Share this @internewscast.com
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — Almost ten months after Hurricane Helene claimed the life of Steven Cloyd, his family gathered for a ceremony to honor and remember him.
The event was organized by Cloyd’s wife, Keli Cloyd, along with their family. Keli and Steven had been married for 36 years, and she expressed that the ceremony provided a sense of closure for her.
“Knowing I could bring him home gave me such peace, and I slept wonderfully the first night he was back home,” Keli said. “I felt a sense of relief and a renewed connection. The most important thing is knowing he’s okay. He’s back home where he belongs.”
Steven Cloyd’s family said he always had a sense of humor.
“He was always the one, you know, if you were feeling down or low, he’d come and make a joke, sometimes at you, but it was always tasteful to make you laugh,” Steven Cloyd’s son Matthew said.
“I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, he’s a Minnesota Vikings fan, and I will tell you the Thursday before the flood, we were watching a Dallas Cowboys game and he had a Minnesota Vikings jersey on,” Keli said. “The Cowboys were getting spanked, and I said, ‘All right, so I can join another team?’ He said, ‘You mean the winning side?’ I said, ‘Yeah, the winning side.'”
Steven’s family is still in good hands, thanks to his brother, Gary, who is helping to rebuild their home.
“I didn’t even know how I was going to do it because my house was completely destroyed,” Gary Cloyd said. “All I had was a frame and a roof. That’s an expense I couldn’t fulfill, and I was determined to do it one way or another.”
Keli Cloyd wrote a poem for her husband.
“I once again hold you in my arms lovingly and tight/ I will see you in my dreams at night/ My beautiful angel/ I want your love/ but you are great to me from right above.”
Nancy Tucker is still missing from Washington County. Emergency officials said they will continue their efforts to locate Tucker and provide her family with closure.