Cat. #0968 (MFH #282) - As sung by Almeda Riddle, Greers Ferry, Arkansas on February 10, 1970
VERSE 1
T'was on Thanksgiving day
An' th town of Heber Springs
Was visited by a cyclone
An' partly swept away
The people no doubt were feasting
They never thought so soon
That by a dreeadful tornado
They'd shortly meet their doom
VERSE 2
They saw th storm a-pproaching
The clouds looked, low an' black
An' thru that lettle city
It left a dreadful track
They saw th cyclone coming
An' it's too sad to relate
The happyest of families
There had to separate
VERSE 3
They saw th lightning flashing
They heard th thunder roar
Such tears were in that city
As never known before
And as the storm came near them
They heard th people cry
O, Lord, have mercy on us
Is this our time to die
VERSE 4
Some people in that city
Declared, it was Gods word
To cause th great tornado
To do its awful work
They pointed to our churches
Where they'd refuse to go
To pay to their Redeemer
Th debt of thanks, they owed
Almeda says she is going to skip a verse because she chokes up on it. Almeda said her Husband and youngest Son was killed by this tornado in 1926 about 5:00 p.m. Written by Almeda's father J.L. James