For many Excelsior Springs-area residents, memories of Sept. 11, 2001, remain tied to the uncertainty, fear and confusion of a day they were too young to fully grasp.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the Excelsior Springs Standard invited area residents to share their experiences, preserving personal accounts of the day for years to come. Among the responses were memories from parents and former students who experienced the uncertainty of that morning in and around local schools.

For more local memories of Sept. 11, see page 1.

At home, Tee Ara was getting her children ready for the day while they watched cartoons. Her husband, who worked nights at the time, called and told her to change the channel to the news.

“I did and shortly after saw the second plane hit the tower,” stated Ara.

She questioned whether to send her son to kindergarten at Westview that morning but ultimately did so.

Dianna Cole had just dropped her children off at school when she got a call th…