1924 – Aug 10, Tornado, Henry Kuhns homestead 4 miles east of Thurman, CO        —   11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-13-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–11  National Weather Service, Denver/Boulder WFO. “Thurman Tornado August 10th, 1924.”

–11  Reichle, Zachary. “Thurman, CO F4 Tornado – August 10, 1924.” Tornado Talk. 1-5-2024.

–10  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 494.

–10  Nevada State Journal, Reno. “10 Killed By Colorado Tornado.” 8-11-1924, p. 1.

–10  Tornado Project Online, Stories, “A Tragic Harvest Celebration.”

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “On Sunday, August 10, 1924, four miles east of Thurman, Colorado, the Garrett, Yoder, and Kuhns families gathered at Henry Kuhns’ ranch after a Mennonite service. Twenty-seven people had just finished a harvest celebration dinner. Just after 1:00 pm, one of the men spotted a tornado to the north, in the direction of an adjoining ranch.

 

“Very much in the Mennonite tradition of assisting people after disasters, Henry Kuhns and eight other men left to see whether help was needed. When they saw that no buildings had been hit, they returned to the ranch to witness the most tragic moment of their lives. What may have been the next member of that tornado family was bearing down from the west, directly at the ranch house. Eighteen women and children inside were apparently unaware of the approach of an intense, 100-yard-wide funnel.

 

“The men drove southward as fast as possible but, as they came to within 200 yards of the front gate, the house ‘trembled as if a giant unseen fist was shaking it.’ After a few seconds ‘the structure was ripped apart and its occupants hurled into the air. Ten of the 18 people died; nine of the 10 were children.” (Grazulis. The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm. Page 159.)

 

National Weather Service, Denver/Boulder WFO. “Thurman Tornado August 10th, 1924.”

“Overview of the Thurman, Colorado Tornado (August 10th, 1924)

 

“On August 10th, 1924, a tornado developed west southwest of Thurman, Colorado in the afternoon.  The tornado tracked east northeast and affected a local gathering, of 27 people, at the home of Henry Kuhns, 4 miles east northeast of Thurman. 10 people were killed at this location while another person died of their injuries, four months later, at a Denver hospital.[1]  Of the 11 people killed, 9 were children with ages ranging from 1 to 14.  This still remains the deadliest tornado on record for the state of Colorado.”

 

Newspaper

 

Aug 10: “Denver, Aug. 10. – Ten persons were killed and five seriously injured late this afternoon when a tornado demolished the farm house of Henry Kuns, a farmer residing four miles east of Thurman, Colorado, according to information received here tonight. It was reported that at least two of those injured would die.

 

“All of the dead and injured were either residents or visitors at the Kuns farm house when the storm struck. The storm struck the Kuns home, demolished it, destroyed the chicken house and barns on the place as well as two automobiles, which were standing in the yard.

 

“The dead are:

 

Four children of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Yoder.

Mrs. Henry Kuns. [Kuhns]

Two children of Mr. and Mrs. Kuns.

The Rev. Amos Burkey.

Fred Garrett.

….

“After demolishing the buildings on the Kuns farm, the storm was seen to lift and travel eastward. No report of it having struck at any other place in the vicinity has been received here.

 

“According to reports from neighbors of the Kuns family, Mr. and Mrs. Yoder and family and the Rev. and Mrs. Amos Burkey were guests at dinner at the Kuns home, having accompanied the members of the Kuns family home from the noon day church service.

 

“….Thurman is a small inland town consisting of three or four store buildings, a church and a school. It is 33 miles north of Flagler, Colorado, which is the nearest railroad point.” Nevada State Journal, Reno. “10 Killed By Colorado Tornado.” 8-11-1924, p. 1.

 

Fatalities (provided by email from asm1976 on 4-13-2025; also Tornado Talk)

 

  1. Nellie Birky 14        Noted in Stella Kuhns obit and in Tornado Talk.
  2. Leola Braman Garrett 39        Died of injures 12-13-1924.
  3. Opal Fern Garrett 13        born at Flagler, Kit Carson County, CO, 12-7-1910
  4. Zelda Unita Garrett   9        Born Flagler CO 7-27-1915.
  5. Delmar E. Kuhns,              6        born at Chappell, NE 1-30-1918.
  6. Maggie Ernst Kuhns       40        born in NE, 1-26-1884.
  7. Stella Kuhns,               8        born at Chappell NE, 8-17-1915; died at home of parents.
  8. Blanche Yoder             10        born in Washington County, CO, 11-21-1913.
  9. Ray Vernon Yoder   1        Born 8-4-1923.
  10. Robert Stanley Yoder   7        born in Washington County, CO, 1-24-1917.
  11. Vera Ruth Yoder              8        born 7-12-1915.

 

Sources

 

Find a Grave. “Delmar E. Kuhns.” Memorial ID 18573105. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18573105/delmar_e-kuhns

 

Find a Grave. “Leola lantha Braman Garrett.” Memorial ID 15794117. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15794117/leola_iantha-garrett

 

Find a Grave. “Maggie Ernst Kuhns.” Memorial ID 18096160. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18096160/maggie-kuhns

 

Find a Grave. “Opal Fern Garrett.” Memorial ID 15794131. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15794131/opal-fern-garrett

 

Find a Grave. “Ray Vernon Yoder.” Memorial ID 40811057. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40811057/ray_vernon-yoder

 

Find a Grave. “Robert Stanley Yoder.” Memorial ID 18573394. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18573394/robert_stanley-yoder

 

Find a Grave. “Stella Kuhns.” Memorial ID 18572955. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18572955/stella-kuhns

 

Find a Grave. “Vera Ruth Yoder.” Memorial ID 40811058. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40811058/vera_ruth-yoder

 

Find a Grave. “Zelda Unita Garrett.” Memorial ID 15794186. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15794186/zelda_unita-garrett

 

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

 

National Weather Service, Denver/Boulder Weather Forecast Office. “Thurman Tornado August 10th, 1924.” Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.weather.gov/bou/1924ThurmanTornado

 

Nevada State Journal, Reno. “10 Killed By Colorado Tornado.” 8-11-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-25-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/nevada-state-journal-aug-11-1924-p-1/

 

Reichle, Zachary. “Thurman, CO F4 Tornado – August 10, 1924.” Tornado Talk. 1-5-2024. Accessed 4-13-2025 at: https://www.tornadotalk.com/thurman-co-f4-tornado-august-10-1924/

 

Tornado Project Online. Stories. “A Tragic Harvest Celebration.” Accessed 1/4/2009 at: http://www.tornadoproject.com/

 

 

 

[1] Leola lantha Braman Garrett, who died 12-13-1924.