Wednesday's Walk

Come walk with me down memory lane. If you want to create your own memories click on the above picture and join in......

A day that will remain forever etched into my memory was January 17, 2001. My youngest son was a new deputy sheriff for the Reno County Sheriff department. That morning in our city of slightly more than 40,000 people, a natural gas explosion occurred in our downtown area. It destroyed two businesses. And it caused panic in the entire city. The next day another explosion occurred in another part of town beneath a mobile home park. My son was sitting on patrol duty at the edge of this park. He was talking on the telephone to his young wife when the explosion occurred. She came to our house and we waited together for word from him. It was terrifying. Soon the phone rang and it was the nursing supervisor from the local hospital ER asking to speak to my son's wife. I handed her the phone and carefully watched and listened. I can only say that there was a guardian angel with him that day. He was okay. But the explosion was beneath a mobile home in which two people lost their lives. He, and a fellow officer, were first responders on the scene and attempts to rescue the two will be an image that will stay in his mind forever. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes during this time. It came to be known that these explosions were caused by abandoned brine wells.
The city is now safe. The businesses have been rebuilt. But the memories of these few days will remain with us forever. In May of 2002 my son and the other officer with him were given an award for their bravery. This is a picture of us taken at that ceremony.....I will always be thankful thankful that God was watching over my son that day.....