Post-Hurricane Ike September 16, 2008

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Today I am adding three photos of the damage to the Sealy Altar Window at Trinity Church. Additional images will be placed in a Hurricane Ike damage album on the Trinity Church Website.

At first sight, these are very distressing photos. I know they will be upsetting to you as they are to me. However, we need to become accustomed to the reality we are facing. Please take some comfort in the news that our architect, our structural engineer, and our stained glass conservator are reassuring about the damage and are preparing to come to Galveston to help us as soon as it is feasible.

The church and all its treasures are given to the glory of God, the Master of wind and storm. I am confident that God will provide for us the resources and the faith to restore the place where our community gathers in his Name to worship him. Our diocese and friends around the world are reaching out to us and will support us in the days ahead. This is a time to remember the words of John Donne, "No man is an island." We need the people God has put in our lives now more than ever. We are grateful for them.

Let us not loose heart!

Outside Sealy Altar Window

Inside Sealy Altar Window

Broken Tiffany Glass from Sealy Altar Window

Here is Bishop Wimberly's Second Post-Storm Video .

Please use the COMMENT feature below to share information regarding your well being, whereabouts, and needs.

Ron+

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8 responses to “Post-Hurricane Ike September 16, 2008”

September 17, 2008

Deanna and Bill Bradshaw

Hi, Trinity family,
Just to let folks know…Velma Bradshaw Leavell’s home on Bayou Shore Drive, Galveston was destroyed in Hurricane Ike. Fortunately, son Bill had gone to pick up Velma on Tuesday, Sept.9, 2008 before the storm hit. We have her safely with us at our home in the Texas Hill Country. We brought her dog Dixie up here as well. Her miniature horse Cisco is missing. A rescue unit walked him out and left him on 57th. Street and Menard. Please be on the lookout for Cisco. We have a home for him in Fredericksburg if he is found safely.
Best of luck to our friends in Galveston County. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Rev. Pogue has graciously been checking on Velma as have many of you. Thank you for your concern. We are so sorry to hear of the damage to Trinity Church, Galveston.
Please take care of yourselves.
Deanna and Bill Bradshaw

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September 17, 2008

Deanna and Bill Bradshaw

Hi, Trinity family,
Just to let folks know…Velma Bradshaw Leavell’s home on Bayou Shore Drive, Galveston was destroyed in Hurricane Ike. Fortunately, son Bill had gone to pick up Velma on Tuesday, Sept.9, 2008 before the storm hit. We have her safely with us at our home in the Texas Hill Country. We brought her dog Dixie up here as well. Her miniature horse Cisco is missing. A rescue unit walked him out and left him on 57th. Street and Menard. Please be on the lookout for Cisco. We have a home for him in Fredericksburg if he is found safely.
Best of luck to our friends in Galveston County. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Rev. Pogue has graciously been checking on Velma as have many of you. Thank you for your concern. We are so sorry to hear of the damage to Trinity Church, Galveston.
Please take care of yourselves.
Deanna and Bill Bradshaw

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September 17, 2008

Patricia (Patty) Gray

Thank you for sending us the prayers pre-storm. Like many, I have a little copy of the “old” prayer book and refer to it frequently for prayers like these. Unfortunately, I left the little prayer book in Galveston when I evacuated. Although I know God hears the prayers we write from our own hearts, the liturgy of the church is of great comfort.

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September 17, 2008

Patricia (Patty) Gray

Thank you for sending us the prayers pre-storm. Like many, I have a little copy of the “old” prayer book and refer to it frequently for prayers like these. Unfortunately, I left the little prayer book in Galveston when I evacuated. Although I know God hears the prayers we write from our own hearts, the liturgy of the church is of great comfort.

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September 18, 2008

dana strong

I am in Northwest Houston with my son, Clayton, and our power was just restored last night about 7. I am fine and my neighbor told me my house at 1020 Broadway looks just like I left it. I only had about 4 and a half feet of water and I am 8 feet off the ground. So damage is minimal. My school room in Alvin however was hit by a tornado and I am supposed to go Mon. the 22 and start work on cleaning up the high school. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. When can we go home?
Dana Strong

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September 19, 2008

Patricia (Patty) Gray

Many here at the law center have asked about Jon and Suzette Shulz–if you are monitoring this, would you let me know where/how they are and I will pass it along.

