In the wake of the April tornadoes, Willa Dean Cook and two of her children had to start their lives over.
Fortunately they’ve been able to do so together and with more help from their community than they ever expected.
When a tornado ripped through Hale County, it severely damaged not only Willa Dean’s house but also the houses of Butch and Sue Hardy and Kenny and Carol Leavelle. Sue and Carol are Willa Dean’s daughters.
All of them moved into the house of Darrell Cook, one of Willa Dean’s sons, and began working to rebuild their houses.
In a demonstration of love, Willa Dean’s children — including sons Kenneth and Wade — focused on rebuilding their 90-year-old mother’s house first.
“[Her house] was damaged to the extent that it could not be [repaired], so it was pushed off [its foundation] and completely restarted,” Butch Hardy said.
Though Willa Dean’s insurance allowed her to purchase most of the materials for rebuilding, her family was unsure of how to go about the project.
While it was deciding how to move forward, the Church reached out to it.
“My wife and I were driving in the area (after the tornado hit),” said Bill Wallace, director of missions for Cahaba and Hale Baptist associations. When they saw what had happened to Willa Dean’s home, he knew they had to help, he said.
Willa Dean and her family attend New Hope Baptist Church, Moundvillle, a Hale Association church.
Wallace spread word of the family’s need to churches in Cahaba and Hale associations.
Hale Association churches began fundraising and sending volunteers to help rebuild.
Wallace asked Glynward Coley, a contractor and member of Siloam Baptist Church, Marion, to garner help from Cahaba Association churches. Coley mentioned the project to Grady Montz, a retired contractor and member of Pine Grove Baptist Church, Brent, who immediately took on the responsibility.
In addition to coordinating volunteers from both associations in the rebuilding effort, Montz worked overtime and weekends on Willa Dean’s house.
“When I asked him about it, he told me, ‘Doesn’t the Bible tell us to take care of widows and orphans?,’” Coley said.
The efforts of Montz and so many others resulted in the work being nearly complete in roughly three months.
The foundation was laid Aug. 9, and Willa Dean was able to move in Nov. 5 with only some small painting and trim work remaining.
“It’s been such a blessing,” she repeated again and again.
The Leavelles moved back into their house Oct. 28.
The Hardys expect to have their home fully rebuilt in early 2012.
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