COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tim Koehler unexpectedly began a collection of items that once belonged to his older brother Todd.
He keeps pictures in his living room that were found six months after an EF-4 tornado ripped through Putnam County, killing Todd, his wife Sue and 17 others. The couple lived 17 miles away from Tim on Herald Court where 12 of the 13 homes on the street were leveled.
Through the help of Facebook, Tim received several photos that blew to every part of the region. People found the photos of Todd from as far as 110 miles away in Johnson City. Tim also found a picture of his siblings and uncle during a trip to Wisconsin on his own property. Other memories he was able to collect include a picture of a Christmas party in Illinois in the early 90s, Todd's yearbook and even his stamps.
"You don’t realize until they’re gone how much you really miss them," Tim tearfully told NewsChannel 5. "They loved each other and they couldn’t live without each other and the way they were taken, God knew what he was doing."
Todd and Sue married a few years ago after dating for at least six years. Tim said you would have to "break his shell" for Todd to open up since he was described as a quiet man. But many who have come to know Todd said he was a genuinely nice guy who loved to hug and laugh. He also shared a passion for cars and motorcycles.
Tim has kept his brother's damaged 1977 Camero and motorcycle in his storage. He also used rocks found on Todd's property to create a memorial in the back of his house with a cross created by a former co-worker. The memorial sits by the creek Todd frequented to skeet shoot.
"This was his joy. This was his peace away from work and he came out here all the time," Tim said.
Tim said the family hasn't been able to gain closure because they just received Todd's death certificate last week. There was an error in the original death certificate that prolonged the process. He said they needed the certificate to finally bury his ashes.
