Their home, along with the neighboring town of Hallam, had been flattened by an F-4 tornado that tore through multiple counties in southeast Nebraska during the evening hours of May 22, 2004. His brother came to help. Dan arrived quickly from Michigan. He brought with him not only badly needed skills but equally essential energy and optimism life-giving to all.

Dan designed a t-shirt that was worn by hundreds of friends and neighbors and volunteers as they worked tirelessly side-by-side, dealing with devastated properties and broken hearts.

Dan also ordered a custom-made address plaque to replace the one that had been by their front door. The words chosen carried a very special meaning:

The plaque arrived the very day workers were coming to lay the bricks!