Remembering three victims of 2019 Beauregard tornado
The Ledger-Enquirer did not reach family members, friends or other close acquaintances for three victims in the Beauregard, Alabama, tornado that struck Lee County on March 3, 2019.
Based on information available online and in obituaries, here is what we know about those lost:
Jonathan Marquez Bowen, 9, loved video games and brought joy to those around him, mother Shamel Hart told the Associated press in 2019.
“He was a really loving child,” Hart said.
Hart and her sons, Jonathan and 12-year-old Jaylen, were visiting Mykhayla Waldon and her family on March 3, 2019, according to AP. Tyesha Hart, Mykhayla’s mother, and Shamel are cousins.
Mykhayla, 8, was also a victim of the tornado. Jonathan eventually died of his injuries at East Alabama Medical Center.
Jonathan was described by his mother as intelligent and curious, especially when it came to electronics, she told WRBL in 2019.
“He loved to ask Alexa questions. He’d say, Alexa, tell me all you can about the solar system,” she told the TV station.
Mamie Elizabeth Roberts Koon was a Phenix City native who long worked for the Alabama Beverage Control board, daughter Melissa Hussey told the Associated Press in 2019.
“She loved her grandkids, and she was loved by many,” Hussey told the Ledger-Enquirer when asked about her 68-year-old mother. She did not wish to provide further comment.
Born July 5, 1950, in Crenshall County, Alabama, Koon had lived both in Smiths Station and in Opelika, according to her obituary from Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Mortuary in Opelika.
Besides her daughter, she left behind a son, Ernest Gene Holmes of Smith Station; a brother, Gilbert Roberts of Smith Station; a sister, Elaine Owens of Pine Mountain, Ga.; and six grandchildren, her obituary said.
Irma Gomez-Moran, known as “Carmen” to her friends, was a hardworking mother to her two children, Andrea and Angela.
According to her obituary, Gomez-Moran was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and worked as a secretary to help provide a good life for her family.
Gomez-Moran made Beauregard, Alabama, home after a divorce and several years of dating later. At the time of her death, she was working on getting her American citizenship.
To view stories about the 20 other victims of the 2019 Lee County tornado, visit our “Remembering Beauregard” project page.