BEGGS, Okla. — An EF-3 tornado ripped through Beggs on March 6, killing two people; Becky and Todd McClellan. 2 News Oklahoma listened to Becky’s brother, Bo Forehand, as he grieves her loss.
“You see this on TV all the time. And we go about our own days. And when we got [the news], we just couldn’t believe it. It just shocks you,” Forehand said.
Forehand was back home in Sallisaw, while the tornado ripped through Beggs.
It killed his sister, Becky McClellan, and his brother-in-law, Todd.
“They loved to have fun. They loved their family. That’s what they’d wanna be remembered by… being family people,” Forehand said.
Forehand says the tornado leveld the McClellan’s ranch, and it leveled a tiny home right next door. Living there was their son Ace, and his girlfriend, Makayla Pate.
Makayla’s mom, Holly Pate, got the call and traveled to Tulsa from Houston, Texas.
“It was heartbreaking. To find out Ace's parents didn’t make it,” Pate said, “I didn’t know. It was through text message. Very little information until I got here. So it was a nervous eight-hour drive.
Forehand is navigating these tragic next steps for his family.
“Becky was the backbone of our family. We have a lot of family get-togehters. She was always the one to put everything together, she was the first one there, to help get everything done. She was always the last one to leave. We depended on her a bunch,” Forehand said.
Makayla and Ace are recovering at Saint Francis. This season is by far the toughest of their lives. Both are dealing with the impossible loss of the McClellans. Both are recovering from severe injuries, and both lost all of their earthly possessions to the storm.
HOW TO HELP
Two GoFundMe pages are published. One, for Ace and Makayal, is linked here.
Another, specifically for the McCllelans, is linked here.
“If you can, donate. If you can’t, we understand,” Forehand said.
Family expects Ace and Makayla to be released from the hospital by Wednesday.
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