The Landeck tornado:A day to never forget

By Helen Kaverman, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Monday, March 17, 2008 (6 months, 3 weeks ago)
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St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was destroyed by the March 19, 1948 tornado. The original church’s cornerstone was used in the rebuilt one. Two Landeck students lost their lives while exiting the church.Many of us can remember where we were and what we were doing 60 years ago on St. Joseph’s Day — 19 March, 1948.
That was the day that terrible tornado swept through parts of Ohio, taking down the Landeck church and bringing death to two sixth-grade boys. They were Norbert Bonifas and Gerald Kill.
It was lunch time, near 12:30 p.m., and most of the kids were out on the playground around school. The church was right across the street and it was common for kids to go over to church. Sometimes they went over to pray the Stations of the Cross, especially since it was still Lent.
The boys were just leaving church as the deadly storm hit and the steeple came down on them. They were found on the upper landing of the front steps near the door by Nelson Grothaus, who was one of the first parishioners to arrive on the scene.
The Bonifas boy died instantly after having been pinned under one of the church bells. Gerald Kill was hit by a falling brick and died on his way to the hospital.
Sister Mary Paschal, the Sacristan and two girls, Angela (Wrasman) Meyers and Velma (Hugel) Wehri, were in church cleaning the Sanctuary. When Sister Paschal realized danger was approaching, she ducked into a utility cabinet with the two girls in the west sacristy. When they stepped out of the cabinet they discovered the main part of the church was destroyed but the sacristies and the main Altar were intact — except for a window above the Altar.
The school was also damaged during the storm but the kids had been called in from the playground when Sister Mary Bernadine noticed the severity of the approaching storm.
She got the kids into the central hallway on the first floor and closed the doors leading to the classrooms. This probably saved many students from injury or death. One of those students was a twin brother of the Bonifas boy, who was fatally injured.
The Kaverman family had just finished lunch. From their home on State Road, they could see that the church steeple was missing from the Landeck skyline, so Matt, Hups and Don rushed into town. The youngest Kaverman boy, Ralph, was still in school in Landeck at that time. He was OK.
Art Rode arrived about the same time as the Kavermans. The phones were down so Father Knoepfle sent Hups Kaverman and Art Rode to Delphos for help and ambulances. Help arrived within 20 minutes.
Ambulance service at that time was provided by the two Delphos funeral homes — Kolkmeyer’s and Harter & Son. Local physicians came to the rescue of everyone involved. Three Delphos priests, the Revs. Reineck,  Ottenweller and Herr, came to Landeck to help comfort the children and parents.
Since the main altar of the church was left intact, the Blessed Sacrament was removed and taken to the St. John’s Catholic Church in Delphos by Father Reineck.
Nearly all the windows in the school were broken. Many homes in town had broken windows and the Landeck Store was considerably damaged.
Three young boys, Melvin Heitz, Joe Youngpeter and Tom Trentman, waited out the storm in the boys’ outhouse, near school. The boys ducked into the outhouse because Sister had called the kids in early from lunch and they didn’t want to go back in school yet. They were in for an experience they will never forget. They saw the little wooden building raised up off its foundation and they were covered with dirt and sand from all the debris blown around. They even had sand in their ears.
At that time, the storm was considered the worst to ever hit this section of Ohio. The tornado was first known to touch down in Ohio City, where it was reported to have damaged 85 percent of the homes and businesses. It also wrecked six airplanes at the Van Wert County Airport. Damage was reported near Middle Point, Venedocia, Rockford and Neptune.
It also touched down south of Delphos, causing damage. Then it was known to have hit again near Vaughnsville, Columbus Grove and Ottawa. A tornado also caused damage near Coldwater, Celina, Cloverdale, Fremont, Bowling Green and the Toledo area. At Woodville, near Toledo, five 27-ton boxcars were blown off the tracks.
Many barns and  other buildings in the Landeck area and south of Delphos were destroyed or damaged. Many head of livestock were also killed or injured.
The Landeck boys were given a double funeral at the Delphos St. John’s Church and burials were made in the Landeck cemetery.
Norbert Bonifas was the son of Albert and Catherine Bonifas. He was also survived by the following brothers and sisters: Jerome, Arthur, Dorothy, Richard, Albert Jr. and John. A brother, Aloysius, died in infancy.
Gerald Kill was the son of Linus J. and Irene Kill. He was also survived by three sisters: Janice, Patricia and Mary Louise. A brother, Joseph, died in infancy.
Cleanup began after the funerals of the two boys. Many men from the parish and surrounding area came with trucks, wagons and tractors. Within 10 days, the debris was cleared away.
The actual building of the new church began in August 1948. The new church was solemnly blessed by the Bishop of Toledo on Feb. 16,1950. Financial help came in from all over the area.
Landeck St. John the Baptist Parish was established in 1866. The first Mass in the first little church was offered on Christmas Day 1866. It was really a forested area and getting to church was difficult. It has been said that wedding couples would walk a mile or more to the church on their wedding date. Some old timers said the route of funeral processions often led across farm fields.
This was all part of pioneer life.
The Landeck parish is planning a Mass of Remembrance at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

2 Reader Responses to “The Landeck tornado:A day to never forget”

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  1. #1 — Added 6 months ago

    It seems very long ago until you read the article and then it seems like it happened yesterday.

    Posted on April 7, 2008 at 1:50 pm by Patricia Wellmann

  2. #2 — Added 5 months, 3 weeks ago

    I am going on 67 years old now. But in 1948 I was in the first grade and the Nuns came running out and ushered us all into the central hallway just as was described. If I recall correctly, I was standing next to my sister Carol, who was in the fourth grade and she was standing next to Janis and Patricia Kill. We had no idea of the severity of the storm until it was all over and we were allowed to go home. Since I lived just down the street to the west, the first thing that I noticed, as someone walked my sister and me home, was that our family garage had just disappeared. Inside the house my Mother had been ironing in the kitchen and a little cover on a chimney that was used for a wood stove before the war, had blown off and covered all her clean, ironed clothes, and the rest of the kitchen with very black soot. She was very upset.

    Our family and the Kill family were very close and I remember first hand the heartaches they felt. It was a very sad day.

    Our family left Landeck that same year. I have returned many times to visit but never returned to live there. I many fond memories of living there and with the exception of a few remaining relatives living in Delphos and Lima, I have none left in Landeck. (That I know of.), I often wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had remained in Landeck. Each time I return I am always amazed by the tranquil beauty of this western Ohio village.

    Posted on April 17, 2008 at 6:15 pm by Charles Williams