A deputy who guides the safety of prisoners.

Last weekend, a tornado system swept through western Kentucky, killing at least 75 people, followed by destruction, despair, and grief. Friends, family members and strangers are organizing relief funds and memorials to commemorate those who died.

Do you know anyone who died in a tornado in Kentucky? Please contact reporters Olivia Krauth and Kala Kachmar at okrauth@gannett.com and kkachmar@gannett.com.

A real-time update on the Kentucky Tornado: Beshear says the death toll from the tornado is still 74, with 12 children among the victims

William "Bill" Amy is remembered for his love of family and cooking, relatives told the Frankfurt Stadt newspaper. 

Earlier on Saturday, during a storm, Amy was driving to work when his car was driven off the road in Frankfurt. 

He helped clean up the annex of the Capitol; legislators there have fond memories of him. House Republican spokesperson Laura Gones told the National Daily that when they met at the Capitol, she and Amy would exchange recipes. 

Of the 15 deaths diagnosed in Bowling Green, 5 belonged to the Besic family. 

"We are a family of 21 and are now 16 years old," Selveta Besic said Tuesday afternoon. 

Alisa Besic-Servita's sister-in-law and mother of three children-died in the storm, as did Alisa's 7-year-old daughter Elma and baby girl Alma. She left behind a two-year-old boy.

Selmir, 6, and Samantha, who were less than a year old, were also killed in the storm.

Four other members of the Becic family suffered life-threatening injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. They include Servita’s two brothers, both of whom have lost two children, and they are 25 years old. Sister, she is probably paralyzed. 

"We were just shocked," Becic said. "You were alive for one minute, just playing with them, and then they disappeared in the next 15 minutes." 

Jenny Bruce served the children of Dawson Springs for four years, even after she retired.

Bruce is a board member of the Dawson Springs Independent School, a community of approximately 500 students in Hopkins County.

A post from the Kentucky School Board Association stated that she had served as the chief financial officer in the area for many years. 

Sarah Kaegi, the financial officer of Murray Independent, said in a message that Bruce was "sweet, kind and ready to help."

Bruce "always talks about her husband, her children, her grandson, and of course her dog," Kaegi said.

"She always has a smile on her face. I hope her family knows about her kindness, her leadership is far beyond Dawson Springs, and she will never be forgotten."

Bruce's stepdaughter worked at the Citizens Bank of London and set up a fund in her name to help the Dawson Springs community.

"It's really impossible to use words to describe what she means to me," Bruce's stepdaughter Brandi Wither wrote on Facebook. "Although she is not my mother, but for most of my life, she has been like my mother. Her heart is different from what I know. She really does not hesitate to do anything for anyone, anytime, anywhere."

Larry Burdon died on a farm in Caldwell County when a two-story house he built by himself was razed to the ground by a tornado.

As a retired pharmacist, Burden spent most of his life in Lexington, but moved to Madisonville nearing retirement to prepare for the farm he and his wife eventually purchased. His brother Tim Burdon told The Courier Journal that while he was studying, the two lived in the trailer of this property-because he had no carpentry experience-and in his spare time. Shi built the house entirely by himself.

Tim said that his brother is always concerned about his health-he eats right, walks 10 miles a day, and lifts weights regularly. Burdon is an avid outdoor enthusiast, and he plans to complete the second half of the Appalachian Trail hike this spring.

"He once joked that he would live to be 120 years old," Tim Burden said. "He became a farm boy after living in the city. He just did what he wanted to do after retirement."

Larry is quiet, very smart, and loves the Lord. He likes his chickens and often leaves his eggs to his neighbors. Tim said his brother was full of creativity-even when he was a kid. He made a radio when he was a child and communicated with people from Japan.

When mowing the lawn, he drives a wooden stake into the ground and connects it to a self-propelled lawn mower so that it can cut a large circle evenly. Sometimes he would look inside the house and laugh, because passers-by in the car slowed down and were confused by what was happening.

"He is a good brother, a good man," Tim said. "If he is determined to do something, he will do it."

When the tornado hit, Burden, his wife, daughter and their grandson were all driven out of the house. When they woke up on the lawn, it was dark and it was raining.

Larry lost his way and kept praying loudly until his death. His wife remained vigilant but critical at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and she was buried under the debris. Neighbors hurried over to help, covering them with blankets and doing their best, but it took more than three hours for the authorities to cut down the destroyed trees so that the all-terrain vehicle could carry them out on a stretcher.

"The destruction is unimaginable," Tim said, as he brought heavy equipment such as bulldozers and backhoes to his brother's house and tried to move the debris for several days. Crowds of people have come out to help the family. Larry’s wife is facing months of recovery; his daughter and grandson suffered only minor injuries.

According to his obituary, Rick Carlisle likes to go to auto shows and build custom show cars. At his funeral, honorary patrons will include "friends he made while showing the car."

The obituary stated that Carlisle grew up in multiple states and Japan and retired from Trane in 2014 after serving for nearly four years.

Outside of the show car, he likes to ride horses and do mechanical work for the people around him.

Instead of flowers, his family asked for donations to the Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.

A colleague of judges said that judge Brian Crick of two counties in western Kentucky is known for his good judgment in solving problems.

Circuit Judge Brian W. Wiggins said that Crick is the District Judge in Muilenberg County and McLean County and is responsible for criminal misdemeanor cases, traffic courts, and juvenile cases. 

Wiggins said that many of the defendants before him were not represented by lawyers and Crick was "very good at ensuring their rights are protected." "He has a very common-sense approach. He is very calm about how to deal with cases and how to talk to people."

Creek was killed when the storm hit his home in Mulenberg County. Wiggins said that his wife and three children survived the disaster and none of them suffered serious injuries. "[Crick] is just a perfect family man...very engaged with his children and his wife. They are number one for him."

When the tornado hit, Graves County deputy jailer Robert Daniel was supervising prisoner workers in a candle factory in Mayfield. 

Graves County jailer George Walkman said on Monday that Daniel had focused on the prisoners he cared for when he was killed when a tornado damaged the factory.

The seven prisoners that Daniel supervised at the factory on Friday night were part of a new work plan that had just started three days ago.

After the storm hit, the prisoners told Walkman's deputy that it was Daniel who pushed all of them to safety, guided them through the door and leaned against the wall inside the factory. Walkerman said that the last prisoner who walked in told the police officer that Daniel was behind him for a while and suddenly he was gone.

"It takes a great person to give up his life for others. But he did it, and he did it for the right reason," Walkman said. 

Walkman said that all seven prisoners in Daniel's care were spared. Both of them fractured their legs.

A cousin Mark Saxton Sr. said that Daniel was a native of the Mayfield area, which was destroyed by the storm.

"He loves his community," Saxton said. "He is a great family man. Everyone who meets him loves him. He is the kind of person you want to associate with."

According to his aunt Destiny Lashea Jackson, Jha'lil is happy to start preschool after his fourth birthday next month. He likes Paw Patrol, playing with Nerf guns, doing flips and watching videos on a tablet.

He likes to play with his older brothers and sisters Damalion and Jawien Noonan, Harriet Garnett, and his 1-year-old brother Julius Dunbar. Jackson said that her nephew is very caring, friendly and always happy to go to the daycare center. He loves his parents William Dunbar and Huda Arubahi. 

Jackson said that every time he eats, he will say "bussin', bussin'". This is a popular TikTok phrase that means something is delicious.

Jalil’s second cousin, Alisha Weatherby, said that when the storm came, he and Julius were at home with Arubashi at home. The three of them couldn't get to the basement, so they hid in the bathroom on the first floor. Arubashi's brother was in the living room at the time.

When the tornado hit, it pushed the two-story house from the foundation to the house next door. The second floor fell into the first floor.

The path of the Mayfield Tornado: A huge tornado swept through Kentucky for more than 200 miles.

Weatherbee said that Alubahi's brother escaped from the wreckage of the plane and was able to find Alubahi and her children because he could hear Julius' crying. She said that when the house collapsed, the mother and two sons appeared to be trapped in the bathroom on the second floor.

-Joe Gerth and Kala Kachmar

70 and 69, Dawson Springs

Jeff Eckert and his wife Jennifer "Lulu" Nelson Eckert were the victims of Dawson Springs.

According to his obituary, Jeff founded a book publishing company in Nokomis, Florida in 1988. From the 1970s to the 2000s, he liked to play in several different bands.

According to her obituary, "Lulu" is "Nona" to her grandchildren. She has worked as an optometrist for 15 years and enjoys traveling and planning activities or picnics.

The tornado this weekend claimed the life of Matthew Ferguson, his home, and his two dogs Leo and Chunk. Ferguson is kind, considerate, reserved, down-to-earth, and can contact anyone, his cousin Jenny Prevet and her husband Matthew Prevet told The Courier Magazine.

"He is the kind of person who is willing to do anything for anyone in the world," Matthew Prevet said. "From the day I met him, he has always treated me like family... This left a big gap."

Ferguson is passionate about horror movies. He is an amateur writer and director, has visited film conventions and hosted Halloween parties. Matthew said that he plans to remake a low-cost horror movie, "The Devil's Playground", which he shot at their grandmother's house in 2010. 

Ferguson is the driver of Carhartt in Madisonville and works in automobiles in his spare time. Jenny said that since she lost her father, she intends to let her cousin "inherit the tradition" and teach her son cars, but she has no chance. She said that Ferguson loved his family deeply.

Ferguson is the only boy of four children and the only boy born in Kentucky. As a child, when his sisters drove past the Greenville Hospital where he was born, they often teased him for "sending him home." A few years ago, at a relative’s funeral, Matthew and their family laughed at a photo of Ferguson and his elders. Matthew said that during his "David Jones stage," he was in the 1970s. Sisters. He has a great sense of humor.

Scottie Flener and his wife Meagan Flener died in their downtown home to protect their three children.

"They are amazing people. If you need them, they will take off their shirts and give them to you," said Sandra Flener, a relative next to Scotty.

According to their obituaries, they left behind three children, Landon, Alizabeth and Kenni Lynn Lafollette, as well as many siblings and family members.

"They love their family and friends, they have everything," Sandra said. "They are humorous and like to hang out with the people closest to them."

Their 3-year-old daughter Thea Flener passed away in 2020. Scottie is a self-employed and Meagan is a housewife. 

"Scottie and Meagan Flener are the two best people I have ever met," relative Sandi Flener wrote in GoFundMe, and began to pay. "They are my family and they will be missed forever."

-Kala Kachmar and Olivia Krauth

The death of four members of an Amish family attracted relatives from five states and destroyed the local Amish community.

According to the Washington Post, Jacob Gingerich is remembered by relatives and community members as an honest and hardworking man. His wife Emma is remembered for her smile. 

An employee of Jacobs said that they moved to the area last year and wanted to build a house where they used to be a double-storey mobile home.

The couple left three children-an 8-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a baby.

Rita Ann Gish, 74, died at her home in Bremen. She is a lifelong native of Muilenberg County and is one of 10 children. According to an obituary issued by Tucker Funeral Home, Gish is a retired canteen worker from Bremen and a member of the General Baptist Church of Niels Church. 

Her two sisters, two children, two stepchildren, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren survived. 

When the tornado hit Dawson Springs, Carl Hogan was "a stone's throw away from his daughter's house," said GoFundMe, which was organized for his expenses.

"For nearly 24 hours, Karl went missing without any clues, and his daughter and grandchildren started working," the fund's description continued.

According to his obituary, Hogan enjoys spending time with his four grandsons.

His other hobbies and interests include fishing, Yellowstone Park and "his jack-up green big truck."

Hogan and his grandchildren left behind his wife, father and two daughters.

For more than 40 years, Terry Jayne has run Oak'n Ivy, a successful flower business in Russellville. 

"Terry has always been very grateful and grateful to all his customers, and has received continuous support from the community during his years of ownership of Oak'N Ivy," said the flower shop's Facebook post. 

Jayne is an Eagle Scout, a former member of the Russellville Rotary Club, and a long-term member of the Russellville United Methodist Temple. 

