Help Charlie Thompson beat Cancer and Tornado

Retired pastor Charlie Thompson had just returned from the store when he went outside to look at the approaching storm. His son John was visiting to assist him with his grueling cancer treatment and managed to grab him in time to shove him halfway down the stairs to the basement when the tornado hit his farmstead. In 5 seconds, his farm was pummeled, and his home rendered unlivable.

 

Tornado image from Sheriff's office.

 

Aerial view of the damage.

 

My name is Eric, and I am a friend of John's, and am sharing their story and asking for help. Many in Iowa were impacted by the now confirmed 43 tornados on December 15th.

 

Charlie was particularly hard hit, as his out-of-pocket spending on cancer treatments had exceeded $100,000 and had left him unable to keep up with his home insurance, and it had lapsed.

 

He needs a new furnace, repairs/replacement of the roof and siding, outbuildings need to be repaired/rebuilt, as well as many other items that were damaged or have disappeared. The initial estimate for this work is $30,000 - $40,000.  They've applied for disaster aid, but aren't expecting much, if any.

 

 

Would you please help a family who has served us?

Charlie and all six of his children have served in our armed forces.

Charlie and his six children, at the funeral of his wife, Karyl, in 2011.

 

For more information, see these news accounts:

https://greenecountynewsonline.com/2021/12/17/charlie-thompson-tells-his-tornado-story/

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2021/12/22/thompson-shares-firsthand-account-of-tornado/

 

Donation options:

In addition to this GoFundMe, the Venmo account is @ThompsonFarm-TornadoRelief, or checks could be mailed to: Thompson Farm Tornado Relief, Peoples Bank, 116 West State Street, Jefferson, IA 50129.