Woman Finds Old Family Photo That Traveled Over 150 Miles From Where Tornado Hit

December 13, 2021

A woman in New Albany, Indiana, found a photo that had traveled over 150 miles from a tornado-damaged home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.

tornado photo travels 130 miles
Credit: Katie Posten on Facebook

Katie Posten said she walked outside Saturday morning to her car parked in her driveway and saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

It was a decades-old photo of a woman in a striped sundress and headscarf holding a little boy in her lap.

On the back, written in cursive, it said, "Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942."

tornado photo travels 130 miles
Credit: Katie Posten on Facebook

Katie posted an image of the photo on Facebook and Twitter and asked for help in finding its owners.

"A lot of people shared it on Facebook. Someone came across it who is friends with a man with the same last name, and they tagged him,” she told the AP.

That man was Cole Swatzell, who commented that the photo belonged to family members in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, a 167-mile drive by car.

Katie plans to return the photo to the Swatzell family sometime this week.

"It's really remarkable, definitely one of those things, given all that has happened, that makes you consider how valuable things are — memories, family heirlooms, and those kinds of things," Katie said.

"It shows you the power of social media for good. It was encouraging that immediately there were tons of replies from people, looking up ancestry records, and saying 'I know someone who knows someone and I'd like to help'."


Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoBoy With Down Syndrome Nails The Whitney Houston Challenge, And The Crowd Goes Wild

feel good storiesLowe’s Staff Refuse To Give Up On Missing Cat, Find Her 85 Miles Away

feel good storiesPeople Are Sharing The Funniest Company Fails After This Health Insurance Letter Went Viral

feel good stories‘Heavily Intoxicated’ Raccoon Passes Out In Liquor Store Bathroom After Breaking In

feel good storiesCat With A Gat: Owner 3D Prints Toy Glock, Hours Later Walks In On This

feel good storiesThe ‘Grandma Stand’ Is Bringing Comfort And Connection, One Conversation At A Time

feel good videoBoy With Down Syndrome Nails The Whitney Houston Challenge, And The Crowd Goes Wild

feel good videoA Struggling Mom Could Not Stop Crying After A Stranger’s Christmas Gift

feel good video'That Looks Like Me': Boy Surprises Aunt With Portrait At Art Show

feel good videoShe Was Ready For A Fight With Her Neighbor. His Response Changed Everything

feel good videoDogs In Matching Pajamas Try To Defend Simba From Hyenas

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me