Yoder Neighbors Help Each Other Dig Out From Storm

Snow drifts topping six feet in Yoder are any child’s dream; perfect for tunneling into and sliding down.

“The best, best part of it is, there’s no school,” said Paige Gardner. “So you’re sleeping in, getting all your gear on and going outside to dig some tunnels and play around.”

But for the grown ups, the storm brings more serious issues. When Paige’s neighbors, Tammy Ladner and her husband, woke up Saturday they were completely snowed in their home and their vehicles were inaccessible. Something concerning for Ladner because she has a lot of health problems.

“A desperate feeling,” said Ladner of how she felt. “A lot of things can happen and everything goes through your mind, especially with all the medical conditions I have.”

Luckily, their neighbors the Gardners came to help, digging out a path to their door, giving them a ride to get medicine and supplies and making sure their pet pig, Bacon, had the snow cleared from his little house out back.

“If you’ve got good neighbors then you treat them like good neighbors,” said Tim Gardner. “Everybody helps everybody out. It makes it easier to get through when you get weather like this.”

The neighbors will continue to rely on each other for now, as this snow isn’t going anywhere yet.

“It’s not like the road crews are coming to dig you out,” said Ladner. “You’re pretty much on your own out here, but thank God for good neighbors.”