Deedy.com Blog

I have been checking books out of my local library branch to find additional family stories. After posting His Home Wiped Out; 'We Start Again', the newspaper article featuring an interview of my late Uncle Jack Deedy's tornado experience, I though I might find more references in the book Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives. While I did not find another mention of Jack's story, I did find the photo of a young JFK touring the street of Jack's home in Shrewsbury (I believe one of the homes behind JFK is the remains of Jack Deedy's destroyed home). I was surprised to find a small reference to my Father in the book, as well as the following story about the Deedy's and Mrs. Waterfield's living room rug.


Tornado! 84 minutes, 94 lives
pgs. 256-257

The collection of sheet music accumulated by Ethel Waterfield during her years of professional piano had been literally scattered to the winds, as had the evening gowns which she wore during her performances. She had carefully sewn name labels in each of these garments; as a result she was contacted by several individuals who lived along the downwind track of the tornado, from as far east as Westboro, that they had found shredded scraps of some of these once-elegant gowns.

Her pride and joy, the upright piano upon which she had practiced was sent to a company specializing in the restoration and rehabilitation of damaged pianos. Upon close inspection, it was determined that the sounding board was irreparably cracked. The instrument ended its life at Steinert's Music Store in Worcester serving as a source of parts needed in the repair of other, less severely damaged instruments.

When the initial trauma caused by the destruction of their home had subsided to the point where the Waterfields could attempt an organized inventory of lost possessions, they discovered that their new living room carpet had vanished without leaving the smallest remnant behind. After the passage of several days, they learned that it had blown into the Deedy home which was on the far side of Talbot's store from their own house.

Since the Deedy's knew nothing of whence the rug had come, accompanied by numerous other objects from demolished homes upwind, and since the carpet was little the worse for its airborne journey, the Deedys gave it to the local Salvation Army Thrift Store. Upon inquiry, the Waterfields were told by the Salvation Army that it had been sold for a nominal price or simply given away to a needy family.

At this point, the Waterfields resigned themselves to the loss of the carpet. A few days later, however, they received a phone call from the Salvation Army telling them the carpet had been returned for some reason by its new owners. Very shortly thereafter, the Waterfields at last reclaimed it, storing it until their home could be rebuilt.

- Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives

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