Barbara Garcia
[[File::BarbaraGarcia.PNG|thumb|Barbara Garcia, circa 2013. Credit: CBS News]]
Barbara June Garcia (nee Self) (born circa 1940) is an Oklahoma woman whose house was destroyed in a hurricane. She gained brief fame after she found her dog Bowser live on television while being interviewed.
On the afternoon of Monday 20 May 2013, touching down for about 30 minutes, a tornado killed 25 people in Moore, Oklahoma (a suburb of Oklahoma City).
The woman was Barbara Garcia (born circa 1940), and the dog was "Bowser". She had lived in her home at 113 SW 8 since at least 1973. (It was originally built in 1963).
She also received an outpouring of $50,000+ in donations to help her buy a new house after this event. By November 2013 she had moved into a new home, built on the same location by a volunteer nonprofit organization from Virginia called Operation Blessing.
"Things change and I chose to believe that they change for the better," Barbara said. "God, he missed the best chance he had to take me. He'll never have a better chance. He left me here for a reason. I don't know exactly what that reason is, but I know there's a reason and I know I'll find it and I will find comfort in it."
I can find no obituary of her, so it's likely she is still alive as of 2019.
Names
All news articles use the name "Barbara Garcia", but her property listing uses the name "Barbara June Self".
The while pages give Barbara June Farley-Garcia, aka Barbara June Self. It's possible Self is her maiden name, whereas Farley and Garcia are her married names?
Her phone number is listed as (405) 794-3050.
Property Assessment
Owner: BARBARA JUNE SELF
Assessed land value: $9,000
Assessed building value: $85,334
Total value for property: $94,334
Assessments for tax year: 2013
Property use: Urban Residential, Single Family Property
class: Residential
Land size: 7,303 square feet
Building area: 1,631 square feet
Number of bedrooms: 3
Number of bathrooms: 2.0
Number of stories: 1.0
Year property was built: 1963
Land use: Urban Residential Land
Land type: Residential
Property type: Residential
Occupancy: Urban Residential, Single Family
Built as: 2 Story
Condition: Good
Quality: Fair Plus
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning: Central Air to Air
Exterior: Frame Masonry Veneer
Interior: Drywall
Roof type: Gable
Roof cover: Composition Shingle
Floor cover: Allowance
Garage: 540 square feet
Porch: 280 square feet
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/cleveland-county-ok/S/SW-8th-Street-1.html#googleMap
Sources
Original prompt to write this article: Gerarda Canning Facebook post, 1 June 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Moore_tornado
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/barbara-garcia-dog-bowser-oklahoma-tornado_n_3339950
https://www.news9.com/story/24026861/reunited-after-the-tornado-moore-woman-dog-have-a-new-home
http://www.city-data.com/cleveland-county-ok/S/SW-8th-Street-1.html#googleMap
https://www.whitepages.com/name/Barbara-June-Farley-Garcia/Moore-OK/15jaua6f
https://www.whitepages.com/name/Barbara-June-Self/Moore-OK/99dm3hc
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oklahoma-tornado-survivors-determined-to-stay-in-moore/