'I miss her': 29th anniversary of OKC bombing

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)- It's been 29 years since a bomb went off in the Alfred P. Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children.

Timothy McVeigh and his two co-conspirators planted a car by the federal building and inside the vehicle was a powerful bomb made out of a deadly cocktail of agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals.

At precisely 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, the bomb exploded. Not only did it reduce a third of the federal building to rubble, but it damaged or destroyed more than 300 nearby buildings.

McVeigh was found 48 hours later by the FBI and ultimately executed for his acts of terrorism in June 2001.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum hosted a ceremony in remembrance of the bombing Friday morning.

"Violence is what gave us this scar in our downtown. This pool, these chairs, this place... beautiful and peaceful. But we know that a building and a street are supposed to be here. It is a scar that will never fully heal."

David Holt, Oklahoma City Mayor

The ceremony opened to the public for seating at 8:30 a.m. and began 15 minutes later with the sounds of bagpipes.

Music was provided by brass instrument players from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the National Anthem was sung by three-time Grammy-nominated musical group, Point of Grace.

Following the introduction, at 9:02 a.m., Oklahoma City Chief of Police Wade Gourley led 168 seconds of silence.

Speakers at the ceremony included:

• U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland
• Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, Caitlin Durkovich
• Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt
• Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt

Once the ceremony concluded, friends and families of the victims placed flowers and trinkets at chairs memorialized for their loved ones.

"There's always the heartbreak that lurks in the background. But it's a time of just remembrance and appreciation for everyone who helped the people who found her, who took care of her. And then the people with the memorial and the staff who make this possible and do such a great job with the grounds and with the museum inside," said Cindy Farrell Ashwood.

Ashwood's sister, Susan "Susie" Farrell was 42 years old and worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development on the eighth floor of the Alfred P. Murrah building.

"She, of course, lived here in Oklahoma City, loved cats, loved dance and loved her job. We became very close friends and our love of horses and dogs and cats and all the critters... and I actually live now in the house that we grew up in that we call 'the farm' just outside of Chandler," added Ashwood.

Ashwood said she hopes the legacy her sister leaves behind is one of kindness and empathy.

"[I want her to know] how much we all love her and miss her. My dad recently died just about a month ago, and before he went on hospice, he said 'I looking forward to seeing Susie.' This is the first time we have been here without dad. That makes this day even harder. But they're together," said Ashwood.

Another life stolen far too soon is Teresa Lea Taylor Lauderdale's. She also worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development but on the seventh floor of the Alfred P. Murrah Building.

Her family told News 4 it took first responders 10 days after the bombing before they could find Lauderdale's body.

"I miss her," said Lauderdale's dad through tears.

Standing beside Lauderdale's dad was her lifelong best friend or as her family described their relationship: "partners in crime."

"I miss you every day and I love you just as much as I ever did. I wish she was here," said Lauderdale's best friend.

This tragic April anniversary and the courageous efforts of first responders all point to one thing the state will carry forever and that's the "Oklahoma Standard."

"It was NBC's Tom Brokaw that coined the phrase and how he saw something in Oklahomans he hadn't seen in covering events around the world and he began to call it this 'Oklahoma Standard.' Other national media began to follow him because they were here covering the story. They saw Oklahomans taking care of other Oklahomans and couldn't quite believe how good the people were to them," stated Oklahoma City National Museum CEO and President Kari Watkins.

Evil tried to tear us apart. Evil took the lives of 168 individuals and injured hundreds more. We looked evil in the eye and we came together as one Oklahoma. We showed our strength, our resilience and our courage. Out of the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building came the Oklahoma Standard.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon will take place from April 26 through April 28.

If you're interested in signing up, click here.