Alabama's tornado victims say its going to be a 'grateful, thankful' Christmas (slideshow, video)

PLEASANT GROVE -- In a year of tornadoes and destruction, Alabamians celebrate this Christmas thankful for the gifts that don't need shiny wrapping and are sometimes taken for granted, such as home and family.

"It's going to be a grateful, thankful Christmas," said retired teacher Mary Freeberg of Pleasant Grove, who has returned to her rebuilt home that had been destroyed in the April 27 tornado. "We're moving stuff in. We'll probably be doing that for a while. We're ready for Christmas."

Freeberg has a small, potted Christmas tree sitting on a countertop of her kitchen, decorated with lights and ornaments. She plans to keep track of how much it grows. "I'll measure it every year," she said. "It will be my little, special tree."

The house her late husband, Harold, built in 1960 was almost entirely gone after the tornado hit. She, her daughter, son-in-law and grandson hid in the basement and came up to see just part of a brick wall standing. A team of church volunteers led by Gorden Thomason of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church rebuilt the house, working to save some of the original brick exterior.

"I've had miracle after miracle," she said. "That's what Christmas is all about -- miracles."

Dan Stucky and his son, Stephen, 18, live a few blocks away. The same team of church volunteers, called Locally Organized Volunteer Effort, built his new home. "It was a team of Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians, all working together to pull this off," Thomason said.

Some leaders of the tornado relief effort have noticed an upturn in the spirit of Christmas this year.

"There's been a rise in an attitude of helping," said Tracy Hipps, executive director of Christian Service Mission, which coordinated more than 17,000 tornado relief volunteers and distributed more than $10 million in aid.

"The people's receptivity to help other people has been heightened," Hipp said. "There's a sense of, 'Do a little less for myself and more for other people.'"

Those helped have been appreciative, and say this Christmas may be the most meaningful one they've ever experienced.

Stucky, a disabled former machinist, suffers from diabetes and two years ago had part of his right foot amputated. While the Stuckys helped church volunteers in the construction of their house, Stephen fell off the roof and broke his right wrist. "It could have been worse," Stephen said.

"It's been a long hard summer," his father said.

The new house features a wood stove facing the front door, which is decorated right now with a Christmas wreath.

"We're not much for decorating," said Stephen Stucky, a senior at Pleasant Grove High School. "It took so long to build we're just anxious to get in."

The Stuckys haven't had time to move in furniture yet. In the bare kitchen, they recalled lying in a hallway as the house was blown away around them.

"One minute everything was fine," Dan Stucky said. "The next minute you don't own a toothbrush."

The new house is the best Christmas present he could have hoped for. "It's better than we ever imagined," Stucky said.

Stucky said he's learned to appreciate what he's got and hopes others do the same this Christmas.

"A lot of people take a lot of stuff for granted," he said. "We're fortunate to be here. We're really thankful for everything we got."

Join the conversation, add a comment or email: ggarrison@bhamnews.com

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/12/alabamas_tornado_victims_slowl.html

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