Just after a tornado claimed the lives of 23 people in March 2019, someone put up crosses with each of their names on the lawn of Providence Baptist Church, Opelika.
And now the church has erected a permanent memorial on the spot — a large cross surrounded by the victims’ names and etchings of their faces.
In addition to honoring them, “it’s a statement of faith and of the community of faith coming together,” said Rusty Sowell, pastor of Providence Baptist. “It’s also a reminder of firefighters, law enforcement and other people in the community who made a difference.”
Additional memorial
Families in the community have already gathered and spent time at the memorial, he said. The church is also in the process of renovating a train caboose it purchased to make into an additional memorial for the four children who died in the storm.
Share with others: