Morton Library Helps Tornado Victims Reconnect With Lost Items.
MORTON, Ill. (CBS) -- Some victims are getting a little relief by finding their items. Many are reuniting with family photos, some of which blew hundreds of miles into the Chicago area.
Now, the library in Morton Illinois is the hub for victims in Washington and Coal City to get their things back.
Everything from baby teeth, to irreplaceable pictures, to precious letters are waiting to be claimed.
Laura Ruff is a volunteer at Morton Library. She's created a small team to help tornado victims locate their items. When someone finds a picture or item they contact the library and Ruff steps in.
"We go through and take that information, take a picture of it, log it with an item number and we're posting that item online" said Ruff.
Just imagine, the tornadoes destroyed over one thousand homes, many homes, many memories and millions of pictures.
"There's people dropping daily. There are people coming in browsing or physically going through pictures we haven't been able to upload yet," said Ruff.
One picture belongs to Ann Marie Klein, her son's baptism. The picture features her late brother and it's the only photo she has of him. Now Ann Marie is trying to find letters written by him to his children.
"They are wrapped in plastic with their names on the front of the cards. I'm just praying that somebody out there finds these cards," said Klein.
Klein issued an emotional plea on Facebook to find the letters.
"I believe god has a plan and we'll find those cards," said Klein.
As for the Klein family home, it is gone and just the foundation stands, but Ann Marie did find her beloved statue of Virgin Mary.
"This statue does not have a scratch on it. it was sitting in the middle of my house laying down and to me that tells me it was a miracle.
Ann Marie says the Klein family will be together for Thanksgiving tomorrow, at her mother in law's home.
For more information on Morton Library's efforts to reconnect lost items with their owners, click here.
