DORR, Mich. — In Dorr, the aftermath of Thursday night's severe storms is evident as residents work to clean up the damage left behind.
The Berkonpas family is dealing with both physical and emotional impacts after a beloved memorial tree dedicated to their father and husband Dale Berkonpas was destroyed.
"This tree was given to us as a gift when my husband passed away about 10 years ago” said Diane Berkonpas, Dale's wife.
She recalls the intensity of the storm: "I could feel the wind picking up, just hitting the house, and then all of a sudden, I heard this giant crash."
The family narrowly avoided catastrophe as a downed tree almost hit their home.
"That was the one that was almost in my sister's room, and that was kind of scary," Marcus Berkonpas, Diane's son, said.
But, the fallen memory tree for Dale has left the family particularly heartbroken. The pear tree, given as a gift when he passed away a decade ago, was a living memorial to him.
Seeing it snapped was a deeply emotional experience. Diane shares, "It made me sad. I kind of teared up a little bit."
"I was pretty sad because, well, it's in memory of our dad, so it's kind of sad to see it die," Marcus said.
The tree, which had just started to show signs of growth, represented hope and remembrance. Marcus recalls, "Just last year, it was drawing a little bit of hairs, like, little, small ones."
As the Berkonpas family continues their cleanup, the thought of planting a new memorial tree seems daunting. Diane expresses, "I don't know that we want to go there quite yet. I think I'd get a little choked up with it."
In Dorr, residents are coming together to support each other in recovery efforts. For the Berkonpas family, it’s a time of reflecting on memories while navigating the path forward.
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