Texas town rebuilds through faith, persistence—and help

MATADOR NINET Y DAYS LATER

THEMATADORHOME, above, of longtime residents Jim and Judy Cooper was among those destroyed in the powerful June 21 tornado. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER
THEMATADORHOME, above, of longtime residents Jim and Judy Cooper was among those destroyed in the powerful June 21 tornado. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER

“God was definitely watching over us,”

said Cody Cooper of Matador, Texas, who arrived at the front entrance of his parents’ home the evening of June 21, 2023, only minutes before it took a direct hit from a violent EF-3 tornado.

His sentiment has been a common theme throughout rural Motley County—and beyond, as the storm also tore through multiple counties to the southeast, with multiple tornadoes,…