Family of KY 5-month-old killed in 2021 tornado receives keys to new home

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – On December 10, 2021, many lives in Western Kentucky were forever changed by this storm.

Tuesday marks the three-year anniversary of the tornado that claimed the lives of 81 Kentuckians, including 28 here in the Tri-State.

Today, Governor Andy Beshear visited Muhlenberg County, where 11 people were killed, including five-month-old Chase Oglesby.

The baby’s father, Andrew Oglesby, remembers the night the tornado toppled their family’s roof.

“I literally remember the roof flying off the house. The house is tilting. I was dressed, it knocked the shoes off my feet,” he said.

Andrew Oglesby says he frantically searched for his baby in the dark and howling wind with the only light he could find: the lamp on the child’s crib.

Chase Oglesby is believed to be the youngest of the 81 Kentuckians killed in an EF-4 tornado just weeks before his first Christmas.

His mother Charity Oglesby wouldn’t wake up to face that reality for another two weeks after suffering a broken spine during the storm.

She says the injury that has since left her dependent on a wheelchair has brought its own challenges.

“I’m just going to tell you the raw truth, with a lot of anxiety and a lot of depression thrown in,” Charity Oglesby explained.

Three years later, Governor Beshear presented the Oglesbys with a set of keys to their new home, built by Habitat for Humanity on the same site where their old one once stood.

The dedication of the new home marks the first home rebuilt for a tornado survivor by Habitat for Humanity throughout Muhlenberg County.

“This couple has been through something that no one should ever have to experience,” Gov. Beshear said Tuesday outside the couple’s new home. “God took a day that was so difficult for them and turned it into something special – turning a tragedy into triumph.”

Although Tuesday marked a new beginning for the family, they are doing everything they can to preserve their son’s legacy.

Through the nonprofit organization Chase’s Christmas Charity, the Oglesbys give other children in the community a Christmas their son would never have had.

“During such a devastating time in our lives, we received so much love and so much support,” Charity Oglesby explains.

“The back of our T-shirts says, ‘Be the light,’ and that’s what we’re trying to do: be the light,” Andrew added.

This year, the Oglesbys plan to deliver gifts through their charity to 36 children who might not otherwise have a Christmas.