Eddleman history column 6-22-24: 'The walls caved out': My family's experience in the 1949 tornado

Most accounts of the Cape Girardeau 1949 tornado understandably focus on the devastating effects in Marble City Heights and Red Star. The area where the storm first touched down west of town receives less attention. I grew up hearing about the storm, which destroyed my grandparents’ house. Even though I was not born until 3 1/2 years after the tornado, and my dad, Rodney J. Eddleman, was serving in the U. S. Marine Corps at the time, I have heard stories from relatives.

My grandparents purchased the land in the 2500 block of today’s Independence Street (then Route 1, Gordonville Road) in 1944. The property included a nice brick home, orchard and garden, fields for a milk cow, and room for Grandma’s chickens. Initially the household included my grandparents, Christopher C. and Barbara Ann (Fulbright) Eddleman; sons, Harley L. and Rodney J., and daughter, Gayneth E. The remainder of the nine surviving children had married or moved out on their own. By 1949 it was just my grandparents.

The storm came after a day of off-and-on rain and periods of sunshine. The tornado developed west of town, first heavily damaging the Albert Spalding home and barn (West Park Mall area), and striking the old fairgrounds (present-day West Drive). A letter written by my aunt, Vera M. (Eddleman) Hobbs, noted it then “jumped over those woods … on the other side of the road and twisted everything around.”

My grandparents realized they needed to seek shelter in the basement, but the storm struck so quickly they did not make it. Grandpa was in a corner by the front door, and Grandma got as far as the nearby piano — both within 10 feet of the basement door. When the storm hit, “the walls caved out instead of in.” One story I have heard several times is the piano was not only still intact, but family photographs on top were undisturbed. Grandpa had no injury, but the radio struck Grandma on the head, causing two small cuts, and a piece of furniture bruised her knee.

Within a short time, Mr. Schott and his sons, neighbors from up Gordonville Road, came down to check on them. At the same time, my uncle, Walter C. Eddleman, who lived on the south side of town with his family, saw the storm develop and figured it might have hit near my grandparents. They drove toward my grandparents’ house. By that time, officials had blocked Gordonville Road to sightseers. While Uncle Walt was trying to talk his way past the blockade, my grandparents came walking down the road.

My aunt continued, “The storm tore every building down at Mom & Dads all the trees (except the small ones Mom had set out last year) are down, the entire orchard was blown away. Of her 3 dozen chickens she now has 1 dozen. The Dog e[s]caped … the Beds upstairs were all destroyed and a chest of Drawers…the washing machine lost the agitator and its lid…We found nearly everything else.”

She continued, “The Airline [service station and café on Kingshighway] is gone. Most of it is in Ed Wulfers Yard on [1906] Broadway. (T)heir house is more flat than Moms. And Mrs. Wulfers was hurt. One of those great big tanks that set behind the Airline is in Wulfers yard. The new Medical Building (1912 Broadway) … is (damaged). (F)rom there it hopped over to Perry Avenue and really got mean. Marble City (H)eights and Red [S]tar are practically wiped out. The Church across the street from Harley (note: Third Street Methodist) had all its windows Broke out.”

The storm affected my grandfather, who tended to worry about things. Family members could talk him into better spirits. My grandmother, who suffered with severe arthritis by 1949, was “just plain mad because she is so crippled up and can’t get around and do as much as she would like. She was in there (a couple of days later) with nails and Hammer nailing the doors to a closet and Basement shut (while) whistling.”

Family members all joined in to clean up and do repairs. A couple of days after the storm, “Mr. (Clarence) Vogelsang (Farmers & Merchants [Bank] president) came out and went through the house and said, ‘Well Chris, the money is at the bank for you if you need it.’” The family put together plans for a four-room replacement house with bath and basement on the same foundation and went to work. As one last reminder of the storm and its aftermath for my family, this replacement house still stands at 2558 Independence.

Bill Eddleman, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University, is a native of Cape Girardeau County who has conducted genealogical research for over 25 years.