TO SOME, OFFERS WERE IRRESISTIBLE

PERRYVILLE -- Melvin Buerck and his family lived a mile south of Belgique before last year's flood put more than 16 feet of water in their house. Five of those feet were on the second floor.

It was the old home place for Buerck, who was reared there and had lived there for more than 40 years. It also was the headquarters for his and his brothers' farming operation.

But given the amount of money the government was willing to pay for the home, Buerck decided to sell.

Perry County has received more than $850,000 in federal and state funds to buy out the homes damaged in the flood. About 95 homes were damaged, but 36 property owners have shown an interest in selling their flooded homes.

Buerck said his decision was "fairly easy" because of the money offered for his place.

"An offer like that doesn't come along every day," he said.

His home sat at a corner of 1 1/2 acres of his farming operation.

Perry County officials said he and his brothers could lease the land for the farming operation.

It made more sense, Buerck said, for him to live in Perryville and drive the 15 miles to farm than have the family make the drive to Perryville.

For Henry "Sonny" Romann Jr., who lived in Perryville and farmed in the Belgique area for 11 years, the decision whether to keep the old home near the levee was more difficult.

"I thought the price was reasonable," he said. "That's what made the decision so difficult."

The house was built in 1917 by Romann's maternal grandparents. His father and mother lived there until 1956 and raised their family.

After that, Romann and his wife raised their four children there until they bought a house in Perryville. They had rented the house to a computer operator who enjoyed living in the country.

The family ties made selling it a difficult decision.

Romann said the family thought about moving it, but the house was too big.

"I guess we'll have to let a landmark fall by the wayside," he said.

The house was a landmark because it was the last remnant of the busy early-20th century town of Claryville. The town had a railroad line, and barges stopped along the levee. There were stores, taverns and churches, Romann said.

Eunice Schade's decision was easy, even though she had lived in McBride all her 84 years.

"There's nothing to go back to in McBride," she said. She has bought a mobile home near Perryville since the flood.

"There's no one left down there," she said.

She thinks she's getting a fair price.

"What else can you do?" she said. "If you can't go back, what use is it to you? All you could do is have the house bulldozed and cleaned up."