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Billings couple whose wedding interrupted by lightning, fire department, still happily married – Daily Montanan

['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- April']

Date: 2022-04-25 00:00:00

There had been nothing particularly remarkable about the Saturday afternoon wedding at St. Patrick’s Co-cathedral in Billings.

The couple had met while working at a Hardee’s restaurant in Billings. It was early June, nearly perfect wedding weather. And the priest’s words at that point in the service were familiar.

If anyone here has a reason to object, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.

No one stood to speak. But in that split-second moment there was a loud boom from outside, a flicker of the lights and the clicking of the emergency exit lights kicking on.

Probably just a power transformer blowing somewhere nearby.

Besides, the candles lit around the cavernous church were enough light for the late Spring wedding.

It wasn’t long before those sitting in the pews were introduced by the priest as Erik and Linda Homme, the newest couple in Montana’s Magic City.

But as they were coming down the aisle, right before they were to be whisked away to the reception in a horse-drawn carriage, the big wood doors at the entrance to the church popped open, as firefighters were eager to get in, without interrupting the wedding.

Lightning had struck one of the highest points in downtown Billings, and it had happened right in the middle of the service, and except for a loud boom and flicker of the lights, no one inside on June 8, 1991, had any clue of the onrushing firefighters and the damage to the iconic spire.

What ever happened to …

If you were around Billings in 1991, you probably remember the lightning strike at the cathedral, one of the landmark locations in Billings. It was an oddity, blowing a gaping hole through the spire, but not doing much more damage than the charred wooden shingles. You may even remember that there was a couple getting married in the church when one of those sudden Montana storms struck – moving through just as quickly as it came.

“We always use the story in that game, ‘Two truths and a lie,’” said Linda. “No one ever believes that our church was struck by lightning in the middle of the service.”

Linda and Erik have been married for 30 years – close to 31. They were young and didn’t think much of the event, being wrapped up with the excitement of wedding, friends and families. The story comes up every now and again, but for having lightning strike, a potential symbol of bad luck, the marriage has been a happy one, complete with three kids, a dog and a needy parrot named “Baby.” They’ve lived for years in the Twin Cities, but still have family back in Billings.

“It was kind of surreal and weird. We were kind of in shock when it happened, but I can’t remember it really fazing us,” Erik said. “There was no mention of, ‘Is this an omen?’”

When they got outside, the ground was littered with still smoldering shingles from the steeple, leaving Linda’s mom to joke while most people throw rice at a wedding, their guests could fling shingles.

Erik remembered a woman living across the street who was nearly in tears when the bride and groom emerged from the sanctuary.

“She must have seen the strike and just assumed that everyone in the church was killed and no one had known about this,” Erik said.

He didn’t realize until after he returned his rental shoes with the tuxedo, one shoe had a roofing nail stuck into it.

“It was fascinating and interesting,” Linda said. “We laugh about it and still talk about it, especially when we pull out the wedding photos. It’s just kind of become part of our story.”

In other words, they lived happily ever after.

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