| Birth: | Nov. 6, 1977
Toccoa Falls
Stephens County
Georgia, USA | | Death: | Nov. 6, 1977
Toccoa Falls
Stephens County
Georgia, USA | 
The Kelly Barnes Dam, located above the Toccoa Falls Bible College near Toccoa, Georgia, gave some cause for concern as it failed in the early morning hours of November 6, 1977.
Fifty-five acres of lake pressed against an old earthen embankment built in 1887. Located in Northern Georgia's Stephen's County, it was about ninety miles northeast of Atlanta. Below the dam, Toccoa Creek plunged 186 feet in an uninterrupted drop, to emerge from a canyon beside a Christian and Missionary Alliance College that sprawled across 100 beautiful acres. Indeed, it had gotten its name from the Cherokee word Toccoah, which means "beautiful."
When volunteer firemen inspected the dam late on November 5th, the water was running normally. But a few hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, on this day, November 6, 1977, the dam broke. Within minutes, a wall of water, traveling at 120 miles an hour, smashed into the campus. When it thundered past, roaring like nothing made by man, thirty-nine people died in the resulting flood, which inundated part of the campus including a trailer park.
FATALITY LIST JUST AFTER THE TRAGEDY:
Toccoa, Ga. (AP) -- Here is a list of those killed at Toccoa Falls:
KAREN ANDERSON, 29, a married student, and her children JOEY ANDERSON and BECKY ANDERSON, all of Toccoa Falls.
JERRY BRITTIN, 23, dormitory student, Olean, N. Y.
RUTH MOORE, 24, secretary of the Toccoa Falls College Alumni Association and her infant son, JEREMIAH, both of Toccoa Falls.
BILL EHRENSBERGER, 28, volunteer fireman, his wife PEGGY, 27, and their children ROBERT, CHRISTI and KENNY, all of Toccoa Falls.
TIA HARNER, 24, wife of a student and her child, ROBBY, both of Toccoa Falls.
RICHARD SWIRES, 21, Akron, Ohio.
MARY JO GINTHER, 26, and her children NANCY, BRENDA, RHONDA and TRACY, all of Toccoa Falls.
ELOISE PINNEY, 26, Toccoa Falls.
DAVID FLEDDERJOHANN, 30, volunteer fireman, Toccoa Falls.
BETTY JEAN WOERNER, 40, secretary to the college president, and her daughter, DEBORAH, 16, both of Toccoa Falls.
MARY WILLIAMS, 75, 35 years on the college staff, Toccoa Falls.
CORY HANNA, 30, dormitory student, Vero Beach, Fla.
EDWARD PEPSNY, 36, theology professor, his wife, CAROL, 35, and their children PAUL and BONNIE, all of Toccoa Falls.
CASS METZGER, 28, and her son DERICK, both of Toccoa Falls.
CHRIS KEMP, 4, son of a college staff member, Toccoa Falls.
JAMIE VEER, 4, son of a college staff member, Toccoa Falls.
MONROE RUPP, 75, Toccoa Falls.
MELISSA, JOSLYN and JOANNA SPROULL, all of Toccoa Falls.
Authorities reported these persons missing:
DR. JERRY SPROULL, 45, Toccoa Falls.
PAUL WILLIAMS, about 76, Toccoa Falls.
Listing from Charleston Daily Gazette West Virginia 1977-11-07
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IN MEMORIAM (final list of victims from the below book source on pgs 157-158):
Richele Marie Hornbeck
Karen Delorme Anderson
Joseph Richard "Joey" Anderson
Rebecca Lynn Anderson
Gerald Robert "Jerry" Brittin
William L. "Bill" Ehrensberger
Peggy Ann Ehrensberger
Robert "Robbie" Ehrensberger
Kristen Ehrensberger
Kenny Wayne Ehrensberger
David Charles Fledderjohann
Mary Jo Ann Ginther
Brenda Ginther
Rhonda Ginther
Nancy Ginther
Tracy Ginther
Cary E. "Cory" Hanna
Tiep "Tia" Kongsook Harner
Robbie Lek Harner
Christopher Lee Kemp
Cassandra Jessop Metzger
Dirksen Lee Metzger
Ruth Ann Porter Moore
Jeremiah Michael Moore
Edward Earl Pepsny
Carol Secunda Pepsny
Paul Edward Pepsny
Bonnie Lynn Pepsny
Eloise Joanna Pinney
Monroe J. Rupp
Dr. Jerry Lynn Sproull
Melissa Janet Sproull
Jocelyn Judith Sproull
Joanna Mignon Sproull
Richard James Swires
Jaimee Suzanne Veer
Mary H. N. "Aunt Mary" Williams
Paul I. "Uncle Paul" Williams
Betty Jean Walls Woerner
Deborah Susan Woerner
Bertha Hykes Walls
| | | Burial:
Non-Cemetery Burial
Specifically: Memorial at Toccoa Falls College*
*Cenotaph [?] |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Debra"Polly"~♫+...
Record added: Apr 14, 2012
Find A Grave Memorial# 88529957 |
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