BARNSDALL, Okla. — Janet Mayo-Hardin has owned the Barnsdall Nursing home since 1969.
It started with her, her husband, and two friends, but it's been just her since about 2005.
The long-time owner was out of town on May 6th, 2024, when an EF-4 tornado ravaged the town. The nursing home sat right in its path.
WATCH: Barnsdall nursing home searches for new owner:
“I was just so thankful that nobody got hurt, nobody," said Janet. "The residents were afraid, but from what I’m told, they were not as afraid of the staff because they’re used to being cared for, and we take care of it.”
2 News Oklahoma's Braden Bates went back to talk to residents still recovering:
A chunk of the roof on the west side of the building was ripped off, with a significant amount of damage left behind inside as well.
That said, Janet knows it could have been worse, just by looking at how little is left of the town around her.
“It is made of concrete block and I always wished it weren’t. I wished it was brick or something, but it was the concrete block that held all the rest of it together," she said.
For the first two months after the tornado hit, Janet considered rebuilding to open. Now, she's rebuilding to sell.
She said her children don't have an interest in carrying on her legacy, and it's just too big a lift for Janet on her own these days.
But, she knows the town needs it back up and running, so she's looking for the perfect person to fill her shoes.
“If I thought someone would buy it and run it like I did, I would be very happy," she said. “Someone who has great empathy for the elderly. They have great pride in what they do. They want to share the best. They want the nursing home to be the best, they want the care to be the best. I would want them to have that feeling.”
With a brand new roof and repairs still underway to make the inside good as new, builders told Janet the facility could last decades without any major repairs because of how good the bones are.
After more than five decades, as you can imagine, Janet is having a hard time letting go. However, Janet is determined her high quality of care for the Barnsdall community lives on for fifty more years.
“I felt like after a while it was my mission in life and I hope I did good.”
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