where they first huddled.) She said that she will never
forget the awful noise as the house was taken off its foundation. She
also remembers "It was all grey around the edges when the house was
lifted up." They had one of those old telephones on the wall -- the
kind where you wound the handle for the operator and she took your
caller's number. It had bells on the top. That part of the wall
which held the phone was left. As hail fell after the storm, Mother
remembers the bells ringing due to hail hitting the bells.
Uncle Lester hopped up on the foundation and called back,"It's not too
bad, Dad!" -- well, they were still alive and unhurt.
The garage was gone, but the car still stood -- stripped clean!
(Grandpa got it repaired.)
The cows were out in the pasture -- they were spared. Grandpa had 14
horses -- some had to be put down. Mother's horse King was killed.
Theirs was the only place damaged -- the farms were far apart, but
they lost nearly everything but the clothes on their backs. In fact,
the curoius who came picked up and took personal belongings as
souvenirs -- the family was too much in shock from the events of the
day to say a thing.
01SEP1997
Visit the Main Ashbaugh Web Site HERE!
More Family information Here!