JOPLIN, Mo. – Linda Teeter and her granddaughters were at opening day of the Spiva Center’s Dear World: From Joplin with Love exhibit.

This photo gallery features survivors of the Joplin tornado displaying messages of strength, hope, defiance, and love one year after the tornado tore through the city.

“The photo I was looking at was one of my father-in-law and mother-in-law. My father-in-law passed away a couple years after the tornado. At the time of the tornado, I think they were married about 70 years, and they had lost everything they owned in the tornado and had to restart,” said Linda.

Linda’s in-laws may have had their world turned upside down by the tornado, but it didn’t stop them from loving each other or life. That’s a common theme that can be seen in these photos of Joplin tornado survivors who agreed to share their stories and pose for some uplifting photographs after talking to Spiva Center staff.

“We wanted to have an exhibit that wasn’t just about the tornado but more about being on the other side of it, and the stories that people have and where they were at a year later,” said the center’s exhibits director, Shaun Conroy.

And while the exhibit is an inspiring reminder of what the Joplin community is capable of in the face of monumental adversity, for visitors like Linda, it’s also a chance to say goodbye.

“There’s lots of people in these photographs who have died from other causes since the tragedy and have left family members behind, and so this is sort of like a tribute to them. It’s a beautiful tribute,” said Linda.

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