|
The Heidi and James Roland Farm |
||
|
|
||
|
Photos by Helen D. Gunderson. Click on any photo for a larger view. |
||
|
|
||
|
Heidi and James stand amid the debris of a corn crib that had been
flattened. Their home is in the background. |
||
 |
||
|
Mary and LeRoy Nelson were the previous residents of the place. Mary is in
the Rolfe Care Center, and LeRoy died at the age of 94 in March 2003. He was
an ardent horseman. The building he used for a tack shed was also flattened,
leaving his saddle and other gear exposed to the weather. Heidi and James
retrieved the items and took them to a secure location.. |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
Trees were damaged and had to be cut down. The windows were broken,
scattering glass inside the house. The windows are now covered by particle
board and tin. Notice the low, white hitching rail on the right side of the
house. |
||
 |
||
|
The electricity did not work at the Roland home during the weekend. On
Monday, the Iowa Lakes Electric Company strung a new line to their place and
fixed the utility services to other farms as well. |
||
 |
||
| Thank goodness for a little levity in the midst of a disaster. In the process of taking their photo, I asked if they wanted to look at each other. Things seemed a little hokey. Laughter broke into the scene. There was a sense that marriage is for better or worse and that their family bonds are sustaining them during this difficult time. Heidi and James even got the idea that they really should have a pitchfork and do an American Gothic photo. | ||
|
|
||
