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Fish fry helps Levasy church recover from flood damage

Posted at 4:02 PM, Aug 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-25 18:26:13-04

BUCKNER, Mo. — It's almost been three months since flood waters rushed into the small town of Levasy, Missouri.

Most of the houses and the town's only church filled up with water.

On Sunday, the Ebeneezer Church of Christ held a fish fry to help raise money to fix the mess the flood waters created.

"This is amazing," Jeanne Lischer, the church's pastor said. "The support has been amazing."

Over a couple hundred people showed up to support the church that means so much to the community.

"We had friends that got married there and we're in their weddings and stuff like that," Karen Neiweg, who lives in nearby Napoleon said.

Some people at the event weren't members, but say it's what small towns do, help each other during these tough times.

"It breaks your heart, you hate to see people going through that losing everything they got," Chris Pearson said.

One of those people was Lynette Morris, whose house flooded and she hasn't lived there since. The price tag on fixing everything is roughly $80,000.

"The plan is to rebuild the house, fix the house and to move in by Christmas is the goal," Morris explained.

As the church raises this money, there's a looming choice they'll have to make.

"It's terribly overwhelming and then there's bigger questions about whether or not we should even rebuild in Levasy," Lischer said.

It's a heavy decision that the congregation still hasn't decided on.

"After seeing it with water in it it gives you a lot of mixed feelings, that's where it's always been probably is, I'd like to see it there," Greg Dieckmann said.

"If they rebuild it all and if it floods again, than to me that just tears it down that much more," Neiweg added.

The church holds the fish fries every year, but they said this year is the largest turnout they've ever seen.