1920Mar11

    About noon today our townspeople (at Forsyth) were startled by a rushing, roaring sound. First thought was that it was the water pouring over the dam, but it was too loud. One look at the sky across the river told the story, and soon the news began to come in. So far as known, the tornado began about Oasis or Cedar Valley, in the southwest part of the county.

    At Oasis one house and its occupants, John Gross, his wife and child are missing. The next we hear the Huckstep house was badly twisted. Then it struck Melva and literally wiped the village off the face of the earth, only a part of one house being left standing. Here nine were killed and several injured.

    The youngest child of Mrs. Mamie Mahnkey was found dead in the creek.

    Alva Howard's wife was killed and three children injured, two having broken bones and one being injured about the face.

    Mrs. Sarah Oliver had her thigh broken.

    There were two Box families in Melva. In one, three children were killed and the mother is dangerously ill. In the other, four children were killed, and the mother is in a critical condition. The dead and injured from Melva were taken to Branson.

    The next stroke was at W. W. Jackson's. It was reported that Uncle Bill had been killed, but it seems he was only slightly injured. His house was destroyed and his two elder sisters injured seriously, Miss Frankie not being expected to live.

    The storm wrecked the old farm home of Captain Van Zandt southeast of Kirbyville.

    The St. James school house has completely disappeared. One man whose children were attending the school went in search of them after the storm had passed and found them and the teacher, Mabel Morris, wandering around. The children, the only ones who were in attendance, were only slightly injured but the teacher's eyes were filled with bits of broken glass and she was not able to see.

    Passing on to Pleasant Hill district, where it could be seen from Forsyth, the storm tore up huge trees by the roots and carried them up in the air, dropping them later. John D. Coffelt's house was blown away. Lee Thurman's new house was blown from the foundation and badly twisted. Widow Thurman's barn was blown away and the roof taken off of John Thurman's house. Henry Brock's hay shed was generally scattered. Charlie Edward's house was blown away.

    From Lee Thurman's the storm crossed the river and tore up things about Abe Hankins' place, passed a mile or so southwest of Taneyville, blowing down Sam Clement's barn and tearing up the cedars in his yard. Will Casey's and Joe Stilts' barns were wrecked and much damage done to timber, orchards and fences.

    It went on toward Bradleyville where our knowledge of it ends.