wfn.org | Tornado claims life of Native American girl in Oklahoma

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 6, 1999	News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville,
Tenn.  10-21-34-71B{253}

NOTE:  The following article may be used as a sidebar to UMNS#252.

By United Methodist News Service

A four-year-old Ponca tribal member was among those who died when tornadoes
struck Oklahoma May 3.

The funeral service for Tara Webster will be held at the White Eagle United
Methodist Church, Ponca City, Okla., where her family has membership, on May
7. As of May 6, her mother, Sandra Warrior, remained hospitalized but was
expected to be released soon.  Her two other siblings had been treated and
released earlier.

"I visited with the mother the other night and she sounded strong," said the
Rev. Thomas Roughface, Conference Superintendent of the Oklahoma Indian
Missionary Conference (OIMC) and relative of the family.  He said that the
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma paid for the funeral and burial expenses.

The outpouring of concern from United Methodists across the OIMC and
Oklahoma Conference has been overwhelming, said Rev. David Wilson, OIMC
Conference staff.  

"Many, many people have offered to assist the family, and we are most
grateful for their concern for the family," he said.  

The OIMC  made a $1,000 contribution to the family to help cover additional
expenses related to the services.  Those funds came from contributions from
United Methodists across the connection.

No OIMC churches were damaged during the tornadoes but several homes of OIMC
members were destroyed in the cities of Moore, Del City and Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita Indian United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kan., is also a part of the
OIMC.

One of those homes belonged to Calvin Chisholm, a life-long member of the
Wichita Indian church.  'The storm came through like a lawnmower," Chisholm
said.  "I lost my two-story home, two barns,  a double-wide trailer, and
even the trees are gone," he said.

Chisholm was at the church for a regular Monday night youth meeting when the
tornado hit his home. "We're just trying to clean up right now," he said.

One other  family from the Wichita church lost their home.  The Tsotigh
family of six, members of the Norman First American United Methodist Church
in Norman, also lost their and are currently residing in a hotel until
temporary housing is arranged. 

John Tsotigh, the father, said the entire family was home when the tornado
hit.  "We were all in the hallway and closet with mattresses," he said.
"I've never prayed so hard and loud in all my life."

Oklahoma Area Bishop Bruce Blake has assembled a disaster response team made
up of representatives of both OIMC and the Oklahoma Conference.  

"We have incredible resources in this room," Bishop Blake said in a meeting
with pastors from the Oklahoma conferences, on May 5. "You have learned so
much as a consequence of the tragedy in 1995," he said.  The tragedy he
spoke of was the bombing of the federal building.

Individuals and churches interested in making financial contributions for
victims of the tornadoes are encouraged to send their contributions to the
headquarters of the OIMC, 3020 South Harvey, Oklahoma City, OK 73109 or to
the Oklahoma Conference, 2420 North Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK
73106-1410.  Checks may be made payable to either conference, marked,
"Oklahoma Tornado Disaster."
# # #
Information for this story was provided by David Wilson, a staff member of
the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and editor of the Advocate, the
monthly newspaper of the conference.

______________
United Methodist News Service
http://www.umc.org/umns/
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(615)742-5472