It’s been 63 years since the devastating June 20, 1957, tornado cut through north Fargo. But the memories linger.

Gary Leeby sends pictures of the home of his parents, Victor Leeby Jr. and Marlys, before and after the tornado struck.

Gary writes that his parents were in Chicago the day the storm hit, so his grandmother’s sister from California was staying with him (he was 5) and his 4-month-old sister.

“What I remember is it got real still,” he writes, “and Dr. Hugh Hawn’s daughter came over to tell us a tornado was coming and to get into the basement. But we didn’t go there.

“It started roaring and stuff was flying around, and my great-aunt ran to get the baby.

“Then the next thing I remember is that the neighbors’ bike was in our living room lying on the couch. It had flown through the picture window with all sorts of other stuff.

“We stayed in my parents’ bedroom until we thought it was safe to come out, because that was the only room that still had a ceiling. The rest of the roof was torn off and the garage was destroyed.

“We tried to get out the front but couldn’t, so we kicked the back French door open a little and got out that way. My grandmother later said we were all black with dirt and the baby’s crib was crushed. My great-aunt had a black eye and her glasses were blown off her head. She and the baby were taken to the hospital.”

While his parents rebuilt the house on the same spot, they and Gary lived at Gary’s grandfather’s cottage on Pelican Lake in Minnesota. After Gary’s mother died some years later, Gary and his wife, Denise, bought the house and live there today. Gary’s father died a few years later.

‘Awful’ green sky

Carol Zieman tells of being on her job at the Fargo Cafe when the tornado hit.

She lived in Oakes, N.D., but worked at the ASC and, during the summer, at the cafe while attending college.

When the tornado struck, “I remember the heavy door of the cafe just stood wide open by itself,” she writes.

“The sky was the most awful color of green.

“I could not drive home to my apartment in north Fargo that night, but picked my way walking.

“The house was damaged. I remember all the trees and pictures and STUFF laying all over the streets and yards.

“At the ASC office the next morning, we learned of a fellow worker who had lost his home, and of the experiences of others.”

Carol and her husband today split their time between Oakes and Casa Grande, Ariz.

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Did you know Gary?

Here’s a man seeking information about an old friend who he connects with the tornado.

Rodney Nelson, Fargo, writes that “After the storm, not only news but messages from the public went out over television and radio. I remember hearing, ‘ Gary Hunt, please return to your home.’

“Gary and I were classmates at Fargo Central High; two avid student musicians. He had a lot of natural talent.

“The message did not surprise me. He liked to run off to scenes of action without necessarily telling anyone.

“We both would enter Concordia College as music majors. He and his fiance stood up for me at my wedding, and I played pipe organ when they got married at Trinity Lutheran in Moorhead. They soon moved to San Francisco.

“Gary did not pursue a high-end career job in music, but chose a simpler life and got by on whatever musical work he could find while enjoying seaside and urban adventures. I often saw him when I, too, lived in the Bay Area. We eventually lost touch.

“In 2018 I picked up a rumor that he had died. Tracking down his only offspring, his son Hans, of Vallejo, Calif., I got confirmation. I did not see an obituary for him in The Forum, so I guess he had no remaining relatives in the immediate area. If I’m wrong, it would be interesting to hear about them.”

Flying linoleum

Getting back to the ‘57 tornado, here’s a note from Michael Peterson, Fargo, who writes, “I was playing with my sister Barbara in our front yard at 18 Eighth Ave. N. in Fargo. A big piece of linoleum came flying by me and landed in our yard.

“Our mother, Ione, got us to the basement right away. Later we came out and went to see the devastation close to our home.

“I remember mattresses up in the trees by the Red River.

“A friend, Wally Meyers, had a big ‘56 Buick wrapped on a tree near the North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU). They had to cut it in half to remove it.”

Some good news

Now, here’s a story from the tornado with a positive ending.

Geneva Knudson, Mayville, N.D., writes that at that time she was with the Hillsboro, N.D., unit of the North Dakota National Guard.

When the tornado hit, “We were alerted and convoyed to Fargo,” she writes.

“We were at Concordia College, muddy boots and all.

“I was given an unloaded M1 rifle and posted on a street corner.

“The Red Cross came by with coffee, a mild diuretic and donuts.

“After a while I had to go to the bathroom.

“Turned out the house I went to was a Fargo banker’s house.

“He always cashed my checks after that.”

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If you have an item of interest for this column, mail it to Neighbors, The Forum, Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107, fax it to 701-241-5487 or email blind@forumcomm.com.