By Matt Dennis

Wayne Keely - Udall City Marshall in 1955

Most gentlemen could write a book about their life, Wayne Keely's could write a book about one day of his. May 25, 1955.  

Mr. Keelys was in his home the night of May 25, 1955. He recalls that he was watching some TV and some of the local children were over. "I remember that there had been a tornado watch out earlier in the night, but that it was canceled an hour and a half BEFORE the tornado hit. The first warning we had was the noise. It was like a jet aircraft coming into town.  I got my family and the kids and got them into the cellar just before it hit.  I remember my wife trying to light a candle, and myself not being able to breath to well.    I was able to get a quick glance out of the cellar while the tornado was over us.  It looked like there was electricity inside of it.  I'm not sure if it was metal hitting together or maybe static electricity.  Debris was coming into the cellar and blocked the entrance.  

After the tornado passed we came out of the cellar. I looked down at my watch and it read 10:41 PM.  The first thing I saw was a neighbor laying in a flooded street.  One of the neighbors came up and said that my sister had been found in a ditch with a 2x4 through her.  She made it, how I don't know, but she pulled through.

There was  a 1952 Chevy pickup in the tree in my front yard.  The owner of the truck was found dead later outside of town.  I walked through the damage. I remember not being able to tell what part of town I was in.  We found another neighbor setting on a porch, setting down leaning up next to a pole like they were sleeping, but they were gone.  The water tower had been knocked over and the streets were flooded.  I saw an old model ford setting in the street near the water tower and it looked like it had not been touched.  The front window was still up, and it had not been broke."  That's where Mr. Keely's stops, and starts talking about the next day. 

There was a total of 83 people killed that night, and more than 270 people injured.  The town of Udall was almost wiped of the face of the earth.  More than 44 years later you can still hear the pain of that night in Mr. Keely's voice, a true hero in my book.

Wayne Keely, 87, of Udall, died Nov. 30, 1999, at his home.
Keely was born Aug. 25, 1912, on the family farm west of Rock, to Sidney Wilson and Ollie (Wilson)Keely. He was raised on the farm and educated in area schools. On Nov. 20, 1937, he married Ella H. Engle in Rose Hill.
Keely worked as Udall city marshal for 13 years and Cowley County undersheriff for several years.

More info.
Damage photos of Udall
Kansas Tornado Chasers Page

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Udall Police Department