Man's Chevy Nova broke down in Missouri on Thanksgiving so he took shelter in an empty house, then its owners returned
Published on Dec 02, 2025 at 8:04 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Dec 01, 2025 at 10:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A man has recounted the tale of when his Chevrolet Nova broke down in Missouri on Thanksgiving in the 1980s, and what happened after he took shelter in an empty house.
John Morris was having a tough time trying to get home on the night before Thanksgiving back in 1980, when an unexpected blizzard rolled in and coated the land in snow.
After his car broke down, Morris had to take shelter in an empty house to hide from the blizzard.
Talking to CNN Travel, he recounted what led up to this moment, and what happened when the house’s occupants returned.
DISCOVER OUR SUPERCAR AUCTION SITE – View live auctions on SBX Cars
How Joh Morris’s car broke down on Thanksgiving
Morris was driving home in his 1969 Chevrolet Nova when the blizzard suddenly hit in Missouri.
It coated the area in several inches of snow very quickly.
But the biggest issue for Morris was that he had spun off the icy road and into a ditch.
Thankfully, he was okay, and the car seemed relatively undamaged.
After processing what happened, he tried to restart the Chevy, and it just became stuck in the show.
At the time, Morri was 18, and driving home from Olathe, Kansas, to his grandparents’ house in St. James, Missouri.
He had stopped off to see friends halfway through his four-hour journey, and then the snow hit.
Morris took shelter in an empty house
“It was a heavy, wet snow. This was highly unusual… It hardly ever snowed in November in Missouri,” Morris said to CNN.
After calling for a breakdown trailer at a man’s home, Morris went back to the car to wait for rescue.
He then found a clapboard farmhouse and decided to see if he could shelter in it, but nobody was home.
His car was rescued, but then broke down again due to its damage.
So he headed back to the farmhouse to see if its occupants were back.
Amazingly, they were, and they even said Morris was more than welcome to stay the night.
After a great evening meal, a good night’s sleep, and some breakfast, Morris was able to get his Chevy Nova taken to a repair shop.
Remarkably, in 2021, after chancing upon the farmhouse again, Morris ran into Vernon Schmitz.
He’s the son of Virgil Schmitz, the man who, along with his girlfriend, had sheltered John Morris that night in 1980.
Unlike in 1980, John this time swapped contact details with Vernon.
Today, they remain close friends and are still regularly in touch.
And it’s all thanks to his Chevy.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
