08/26/2023
As I've been picking up small tree limbs and debris from the yard my heart and mind are on the families hit by the tornado this week in the Webberville and Williamston area. I've had a false sense of security most my life regarding tornados, perhaps, because I've always lived in town and we rarely experience them. Silly really, because 114 years ago the house that we live in today and our chapel were either damaged or destroyed by a tornado.
The original St. Agnes church in Fowlerville was built in the 1880's and on May 15th, 1909, a tornado ripped through town, or cyclone as it was referred to then, destroying the church, the grain elevator, and damaging several homes and businesses. Parishioners were quick to rebuild (a couple of blocks from the original location) and construction began that fall. St. Agnes reopened in the spring of 1911, almost two years to the exact date of it's destruction. Worship continued in the new church until the 1970's, when a larger one was built for the growing congregation, allowing the 1911 structure to be sold into private ownership and for it to eventually become Kelmscott Chapel today.
Returning to the events of this week, I hope that we can find a way to assist the Dietz family of Williamston who lost all of their centennial barns, owned by the family for several generations. As someone who comes from a long line of farmers and as an owner of two historic buildings, I sympathize for the devastation they must be experiencing. I'm hoping that organizations like Michigan Barn Preservation Network or National BarnAlliance could be of some help. If anyone else has some ideas to support them, please share.
If you would like further information on the Dietz farm, please read the article below.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2023/08/24/reported-tornado-heavy-storm-rip-through-lansing-area/70675549007/