Family remembers 5 lost in tornado

NEW PEKIN, Ind. (AP) - It's been a long four months for the Brough family since the March 2 tornadoes took the lives of Moriah Brough and Joseph Babcock and the couple's three young children, Jaydon, Angel and Kendall.

"In many ways, it still doesn't seem real, that they are all gone," said 18-year-old Kendra Brough, Moriah's sister. "But the reminders are everywhere."

Friday would have been Jaydon's third birthday, and Kendra Brough said she is certain that Moriah, who was 20, would have had a Mickey Mouse-themed party for her oldest child because of his love for the cartoon character.

Jack Brough, Moriah's father, said he still feels his daughter's warmth and hears her laughter.

"To me, she's not dead," he said. "She's still alive; I feel her presence every day. Not being able to see her is mind-boggling; that is something I still have to come to terms with. "

As the storm approached, the family of five had left their mobile home for a neighbor's larger mobile home and were lying down in it when the tornado smashed through both homes and tossed the family members into a nearby field. The only immediate survivor was 15-month-old Angel, who died two days later.

In all, 35 people across Kentucky and southern Indiana were killed in the March 2 outbreak.

Angel's initial survival captured the attention of people across the world. Dozens of major media outlets from as far away as Great Britain, Norway and New Zealand requested news about her and continued their news coverage until the family's funeral.

Recently, a large black, granite headstone that had been donated to the family was placed at the Crown Hill Cemetery in nearby Salem, where the family is buried together in two caskets. Until last month, the grave site, paid for by the county, had only five small markers.

The headstone has a white concrete angel on top and is surrounded by dozens of flower arrangements, candles, stuffed animals and other memorial items placed there by family, friends and strangers wishing to pay their respects.