Franklin ? Four years after a tornado put their town’s future in doubt, residents of Franklin are busy preparing a huge party to celebrate the community’s centennial.

The celebration on June 23 and 24 will be especially joyful, after a May 4, 2003, tornado destroyed Franklin’s post office, community center and many homes. Some residents left, but those who stayed vowed to rebuild.

“The tornado attempted to rip the soul from this community, but that was not to be the case,” said Phyllis Bitner, one of the event organizers. “The spirit of Franklin remains.”

Bitner said the planning group continues to hear from people who haven’t been back to the town for decades, and several current families are planning reunions to coincide with the centennial.

Among the many family-friendly programs planned, organizers also intend to honor the organizations that helped the town recover from the tornado.

The Crawford County Showcase Tent will allow the nonprofit organizations to display information about their services, free of charge.

“Everybody helped us, and we want everybody to keep helping each other for the next 100 years,” said Craig Stokes, another member of the organizing committee.

Margaret Kennedy, a longtime Franklin resident, said she is excited about the centennial. “I never thought I’d live to see 100 years in Franklin,” she said. “I’m so excited that I plan to be here for the next centennial.”