For Ray County-area residents, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, unfolded hundreds of miles away but quickly became personal in ways that remain vivid 25 years later.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the Richmond News invited community members to share their experiences to preserve personal accounts of the day for years to come. Among those who responded was Diana Shull, whose family’s experience spanned Missouri, Detroit and New York City.

Additional memories from local residents can be found on page 2.

Shull was working at AT&T, taking New York local calls, setting up phone services and handling billing when callers began telling employees what was happening in New York.

The company eventually stopped incoming calls because the lines needed to be cleared, and employees gathered in the break room to watch the news. She saw footage of the aftermath of the first plane striking the North Tower, then watched live as the second plane struck the South Tower.

For Shull, the …