Family picks up pieces to go home

CELINA - On most weekdays, Bill Schlosser Jr. wakes up, checks his email, calls contractors and his insurance company, exercises and works on the farm.

It's his daily routine since his family home was destroyed in the May 27 tornado.

Schlosser's home at 4650 Fairground Road was one of more than 40 homes that had severe damage and deemed a total loss after the EF3 tornado hit on Memorial Day.

Earlier in the night, the family had a gas leak due to the initial storm and were told to stay out of the basement. After the tornado hit, the kitchen collapsed into the basement, where they would have been.

"It's a war zone," he said the night of the tornado. "It sounded like a train."

Schlosser, his older sister Marcy and father Bill Sr. were able to get out of the house with a laundry basket full of clothes. They retrieved their car from the garage with help from firefighters and drove to the Red Cross emergency shelter set up at the Eagles Aerie in Coldwater.

Schlosser Jr. and his sister worried about the eight barn cats in the barn at the time. The barn's structure was damaged and was deemed a total loss, but the cats somehow survived.

The 55-year-old retired Eaton Aerospace employee now enjoys his days off mellowing out with all eight of his cats, who enjoy napping in their newly constructed barn.

The Navy veteran said with the loss of their home and barn took along some family memories.

The farm used to belong to his uncle Jerry Roessner, who owned Jerry's IGA. Some of the lost mementos include a service door from the store, an antique 7-Up cooler, Roessner's old saddle, records Schlosser Jr. and Marcy Schlosser enjoyed as kids and old toys with which they used to play.

"When the tornado hit, it took some of those memories," he said.

The Schlosser family still grapples with aftereffects of the twister. Schlosser Jr. said rains a couple of weeks ago spooked the cats, and he was at unease as well.

"In the back of our mind, it's still there," he said. "That trauma is still there."

The 37-acre farm the family usually plant with a rotation of wheat, corn and soybeans remained empty this year. Flooding before and after the tornado made it impossible to plant, and their wheat crop was hit hard by the flooding.

Their neighbor Jerry Weissman farms for them, splitting things 50/50 with the Schlossers. Schlosser Jr. said Weissman has been a big help.

In fact, the younger Schlosser said he's grown closer to most of his neighbors. He formerly just waved to the neighbors and exchanged greetings in passing.

"The tornado brought us together," he said.

Although rebuilding has undergone some hiccups, Schlosser said the house is scheduled to be move-in ready in late October, ahead of the original December projection.

All three Schlossers are antsy and ready to move in. The family has been staying in a relative's mobile home in Behm's Landing near Montezuma since the tornado struck.

Schlosser Sr. will be 89 in November and looks forward to being settled in before his birthday in November, his son said.

As the holidays peer just around the corner, the Schlosser family looks forward to spending time together. Schlosser Jr. said Thanksgiving and Christmas will mean much more this year.

However, the family wouldn't be recovering as well as they are without the help of friends, neighbors and community members, he said.

"What stood out was the way everybody was helpful," he added.

Schlosser Jr. said he's thankful to everyone who has helped them as they rebuild their lives and home.

Neighbors gathering to help clean debris out of fields, churches offering hot meals and supplies and contractors working to finish their home are a few groups who helped get the family back on track.