For more than a decade, Mayfield was home for Judy Burton.
That changed on December 10, when her little corner of the Eloise Fuller Apartments at 206 West South Street was removed by a late-night EF4 tornado — sending her window, her mattress and her entire back wall out into the darkness.
Burton and her Australian Shepherd named Blue (because of his dichromatic eyes) had shuffled off into the basement along with several other residents — thanks to some timely advice from 15-year maintenance manager Gary Rose — and waited out the turmoil.
Burton’s pet turtle, Lucky, did not survive. Nor did her next-door neighbor.
Needing some place to immediately go and nothing much in her possession, Burton bunked with a daughter living in Mayfield, Texanna Argueta, and waited.
The Eloise Fuller facility is one of many in the Christian Care affordable housing network in Kentucky. With more than 800 employees statewide, these apartment complexes house those 62-and-older using fixed income, and often provide safe, secure independent living for residents.
As such, a call went out to Christian Care CEO Mary Lynn Spalding less than a week after the storms.
On her Caller ID, Spalding saw a Mayfield number light up, and she took it. Burton was on the other end, and Spalding just let her talk.
As the conversation evolved, Spalding knew where Burton needed to go: Friendship House in Hopkinsville, another property handled by Christian Care.
Almost immediately following their first conversation, Spalding put Burton in touch with Friendship House Building Supervisor Lela Hale, and once Burton visited the Hopkinsville facility and walked through a vacant apartment, an immediate connection formed.
Hale said Burton’s story “nearly ripped her heart out,” and after sharing it with other coworkers and assistants, everyone went to work to create an ultimate surprise.
Less than 30 minutes later, support arrived.
Burton, of course, was unaware of what was happening. In conversations, she kept telling Spalding, Hale, and a daughter and granddaughter (Erica Wood) in Hopkinsville that she needed furnishings.
Everyone kept the secret, and on Wednesday afternoon, she arrived at Friendship House with Blue — wrapped in a “Space Invaders” sweater, no less, because it’s Burton’s favorite Atari game and because he always “invades your space” — and erupted in emotion.
Paul Ganther, Friendship House chaplain, blessed the home.
And now, Burton can try to begin finding peace — something that Argueta and Wood both noted brings an ease of mind to the family.
Unsure if she can ever return for some of the belongings in her Mayfield apartment, Burton kept it simple in regard to her new hearth.
“I’m blessed.”
