A tornado struck downtown Utica on April 20, 2004, with little warning of its violent fury. Nine persons perished in its aftermath, including eight in the Milestone Tavern, and nine people were rescued. Many homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Numerous volunteers and public service personnel from Utica and throughout northern Illinois carried out valiant rescue and recovery efforts. Those who suffered and died included Wayne “Danky” Ball, Sean Kennedy Brown, Helen Studebaker Mahnke, Michael Jay Miller, Carol Schultheis, Lawrence M. Ventrice, Marian F. Ventrice, Jay Vezain, and Beverly J. Wood.