Martha Leeper and Jean Lehn recall the destruction of Sharon United Methodist Church in the tornado on April 19, 1996, and how people came together afterward.Â
Editor s note:Â This story is part of a larger project looking back at the 25th anniversary of the two nights of fury, when back-to-back tornadoes struck the Decatur area. Click here for more coverage, including photos and video footage from April 1996.
Martha Leeper lived across the street from the Sharon United Methodist Church.
As a mother of two small boys, she was spending Friday afternoon playing outside with her family before the second storm hit the area. âIt was just a really freaky day,â Leeper said. âIt was very warm and very windy.â
The April 19, 1996 tornado was one of dozens of tornadoes that cut across Illinois on a single day. David Proeber
Itâs been 25 years, but time has done little to diminish the memories of the backâto-back tornadoes that struck Macon County in 1996.
âOnce you go through something like this, you never forget,â said Kelly Miller, whose home was leveled by the tornado that hit Macon County on April 19, 1996. The community was already recovering from a tornado that hit the south end of Decatur the night before.
Millerâs family sought shelter inside their home along Wyckles Road with Lonnie McVeigh, a storm spotter they didnât know who, like them, was seeking a safe refuge from which to ride out the storm. McVeigh was injured when the chimney fell on him in the Millers basement.