View full sizeGene Bullock, 65, left, and Marcella Wells Bullock, 64, died April 27, 2011, when a tornado struck their home in the Rainsville area of DeKalb County. (Courtesy Jeffrey Bullock)RAINSVILLE, Alabama -- Marcella Wells Bullock, 64, died with her husband Gene Bullock, 65, on April 27, 2011, when a tornado struck their home in the Rainsville area of DeKalb County.
Gene Bullock was originally from the area, but spent time working in Texas, South Africa and Sudan as an oil-driller. He married Marcella Bullock 8 years ago and they settled near her family in the Rainsville area.
"He came back and married his best friend," said son Jeffrey Bullock, who was in Ohio when the storm hit. A day later, seeing news reports about Rainsville on CNN, he frantically tried reaching relatives. An uncle broke the news that his father and stepmother had died.
Mrs. Bullock loved reading, and Jeff Bullock said books were strewn throughout their wrecked home. She loved cats and gardening. She was a longtime volunteer with the Alabama fan club and at the library.
Mr. Bullock went almost every day to the Rainsville Huddle House, a local spot for coffee and talk. The diner was destroyed by the storm, and Bullock's son joked that his dad probably wouldn't have left without it.
Jeffrey Bullock posted a poignant video of his dad and stepmother on YouTube, ending with the postscript: "Gene and Marcella Bullock are 2 of the most loving and wonderful parents a child could ask for. ... We will always miss you are sure you're rocking out and enjoying the afterlife!"