James Graham got a great 45th birthday present with the progress on his family's new house.
The Graham family, Mayor Domenic Sarno and workers raise a wall of their new home
SPRINGFIELD – Where once there was a ranch house, there will now be a colonial style home.
It’s not that the Graham family, of 29 Judith St., arbitrarily decided they wanted a new style of home.
James and Kelly Graham in their kitchen after the tornado. The tornado that ripped through their neighborhood as it pounded several communities June 1 made a new house a necessity.
On Thursday, the family invited Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to do a bit of construction work, to join the family and workers as they literally raised the first wall of their new home, on the site of the old home.
James P. Graham, who is acting as general contractor for the construction of his new home, said he is proud his was the first building permit taken out for post-tornado construction.
Sarno said the Grahams – dad James, mom Kelly L. Graham and 11-year-old Jennifer A. Graham – represent the word “resilient.” He said since the day of the tornado the family has had a positive attitude.
No one was home when the tornado tore apart the house.
“I was on my way home from work,” Kelly Graham said. She had worked a little late, and that kept her out of her neighborhood during the dangerous moments.
Dad and daughter were at his business, Jim’s Auto Repair, with the family Rottweiler.
For the first three weeks the family lived with friends. They subsequently got the temporary trailer which is on their home lot and that now houses the family.
Kelly Graham is hoping the family will be in the new home by Thanksgiving. Christmas is usually her number one holiday, but this year it will be Thanksgiving, she said.
It was a double celebration Thursday as James Graham turned 45 and heard "Happy Birthday" sung by the mayor.
Despite the loss and disruption, the three Grahams are excited the photograph of them in their destroyed kitchen, taken by The Republican photographer Mark M. Murray, will be one of the photographs on the cover of the tornado book to be published by The Republican in September.
Kelly Graham said she has pre-ordered one copy of the book, "Path of Fury," but now will pre-order more.
Once the house is ready, the shopping can start, which Kelly Graham said she is looking forward to.
“We saved some furniture,” Kelly Graham said, but most was scratched and waterlogged, she said.