Couple Killed During Sunday's Tornado In Van Laid To Rest
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VAN (CBSDFW.COM) - On Friday, friends and family packed the Van United Methodist Church to say their final farewells to Brenda and David Tapley. The couple were the only two people killed during Sunday's tornado in Van Zandt County.
Former Garland police detective David Tapley and his wife, a former special-education teacher, were found in their mangled home on Monday, one day after the EF-3 tornado touched down. The Tapley's moved to Van after he retired from the police force.
More than 200 people filled the church for the funeral.
One of the speakers at the service, retired Royce City Police Chief Tom Shelton started his police career with David Tapley 40 years ago. Addressing those in attendance he said, "Dave was a good guy, very fun guy to be around. He was a very faithful guy. He was religious. He wanted to do good for the community."
Many people at the funeral said they decided to dedicate their work to help others in Van in the same way the Tapley's lived – helping others. Family friend Dr. Dwayne Collins recalled how everyone came together. He said, "Neighbors came in and cleared streets. We didn't wait for anyone to tell us what to do. We knew what to do."
The obituary for the couple said, in part –
The Tapley's were faithful members of Van United Methodist Church, and owned Tapley's Texas Miniatures. They had been residents of Van for 13 years, formerly living in Quinlan, Plano and Garland.
After the funeral a graveside service was held for the couple in Malakoff.
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