According to the Warren County Coroner, Jayne died of a cardiac arrest at Bowling Green Medical Center on Saturday during the weekend’s storm clearing. 

"Terry is very considerate and humble," his obituary said. "You only need to be with Terry for a few minutes, and you will be moved by his kindness, generosity, and his extraordinary love for his family." 

When the storm came, Douglas Koon, his wife Jackie and their three children crowded in the bathroom of his mother-in-law in Dawson Springs.

The couple put their young daughter Oaklynn in the car seat to protect her, and she seemed okay on Saturday.

But on Sunday, the baby began to have seizures, and the doctor found a brain hemorrhage after she was taken to the hospital. Koon posted on Facebook that they thought she had a stroke.

Early on Monday morning, the family announced that the baby had died.

In a text message to the Associated Press on Monday, Koon said that he was trying to "handle everything I'm going through."

A family member opened a GoFundMe account for Koon's family and his mother-in-law, Sheila Rose, who had lost her home.

Wade Lihl died at his home in Cayce, Fulton County. According to his obituary at the Hornbeak Funeral Church in Fulton, he is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Lihl is a member of the Pentecostal Church, and his wife Holly Watson Lihl, who has been married for 20 years, said that he strives to be a good Christian.

He worked as a laser operator at MTD Products, a manufacturer of outdoor power equipment parts in Martin, Tennessee.

In addition to Holly, Wade also left a sister and several nieces and nephews.

"He is a very compassionate person and a hard worker who never misses a day," Holly said. "He has always taken care of me. Without him, life would be very difficult."

Richard Lipford and his wife Millie have been married for 49 years.

According to his obituary, as a veteran of the US Air Force, Richard likes to collect guns, model airplanes and "anything related to history."

Millie's obituary stated that her hobbies include crocheting, puzzles and gardening.

Her sister Dian Blake said that Millie was her best candidate for advice, even though she was still young.

"When you face a problem in life, she can always say the right thing," Blake wrote on Millie's obituary website.

"I love them both," she continued. "My love for them is eternal."

Say Meh was one of 16 people who died of storm-related injuries in Warren County over the weekend. According to the Warren County Coroner, May died at Bowling Green Medical Center. 

According to the GoFundMe page, Meh, a refugee from Myanmar, is learning to become an American citizen to support her family. 

"Say Meh loves life and has never met a stranger," the GoFundMe page says. "Her tireless spirit and charming smile will be missed by people." 

Governor Andy Beshear said his uncle Ed Miller in Versailles lost two cousins ​​in Mulenberg County during the tornado. 

Miller visited Muilenberg County with Bashir on Tuesday. He said that his dead relatives were his cousin Billy Miller and his wife Judy Miller. They are farmers who live in the Milport community.

"They are very close to me, from the point of view of my return to the area, when I come here, all my brothers and sisters will spend a weekend with me. Everyone comes in to eat, socialize, cousins Come here, I'll go back to the church where I grew up, and everyone is there," Ed Miller said.

Billy and Judy have been married for 56 years, granddaughter Hayley Burton told The Washington Post. She said they were found side by side in a property near Bremen, the hardest-hit area.

In Gil Monroe's last moments, she was trying to protect the safety of others.

A colleague told her family that when the tornado was heading towards the Mayfield candle factory where she worked, she helped guide people to the indoor bathroom where they could take shelter.

At the same time, her sister Heather McGoffin said that she was texting her family in Oldham County to make sure they were paying close attention to the storm passing through Kentucky.

"She is such a person... She will run out before the tornado to help save others," her son Chris Chism said Tuesday afternoon.

After the storm, Chism and his wife Paige Tingle drove to Mayfield to try to find out what happened to his mother and his "best friend." They finally found from the Graves County Coroner that she had not survived the storm.

Monroe was one of eight candle factory employees confirmed to have died in Friday’s tornado, which destroyed the town of Mayfield. Mayfield Consumer Products, which owns the plant, said that 102 other people at the plant that night had been found alive, but state officials have not confirmed this information.

