Jimmy's New House!
(copied from WBIR TV NEWS)
http://www.wbir.com/News/news.asp?ID=10288

FIRST BRAND NEW HOME IN MOSSY GROVE

Since November 10th, the Woody family from Morgan County has been in and out of hospitals, and living in and out of other people's homes. Thanks to some generous strangers they now own a brand new home. And it's just about move-in day.

"Darrell Keene, from Darrell Keene Construction; Steve Dawson, Joe Sword and sons, Gene Byrd and sons, A&A Electric, Gary Koontz, and Tri-State Machine out of Kentucky," reads a list of people who helped in Mossy Grove.

Donna Woody doesn't know any of them, but they built her a home.

"To know there are people who care, that I've never met, until they started working on my home, it's amazing," the tornado victim says, "a very big blessing."

"We did all the electric work here," explains Amanda Rudder with A&A Electric. "We just felt like we wanted to do something for these people because if it happened to us we would hope someone would do it for us."

What "happened" was an unbelievably strong tornado, a storm that blew away not just the Woody's singlewide trailer, but all of Mossy Grove. The Woodys were separated. Mom, Dad and daughter landed about 100 yards from their trailer in one direction. The two sons landed about 100 yard in the other direction.

"It was like something out of the movies," Woody recalls. "Just the terror of not knowing if my babies were dead or alive, that, I never ever want to deal with again."

The Woodys had nothing but their lives, until an old friend started asking some Sevier County builders for help.

"It just came together and grew," says family friend Ray Daugherty. "It seemed like the thing to do at the time."

Out of a field of debris, sprung a sturdy new house, in less than a week. Work started before daybreak on Monday, and by the end of one day, "The house was under shingles, half was sided, all the windows were in, electric was in, and half the plumbing," explains Daugherty. "Just one day. Had 40 men in and out, all from Sevier County."

There's even a trailer full of furniture out front. The builders who built the home, bought the all new furniture, too, as a gift.

"It's amazing," Woody says.

"We lifted a lot of spirits around here," says Daugherty with pride. "We were the first ones back in Mossy Grove, first roof up. We're proud of that, real proud of that. Because it's the talk of the town."

"I'm very excited about getting to move in here, as soon as possible!" says Donna's 13 year old daughter, Sarah.

By the end of the weekend, the first house is expected to be a lived-in home. A symbol. Mossy grove is back.

12/14/2002 5:00:07 PM
Reporter: Teresa Woodard