03:44 PM CDT on Thursday, September 8, 2005

Associated Press

MINOT, ND -- Jill Jackson's parents brought her and her family out of the hurricane zone back to her home town.

Jill's parents, Steve and Linda Fuegmann, traveled to Hattiesburg, Miss., last week to get Jill, her husband, Elbert, and their three children. The family arrived back in Minot on Monday.

"We were lucky," Jill Jackson said.

The Fuegmanns said they took out a loan to travel to Mississippi, and set out for the Gulf Coast with a pickup hauling a 75-gallon fuel tank, to make sure they had enough gasoline. They also bought food and other items, and distributed what they could to the Jacksons' neighbors. After days of going without, people were grateful for a gallon of water or a gallon of gas, they said.

Linda Fuegmann said she and her husband had only sporadic contact with her daughter after Hurricane Katrina struck because phone lines and cell phone towers were down.

Jill Jackson would call and say, "We're OK, Mom," and then lose the connection.

The electricity and water came back on in the Jackson house a few days ago, but Elbert Jackson said some areas of rural Mississippi will be without power for months. Authorities have advised rural residents to leave the area.

Elbert Jackson, who drove a truck for a linen company, said his workplace has been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and he is not sure if he still has a job.

"A bag of ice, a gallon of gas, it was like gold," Jill J ackson said.

She heard one woman on a radio station pleading for more formula to feed her baby. "It broke my heart," she said.

Elbert Jackson's father is now staying in their house in Hattiesburg because his own rural house is without power. His sister and her family had to leave the area for San Antonio. The Jacksons still have friends and neighbors who are unaccounted for.

On the way to Minot, the Fuegmann vehicle broke down. Jill Jackson's sister came to get them in Valley City, while Steve Fuegmann and Elbert Jackson stayed behind with the truck while it was repaired.

Now that they are in Minot, the Jacksons are surrounded by friends and relatives. Jill Jackson said she got a voucher from the Red Cross for food and clothing assistance and has been told her family will get help in finding a place to live.

Her oldest children, 11-year-old Sean and 7-year-old Stephanie, found themselves the center of attention after starting school in Minot. The Jacksons also have a 4-year-old, Derek.

Sean, a sixth-grader, said his new classmates had a lot of questions about the hurricane.

"(Sean) was the social studies project," his mother said.

Jill Jackson said she and her family initially planned to stay in Minot for only a few weeks, but now they are considering moving back permanently.

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Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.ndweb.com

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)