Her family said that Monroe only stayed at the facility for three to four months. According to Chism, she moved to Mayfield to "start anew" and have the opportunity to connect with her birth family community-she was adopted at a very young age and found her a few years ago Biological family.

In Mayfield, Chism and Tingle collected some Christmas gifts that she had bought for her family. They will appear under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, especially the ones labeled "From Mimi" for the couple's three children.

"This is what she wants," Chism said. "Christmas is about watching her children open gifts."

However, Monroe's biggest holiday surprise planned for her family will not happen.

Her colleague told Chism that she was moving back to Oldham County before Christmas Eve.

When the tornado hit Bremen, Andrew and the charity Oglesby lost everything-most importantly, their only child, Chase. 

"No one should experience the pain of so much loss overnight," GoFundMe organized by Andrew's sister's fiancé Zach Negulis.

GoFundMe said that Andrew and the charity were hospitalized due to injuries during the storm.

"They are the two most dedicated and caring people on earth, willing to do anything for anyone," Negulis wrote. "They and all of us collapsed completely this night because they lost the most important thing in this world."

Evelyn Ratay likes square dancing, bowling and making quilts. According to her obituary, she will make quilts for her family and donate the extras to local hospitals and people in need. 

Lathai worked as a tailor in a clothing factory in his early years. 

The Lyon County Coroner confirmed that she died on Saturday from the effects of a tornado in western Kentucky. 

"Her family likes to be with her and her happy attitude," her obituary said.

Cory Scott likes basketball and woodworking. He likes shooting, listening to loud music, and working on trucks and cars. 

According to a Facebook obituary, the Bowling Green resident passed away on Saturday. As of Wednesday, Scott was one of 16 storm-related deaths in Warren County.

Scott is the contractor for Bluegrass Craftsmen in Rockfield. 

Family and friends mean everything to him.

"He is my role model, and one thing I really like about him is that he is just a strong man. He is selfless and will do anything for anyone," his brother Cole Scott told Courier Magazine . "He will give up everything he did to make you happy. He is my hero." 

Since childhood, Cole said he would imitate the way Corey signs his driver's license. Cole wanted to be someone like his brother and said that he might get Cory's signature tattooed in his memory. 

"He means everything to me," Cole said. 

Cole said he will always remember Corey's smile and laughter. 

"He lit up a room," he said. 

A verified GoFundMe page has been created to support Scott's family. 

The kindness of Cheryl Snodgrass will be remembered. Her son, Ian Snodgrass, told Courier-Journal that if someone stepped into her home, she would greet them with open arms. 

"If she is here today, if you say hello to her, or if you have a bad day, I assure you that she will work hard to make your day better," Ian Snowdgrass said. 

According to the Muilenberg coroner, Cheryl Snodgrass died in Muhlenberg County during the storm that struck western Kentucky over the weekend. 

Her son said that she likes to read and repair damaged items, such as furniture. 

Ian Snodgrass said that the long conversation with his mother in their first home was one of his favorite memories with her. 

"She is a special woman," he said. 

Diane Varney died on the weekend at her daughter's home in Moorman, known by many as Ms. Di. Her son Ricky Beckman told The Courier Journal that she was the team leader and 15-year veteran of Burger King in Midtown, where she was loved by managers, employees and customers.

"My mother is admired by everyone who knows her," he said. "It wasn't until yesterday's funeral that I realized how much the community loved her."

Beckman said his mother has a heart of gold. Although she doesn't have much, she will donate the last cent or the shirt she took off to help people in need. Varney moved her two children Beckman and Jenny Shemwell from Chicago to Muilenberg County in 1998 to keep them away from the city. Beckman said she lives for grandchildren Ava, 11, Asher, 8, and four-year-old Abram Shemwell.

"Her hobby is couch potatoes-as long as she has her Sonomas (cigarettes), Monster drinks and her grandchildren," he said.

Beckman, who has been recovering since March, said he will stay awake in memory of his mother. 

"She just wanted me to do it right," he said. "Just because something bad happened doesn't mean you have to go back to that lifestyle. She doesn't want me to return to the way I was." 

Varney's family set up a Go Fund Me page to pay for her funeral.

This story will be updated.