Staff Writer
MASARDIS – It wasn’t snow but high winds from a blizzard that destroyed a barn and cost the lives of several cattle on Friday.
The structure, owned by John and Noella Craig, was located on the Garfield Rd. and measured approximately 325 feet. All that remains now, according to the owners, is basically one wall. “From the road, it doesn’t look as bad, but that’s because the damage happened on the back side,” said Noella Craig.
Several cattle were lost as a result of the collapse.
“We had around 91 head in the barn. As near as we can tell 71 survived,” said Craig.
While 20 cattle were lost, Craig said she and her husband could lose more, since several of the cows were pregnant.
“Any trauma can cause them to have problems – lose the calves or the calves not survive after birth,” said Craig.
The structure was insured but Craig said that doesn’t begin to cover what the family lost on Friday.
“The insurance will pay for the structure but the cost of cleanup is coming out of our pockets,” said Craig.
Cleanup began over the weekend, with a bulldozer clearing an area to make a yard for the surviving cattle. Carcasses remain in the downed barn, waiting disposal.
“Fortunately it’s been cold. We had the carcass people here to tell us what to do with them. We usually take dead animals to another section of our property. The problem is, with all this snow, we can’t get from point A to point B,” said Craig. “We have to have a bulldozer create a road to the dump site.”
At this point, the Craigs are still in shock, not sure what to do or how to do it.
“There’s so much work to do now – cleanup, disposal of the animals we lost, deciding whether to rebuild or not,” said Craig. “We welcome volunteers or anyone with heavy equipment to help with debris.”
To volunteer labor or equipment, call Craig at 435-6068.
Easter – a sign of spring and rebirth – served as the perfect backdrop for a bright spot amidst this disaster.
“We had an all-white calf born on Easter. We named her Easter. We had another born today,” said Craig in a phone interview on Tuesday.
For now, the Craigs are coping day to day, uncertain of their future.
“We make our living off the cattle. Yet they’re like family and we care about them. To be honest, I don’t know where we’re going to go from here – whether we’ll rebuild or not,” said Craig.
