A Rural Town Rocked By Terrorism
Grangers Remember 9/11
By DeAnn M. Cardarella
Tucked away in a secluded field
in Western Pennsylvania, lies a
peaceful meadow in Somerset
County surrounded by rolling
hills and trees. The wind’s
constant rustling of weeds and
branches seems as if nature is
trying to tell her story about the
day the world seemed to stop
after what transpired over her
skies in the very rural community
of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
September 11, 2001 is a day
that will forever stand out in
the minds of the American
people. As a nation watched
the televised events of that day
unfold, residents of New York,
Washington, D.C. and the tiny
community of Shanksville were
catapulted into the center of it all.
Forty heroes fell from the sky
aboard Flight 93 to their final
resting place in Shanksville.
Once a farm field, now a
soon-to-be national memorial,
people come from hundreds
and thousands of miles away to
quietly reflect on the events of
that September day. But for the
residents who live only minutes
away, those who perished
aboard Flight 93 are forever a
part of their daily thoughts.
Emma Gene Engle is a member
of Hillcrest Grange #1674. As
a Somerset County resident,
she can’t help but think about it almost everyday.
“Every time I pass the road
that leads to the crash site,
I think about it,” Emma said.
“Shanksville School is just a
little further up. The plane could
have hit that. A little further
down, it could have hit us. It
could have hit anywhere.”
“We always thought something
like that would never happen
here,” she said, “but it did. It
made us realize bad things can
happen anywhere.”
Esther Mowry is a member of
Wills Grange #1690. September
11 is a day that will forever haunt
her. She only lives 15 minutes
away from the crash site. It has
been five years since that illfated
flight grounded near her
home. But the memories are always fresh in her mind. “I was a nanny for a family. The mother was a teacher,”
she said. “That day, I didn’t
have the television on and
someone called and told me to
turn it on. I was watching what
was happening in New York
and Washington, D.C. when
I realized there was a plane
crash in Shanksville.
In spite of the horrific events of
that day, the many people who
were personally affected by the
tragedy have impressed Esther.
Esther and her daughter, Maria,
have had the privilege of singing
at one of the memorial services
held at the Memorial Chapel
not far from the crash site. She
has looked into the faces of the
loved ones left behind and was
impressed by their strength and friendly nature.
“This county has embraced and
shown love to all the families,”
she said. “They have become
a part of our county. We will
forever remember them.”
Wally Miller, the Somerset
County coroner, suddenly was
in the national spotlight and
forced to oversee the recovery
of the victims. Being from a
small community, Esther knew
of him prior to that September
day. His actions throughout that
daunting process made her respect him even more.
“He did a fabulous job,” she
said. “Mr. Miller was a guest
speaker at Wills Grange months afterwards.
“After he spoke to us, I couldn’t
help but think about how hard
it must have been not to have
a person to bury,” Esther said. “For many, they only had a
piece of clothing or a single
item. I thought how hard that
must have been to only have
one minute portion of their
remains.”
Over the last five years, Wills
Grange as a group, has visited
the temporary memorial for the
victims of Flight 93. Esther said
each time it is an emotional
visit. Hundreds upon hundreds
of messages line the memorial.
Messages of condolences and
gratitude for their acts of bravery stir emotion.
“One thing for sure, the events
of that day will always remind
us how fortunate we are to
live in this country and have
the many freedoms we do,”Esther said. “We must not take
that for granted. Because this
happened so close to home, it
has brought that message even
closer to our hearts.”
For more stories in this issue Subscribe Today for a FREE Copy! | 
As I write this article, a nation
pauses to mark an anniversary
of a day forever etched in the
minds of all Americans - September
11th. As I type my thoughts
on the fifth-year anniversary of
that very sad day in U.S. history,
a radio plays in the background
almost rewinding the day and
causing wounds to reopen that
haven’t quite healed. Questions
keep coming: Do you remember
where you were and what
you were doing when the attacks
occurred? How has your
life changed post-9-11?
At eight years old, little Hannah Leibensperger is somewhat of a history buff. For her, her Grange is much more than a place to meet, eat, greet, and make things happen in her local community. It is a matter of family pride. On her mother’s side, Hannah’s bloodline runs deep in the veins of her local Grange – a fact she is very quick share. 
I was born in Huntington, West Virginia but I grew up in Mobile, Alabama. Until I was fifteen I never thought I would live anywhere else but that all changed when my parents brought me to Washington D.C. for the first time. Coming here I finally felt that I had found my home. Ever since that trip I have worked very hard to find my way back to DC.