Charlie Chandler Lives Through A Tornado
I would tell you a couple of interesting stories about my Great Uncle Charlie Chandler. Uncle Charlie’s full name was Charles Franklin Chandler and he must have lived a very interesting life. I don’t actually remember him, since he died when I was two years old. However, the stories about him were always very interesting. I thought you may like to read about the two that I remember best.
First, a couple of facts about Uncle Charlie. Charlie was born in Princeton, Scott County, Iowa 3 March 1886 and he died in Douglas County, Oregon 16 January, 1943. His death is one of the interesting stories I remember but first things first.
When he was young Charlie lived outside of town somewhere between Le Claire and Princeton, Iowa. That is the location of my first story. This part of Iowa has always been a Tornado alley of sorts. We still get some every year or two. That’s another story and I don’t want to get sidelined so back to Charlie. In the early part of the twentieth century it was the common practice in the rural areas to have a "Root" cellar which also served as a place of refuge when severe storms approached. Charlie’s family was no different. The root cellar was nothing more than a hole dug in the ground with some steps going down to it, a door that could be shut and a roof made out of dirt and sod. For the purpose of keeping food cool during the summer and keep it from freezing during the winter it worked very well. It’s second function was to provide a place to get underground when a tornado approached. That’s where our story will start. Please remember, this is a story that was handed down from my Grandmother to my Mother and finally to me. Is it true? Who knows.
At the time Charlie was a young man probably in his early teens. He had been out working in the fields when the storm came up but at the time it didn’t look to bad so he continued to work. Back in the house his mother saw a tornado heading their way so she had to warn the family. She ran to the large dinner bell (I’m not sure if it was an actual bell or a triangle) and beat on it as hard as she could to warn the men in the field that danger was approaching and they needed to take cover immediately. As luck would have it Charlie was the farthest from the storm cellar. He took off running as fast as he could, trying to get to the cellar before the storm got to him. He just didn’t have enough time. As luck would have it the tornado overtook him just as he approached his mother’s roses and he just couldn’t get to the cellar and he couldn’t possibly survive the tornado. It was going to go right over the top of him.
Can you imagine what must have been going through his young mind? A sure death was the only option, or was it? Charlie threw himself into the middle of the nearest rose bush, frantically twisting the limber rose bush around his arms and gripped it as hard as he could. The tornado swept directly over him and did it’s very best to tear him loose from his mooring but Charlie was tougher than any old tornado.
After the storm was over and the family, knowing that Charlie had to be dead and long gone, came out of the root cellar. Miracles of all Miracles. Charlie was alive and laying in the rose bush. The story goes that he was black and blue from the top of his head to the soles of his feet but he was alive. That Wonderful Rose Bush was both limber and strong enough that it refused to break and Charlie wasn’t about to let go. So Charlie Lived to tell the story and later to become a lumber jack in Oregon.
Charlie Chandler Returns Home
Next I would like to tell you about how Charlie died. Again, this is a family "history" story and I have no documentation to verify it.
Uncle Charlie had gone to Oregon to become a lumber jack and was working in the Roseburg area, Douglas County, when he died. In those days, and maybe still, if a limb fell from a tree from high up it was called a "Widow Maker". It was unexpected and if it hit you there was a good chance that your wife would be a "Widow". That’s exactly what happened to Uncle Charlie. The exact details are unknown but what is known is how he was sent home.
The lumber company that Charlie worked for had a special coffin built for him by a local craftsman and sent his body home. The method of transportation wasn’t mentioned but I assume that it was by train. When he was received by the local mortuary the value of the coffin was immediately apparent. When the family arrived to finalize the arrangements they were approached with an offer. If they would allow the mortuary to trade for another coffin they would perform the entire funeral for free. Being the times were hard (1943) and money was tight, the deal was accepted. Charlie came home in one coffin and was buried in another. All in all, the mortuary obviously made money on the deal, the family saved a lot of money, and I suspect if Charlie had been alive he would have agreed that it was a deal just to good to pass up.
God Bless You Uncle Charlie and Rest In Peace.
Bob Jones