Burnsdall, Oklahoma – Janet Mayo Hardin has owned the Burnsdall nursing home since 1969.
It started with her, her husband and two friends, but since around 2005 it was her alone.
365 days after Nursing Home Owner Barnsdall Tornado
The longtime owner left town on May 6, 2024, when an EF-4 tornado destroyed the town. A nursing home sitting on the road.
“I was very grateful that no one was hurt,” Janet said. “The residents were afraid, but from what I said, they were used to caring for them and we are taking care of them, so they weren't afraid of the staff.”
2 News Braden Bates of Oklahoma has returned to talk to residents who are still recovering.
“It was terrible”: Barnsdall looks back at the fatal EF-4 tornado a year later
The roof chunks on the west side of the building were stripped away, leaving behind a significant amount of damage.
That being said, Janet knows that it could be even worse just by looking at how little towns around her are.
Kjrh
“It was made of concrete blocks and I've always wanted it. I wanted it to be brick or something, but it was a concrete block that kept it all together,” she said.
For the first two months after the tornado hit, Janet considered opening a reconstruction. Now she's rebuilding for sale.
She says she has no interest in her children taking over her legacy, which means that it's a big lift for Janet these days.
But she knows that the town needs to back it up and run, so she's looking for the best person to fill her shoes.
Kjrh
“If I thought someone would buy it and run like me, I would be very happy,” she said. “People who have a great sympathy for the elderly. They take great pride in what they do. They want to share the best. They want to make nursing homes the best, they want to make care the best.
To make the interior as good as new, the builder told Janet that it could last for decades without major repairs, without major repairs, because of how good the bones are.
Kjrh
Over 50 years later, as you can imagine, Janet is having a hard time letting go. However, Janet is deemed to have lived in her high quality care for the Burnsdoll community for another 50 years.
“After a while, I felt that was the mission of my life. I hope I did well.”
Stay in touch with us anytime –