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September 19, 2008

Patricia (Patty) Gray

Many here at the law center have asked about Jon and Suzette Shulz–if you are monitoring this, would you let me know where/how they are and I will pass it along.

Reply
October 23, 2008

Richard & Wenonah Nagy

Dear Fr. Pogue,
Below is the correspondence we sent out to family and friends several weeks ago. Needless to say, our Galveston home is no longer liveable and probably will not be for many months to come. We are still in the process of picking through the mess to try to recover what is salvageable before turning the house over to the wrecking crew.
We will be moving whatever we can recover back to our former residence in College Station. At this time, we have no plans to re-establish a residence in Galveston however, we will be spending quite a bit of time in Galveston yet while we deal with that mess. We hope to maintain our association with Trinity. While our attendance record has been rather poor, we still feel a loyalty and sense of belonging. Hope to see you soon.
You have our email address. Our address in College Station is:
1803 Shadowwood DR
College Station, TX 77840-4846
have not re-connected a phone there yet
Cell phone numbers—Richard–979-224-0370
Wenonah–409-502-7495
while staying with Carol–281-350-1261
Well, we’ve known for years that we needed to do some downsizing. When a 4,000 sq. ft. home won’t hold it all, you have to know that you have too much “stuff.” In the wee hours of Sept. 13th, someone “up there” made the decision for us. We took about four and a half feet of water. Actually, the storm surge was only ten to twelve feet. We would have withstood that with hardly a scratch. But, it was high tide and a full moon, the combination of which added another four to five feet. I am told by some neighbors that water was calf deep in our street before dusk on Friday evening when the storm was still one hundred miles or so out in the Gulf. These folks, by the way, just barely got out while you could still make in in a vehicle.
So, we lost a bunch of stuff. Probably 75 percent of the things that could be damaged by water. Other than the flora and fauna that the salt water killed (about half of it,) the outside of the house looks like nothing ever happened. The inside is totally trashed. It will have to be stripped to the studs and completely done over. At this point, I am not sure that it will be worth it. I have a suspicion that it will cost more than the house will bring on the market. The plumbing (iron pipe) and electrical wiring (non-grounded) are over 50 years old and would have to be completely pulled out and re-done, just for starters.
It does appear that we will be able to salvage enough furniture, housewares, and clothing to establish a comfortable life, for the time being, back in our old house in College Station. We want to eventually re-establish ourselves in the area where we are now staying, Spring, TX. This is about as central to family as we could get and not a bad place to live. By eventually, I mean in the next couple of years. Time is getting away from us. Meanwhile, we wil be here (Carol’s,) Galveston, or College Station, trying to get our life back together. Wish us luck, please.
Richard & Wenonah
—– Forwarded Message —-
Subject: Nagy family survival
Finally got to my Son-in-law’s computer to let folks know our status and whereabouts. You will note on the attached NOAA satelite photo (you may have to zoom in) that our house is intact. Still don’t have any word on how much, if any, water we might have taken. From the photo, I do not see any firm evidence that water got high enough to get in the house. Maybe we lucked out. However, not bloody likely, considering typical Nagy luck. Will update when we find out for sure.
Meanwhile, we are in Spring, TX, (North side of Houston) at the home of our longest time friend, Carol Jackson. Her place is about four miles as the crow flies from the 80 acre plot that was the John Nagy farm from 1940 until 1973 and which was home for me all but one of my first 22 years.
We crossed the causeway going North about 1400 (that’s 2:00pm for the civilian types) Thursday a week ago with the dog, four cats, and enough stuff packed to last about four days. We dumb bunnies really thought we’d be home by Monday at the latest. So, here we sit, without power at Carol’s house since about 2200 Friday night. I’ve been nursing a cantankerous generator ever since trying to keep the fridge and freezer going. We’re at our Daughter’s house now (about three miles from Carol’s) trying to get some clothes washed so we can be somewhat presentable for another few days. Daughter got power back about two days ago. The “Officials” are telling us that we probably won’t get back on the island for another couple of weeks. And, that we probably won’t have power at Carol’s house until after Monday. It’s a great life.
Richard

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