This Is Iowa: Family’s beloved heifer survived December storm
Iowans know their local fare is special. 12 year old Sydney Walker is showing his prize show her first summer after months of preparation, it’s time to shine. Summer in Sydney are in the final drive. Winning hardware comes down to the judge’s decision, but before we get there, Where we could even see some isolated tornadoes embedded within that. It was 80° in December. Weird thing. I mean, it’s not going to be *** good day with severe weather expected it was time to secure the farm. We have never been so ready for *** storm ever but that couldn’t prevent mother nature putting them in the eye of *** historic tornado outbreak. Power went out so we had to just run downstairs. It was really well, it was really fast. An Ef two tornado packing 120 mile per hour winds tore through there for What I thought was hale had to bend, debris, sheets of debris pummeled their house 60 seconds is all it took for mother nature to knock out their power and demolished property to come out into that carnage was like otherworldly. Really. Sydney’s beloved show Heifer was in *** barn that the barn crumbled and collapsed on this december night. Summer was nowhere to be found *** friend and and my husband climbed in there and came back out and told me that she is not there amid all the damage and the stress of watching *** 100 plus year old family farm torn apart, something major had happened and we have all of these lives in our hands, priority number one rain and all the animals. We looked out here and our, our cows are very trained, two buckets of corn that night with his wife are unaccounted for. Sydney had faith. They’re going to make it to the county fair and I’m gonna win in faith prevailed. We went and grabbed some corn and shook *** bucket and all the calves came up and I looked and here in my flashlight is summer. She was eating around bill like nothing happened like she’s having *** snack. Okay. Which I’m sure Sydney was really happy about. Oh my gosh, they were just relieved and that was the best moment of the whole thing was being able to go tell him that she’s okay. I was really happy. But there’s *** lot more stuff to be done. When the sun came up the next day the weather was calm and cool, but the work that needed to be done was unimaginable. That’s when neighbors answered the call. I tell you that’s the part about living here in Iowa that you know, there’s no place like home neighbors helped clean up tree limbs and debris and even brought chris coffee while the walkers were waiting for their power to be restored. He knew the one thing I had to function is my cup of coffee and here he showed up. When christmas came, the farm was on the way to recovery, but *** beloved family member grandma Patty was still fighting *** life threatening illness. She was still very, very sick at that time. Six plus months in the hospital fighting for her life grandma Patty wasn’t able to be with the family for the holidays. Even in the worst of times you want to be together days rolled by and the walkers continued to pick up their farm. The illness that hospitalized Patti started to subside. It’s interesting to kind of look back on it that way and think, you know that she as we recovered cheated too come july, the whole family was together again at the Hamilton county fair. Patty who spent months eating through *** tube, was able to enjoy fair food again for her to be able to be at the fair and have our cast red cardinals beef burger or to the whole family at the fair, watching Sydney show, Summer and his older sister Riley show lambs just means more. Sydney and summer didn’t win. But that seems like *** moot point, doesn’t it? I’m glad she’s alive and I think that she got her moment to shine princess and the life they were so worried about losing is about to give birth and now she’s going to be *** mom this past year has been challenging for the walkers but it’s also made them count their blessings house intact, *** farm being rebuilt, *** heifer that snacked her way through one of the state’s largest tornado outbreaks and *** family that is simply grateful. It just makes you so grateful for life and health and, you know, family and community and all of those things that are so easy to take for granted.
This Is Iowa: Family’s beloved heifer survived December storm
Updated: 8:27 PM CDT Sep 22, 2022
In December of 2021, the Walker family was preparing for an incoming storm on their farm.The family moved their trucks, tractors and skid loaders strategically across the farm to weigh down precious cargo, but that couldn’t prevent mother nature from putting them in the eye of a historic tornado outbreak. An EF-2 tornado tore through their farm, causing their barn to collapse.When the family went to the barn, their prized heifer, Summer, was nowhere to be seen.But 12-year-old Sidney Walker had faith that Summer was safe — and faith prevailed.In July, the whole family was together at the Hamilton County Fair, where Sidney was able to proudly show Summer.”I’m glad she’s alive and I think she got her moment to shine,” Sidney said.Other stories:This is Iowa: Engaged couple has special connection to Iowa historyThis Is Iowa: More than just a tractor ride
In December of 2021, the Walker family was preparing for an incoming storm on their farm.
The family moved their trucks, tractors and skid loaders strategically across the farm to weigh down precious cargo, but that couldn’t prevent mother nature from putting them in the eye of a historic tornado outbreak.
An EF-2 tornado tore through their farm, causing their barn to collapse.
When the family went to the barn, their prized heifer, Summer, was nowhere to be seen.
But 12-year-old Sidney Walker had faith that Summer was safe — and faith prevailed.
In July, the whole family was together at the Hamilton County Fair, where Sidney was able to proudly show Summer.
“I’m glad she’s alive and I think she got her moment to shine,” Sidney said.
Other stories:
This is Iowa: Engaged couple has special connection to Iowa history
This Is Iowa: More than just a tractor ride
