Wrecked By a Tornado, Lifted By Care

Peggy Kreber, 71, will never forget the day a tornado ripped her life apart.

It happened March 29, 1998, when several twisters decimated a 150-mile swath of southern Minnesota, including the country home Peggy was renting near the city of St. Peter. The tornados caused $235 million worth of damage to the region, killed two, and injured 21.

Peggy was at work when the carnage struck. When she arrived home, she witnessed a terrible sight: Every window of her home was blown out, and half the roof was gone. In addition, all the big trees in her yard were uprooted and her barn was totally destroyed.

"It was heart wrenching," Peggy recalled.

Several days later, she returned to St. Peter and witnessed an uplifting sight: The Salvation Army was supporting the community with food, clothing and other supplies, along with emotional and spiritual care.

Peggy was thrilled to receive the help.

"The Salvation Army went out of their way to make sure I got what I needed," Peggy said. “Back then I had a lot of needs because I was almost living paycheck to paycheck."

Today, Peggy is financially stable and happily married to her husband, Warren Wagner. The couple supports The Salvation Army because they still haven't forgotten the critical help that Peggy and their community received nearly 30 years ago.

"The Salvation Army was one of the contributing factors of our recovery," Peggy said. "That's something you have to pay forward – always."

Create a Legacy: To learn more about including The Salvation Army in your will or trust, or adding The Salvation Army as a beneficiary to your IRA, please call Tom Cierzan, Senior Director of Gift and Estate Planning, at 651-746-3515.