Why Me?

When you look at the damage from the blast at Falk Corporation yesterday morning, it's amazing that there weren't more injuries and fatalities.

The explosion shattered windows blocks and blocks away.

It could be heard for miles. It was literally earthshaking.

For most of the Falk employees on the job when the explosion occurred, blessed relief and reunions with family and friends were waiting for them.

Only three people were killed and just a few sustained serious injuries.

Good news, right?

Thank God.

It could have been so much worse, right?

It's true. It could have been a lot worse.
Stories from survivors of the blast reflect their beliefs that God was with them during their ordeal.

One survivor, David Mays, said, "God has been good to me. He's been protecting me." When he smelled gas, he alerted his bosses and as many people as he could to warn them. Not only did he save himself, he led a half dozen of his co-workers to safety. He prayed that he'd make it home alive. Although his prayers were answered, Mays' gratitude is tempered by grief for the three men who were killed.

Otha Beamon, another survivor, commented, "I'd like to say I'm lucky to be here. God was with me this morning, and a lot more people. Thank you, Jesus, for being here. Thank you, Jesus."

Most of the employees and their families have reason to be thankful. They're together.

The explosion could have resulted in so many more deaths. It could have been so much worse.

But for three families, it couldn't have been any worse.

There were no miracles for them.
The dead were identified as Curtis Lane, 38, of Oconomowoc; Thomas M. Letendre, 49, of Milwaukee; and Daniel T. Kuster, 35, of Mayville.

I'm sure the victims' loved ones are thankful that others weren't killed; but I doubt they find solace in the fact that there were only three deaths in the massive explosion.

They must be wondering, "Why me? Why can't I be reunited with my husband or father or son or brother, like nearly everyone else?"
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes about the three victims:

Shocked relatives of those killed in Wednesday's explosion at Falk Corp. remembered their loved ones as hardworking employees who watched out for fellow workers and who were dedicated to their jobs and their families.

Daniel T. Kuster, 35, the youngest man killed in the explosion, was probably trying to help seal the propane gas leak that apparently led to the devastating blast, his uncle Tim Izydor said.

"He was most likely giving them a hand," Izydor said of his nephew, a second-generation Falk employee. "He was always that kind of guy. He always helped everybody."

...Kuster's father, Melvin Kuster, retired from Falk about two years ago after working there for about 40 years, Izydor said.

Melvin Kuster and his wife, Connie, now live in Oak Creek. Daniel was their only child.

...Curtis Lane, 38, worked at Falk for about 10 years in maintenance, friends said.

He and his wife of 11 years, Tina, also ran a day care center called Leap Into Learning in Oconomowoc.

The couple's two children are Nicholas, who will be 4 in January, and Allyson, 2.

...Friends described Curtis Lane as a hardworking family man who was devoted to his children.

"His kids were everything," Herzog said.

...Relatives of Thomas LeTendre, 49, of Milwaukee, who was also killed in the blast, declined comment.

A 1996 newspaper article described how for years LeTendre enjoyed running an old-fashioned concession stand at the Wisconsin State Fair with his parents and his seven siblings, selling items such as cotton candy, caramel apples and Sno-Kones.

"We grew up at the fair, and we couldn't go through the summer without it," the article quotes him as saying.

My heart goes out to the families of these men.

They have to be struggling with the reality that, in spite of the incredible property damage, there was little loss of life.

They have to be thinking why they were so unfortunate to have their loved one be among the three fatalities.

I understand that feeling, the anxiety. You tell yourself that the odds are everything will be fine. Things will be all right. You pray, then you learn that tragedy has touched you, the awful truth.

It's mercifully numbing for a while, too much to comprehend, surreal. But there's no escaping the reality eventually.

The pain is compounded by the Christmas season. It's a time of joy and beauty and family. It makes the mourning more difficult, and every year, the holidays serve as a vivid reminder of the loss. The sights and the sounds of the season trigger thoughts of the tragedy.

You ask God how He could let this happen. You get angry at the one you need the most -- God.

I'm thankful that the loss of life at Falk was not greater, but I'm mindful that for the victims' families, their loss is as great as it could be and it's for a lifetime.