CLAREMORE, Okla. — One family is finding joy in a photo returned to them after a tornado destroyed their Claremore home.
It's something many people are facing — belongings lost after storms ripped through.
Thanks to the power of social media and the Pryor Public Library the Teehee family got at least one thing back.
"It’s just emotional, an emotional time. You know this is where we started our family," said Gerome Teehee.
For the family, they’re forced to start over. On May 28, 2 News visited the library as they worked to collect lost pictures.
The library staff hoped to return the pictures to their owners.
2 News' Braden Bates posted some of the photos on his Facebook page.
That post led to the reunion.
"Here we are eight miles from Pryor, and it shows up in Pryor, and to get one picture back, it means, you know, they say a picture’s worth a thousand words. I think it’s worth a thousand emotions," said Donna Teepee.
Gerome's sister commented on the post. The picture is of her and her brother.
"Just the fact that it left this property and ended up somewhere along the way, and somebody found it and even turned it in. It was amazing," said Gerome.
When 2 News met them at the Teehee family home on June 3, rain soaked what's left of the family's belongings.
The Teehees said they searched for their stuff for the last week, most of which is in their damaged home or about a field away.
"We’ve lost clothing. We’ve lost collectibles that we have been collecting over the years. Personal belongings of ours, of our children’s. Pictures — we’ve lost lots of pictures, and we’ve been so blessed to get one back," said Donna.
As the couple sat in the car watching the rain, Donna said they were letting the rest of the stuff go.
If you are still missing photos and documents, they could be at the Pryor Public Library: 505 E Graham Ave.
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