Remembering the 1949 tornado

Courtesy of Linda Sanders

In April 2019, Linda Sanders donated photographs of the aftermath of the May 21, 1949, tornado to the Southeast Missourian’s archive. The photos, never before published, were taken by her aunt, Maxine Lincoln Blackshear, a resident of the Red Star suburb in 1949. All photos were taken in Red Star, but their exact locations are unknown. Most of the 22 people killed in the tornado were found in the Red Star district. The Southeast Missourian will take an in-depth look on the tornado’s 75th anniversary in its Weekend edition. More photos are in a gallery at www.semissourian.com.