This is the farmhouse where my Dad grew up. It was his "home-place." My Uncle lived there for years, then his son..my cousin. Monday afternoon a fire erupted upstairs..the fire department got it contained. My cousin, his wife, their daughter and their grandson had taken refuge with family members just down the road. During the night the fire rekindled and the house was destroyed. Luckily no lives were lost..that is a blessing.
Yesterday Far Guy and I went over to see what it all looked like. It was sad..my cousin was there..the house was still smouldering. I asked "What can we do for you?" My cousin said.."OH..not much that I know of right now." The insurance adjuster had been there..and a check was in the works. The Local Lions Club had brought them out a check to help take care of their immediate needs. He said "We will rebuild in the spring, kinda cold to do anything right now."
The Fire Marshall was out to take a look..he believes the fire started near the chimney. There was a wood burning stove in the basement. From what I understand some of the fireman had carried out some firearms and some black powder earlier in the day and put them in a truck outside..they were the only thing saved from the fire.
There were lots of memories for me in this house.. it was where we gathered before and after sauna on Saturday nights, playing checkers with my Grandfather, hearing him spit and hit the inside of the spittoon, sipping coffee out of a saucer, butter on fresh bread, a long table with lots of chairs, huge black leather chairs in the front room..stiff, cold and unyielding leather against a small child's legs..welcoming coolness on a warm summer night...but chilly in the winter. My Grandmother lay on the satin covered pillow of death in the front room when I was just a little girl, it was the custom years ago to have deceased family members all laid out in the front room at home before Funeral Homes took over that part of the ceremony. I remember the night of my Uncles Wedding..we waited til dark and drove over there with cakes and cookies and pots and pans to clang together and "Shiveried " them on their wedding night. One night years later my Uncle died of a heart attack on the floor in the bedroom. Yesterday as we drove away through the grove of trees that I remember as small seedlings.. I thought of all the births and deaths, all the happiness and sadness that house had seen.. all reduced to ashes that will blow away in the winter wind:(
Oh no! I'm so very very sorry to hear about your cousins' plight and the house burning down. How awful. At least the fire cannot burn the memories you have in your heart...
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry for everyone's loss. Sad anytime, but especially at Christmas. At least through your blog, you are able to share your memories and photos with future generations. May God bless you all.
ReplyDeleteThat is awful about the fire. Aren't you glad you have so much of it in your heart to tell all those wonderful stories? Put it in pictures with your stories in a journal for others.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost as heartbreaking as grieving for a lost family member. You have so many precious memories wrapped up in there. I am so sorry that you are feeling that loss. It would be difficult anytime, but at Christmas it seems much worse. Thankfully everyone is safe. Your old memories will always be sweet reminders of that special place. Maybe you can salvage a few pieces of the wood and use them somehow to make a few Christmas ornaments to save as mementos.
ReplyDeleteIt's so heartbreaking that all those things from your childhood memories went up in smoke. I am praising God that your family members are safe and unharmed. The outcome, bad as it is, could have been so much worse. You will always cherish those memories. My prayers go out to your family and their losses. I look forward to seeing their new home next spring.
ReplyDeleteLet us know if we can do anything to help out. Have a blessed day and know we care.
Thank God nobody was hurt... only the physical house gone, which is hard enough. Your memories are safe inside your heart, and you wrote a wonderful memorial to that house here in this post. Thank you for sharing it with me.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear everyone was ok. Sad about the loss. =(
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad loss, but I am so glad to hear that no one was hurt. So many memories, and they will always be in your heart.
ReplyDeleteJen
Wow. A lot can happen in one house.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry, that is so sad to have something like that happen at this time of year. My prayers are with your family! Glad everyone was ok!
ReplyDeleteOh! Far Side! I am so sorry for you and your family. I'm glad no one was hurt and a few things were saved. It will be very hard to replace everything in there. Somethings will never be replaced, but you know all that anyway.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Connie, my childhood home was burned by arson three years ago to the month. It was the saddest thing going back to the site and looking at the ruins, which seemed to still be smoldering some five months after the fire. I understand how it feels to look at a building that contains memories and feel like a part of you has been gutted. I will keep those who are now without their home in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your cousin's loss of his home and belongs and your family's loss of a piece of family history. But as others have said, thank goodness the family all got out okay.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear this.
ReplyDeletePatsy
It's sad when something like this happens and worse when it's this time of year.
ReplyDeleteGlad no one was hurt, and there just isn't any good time for an unplanned fire. So many material things lost and now only memories.
ReplyDeleteWow, sorry you've lost a place of so many memories.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad. I am grateful that no one was hurt. We will keep all of you in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteKisses for Chance,
Emma Rose
I can't believe the fire started up again. So sorry.
ReplyDeleteThe words can not say how sorry I am for the loss you feel. I am glad that your family made it safely out they must be devastated.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about the house, a tornado took my grandparents whole farm. The memories are all I have left nothing can remember that and hold on to it.
So sorry for your loss. Our close friends lost their house to fire one winter; I helped try to catalog the contents of the entire house by going room to room and writing what they told me had been there. It was so hard to comprehend the loss. Thank heavens for the good people of the Lion's club as well. I'm glad your cousin and family are ok.
ReplyDeleteThis is sure an end of an era. I still have dreams about the old wood stove in the basement of our rickety old house where i grew up.
ReplyDeleteHope your grief is short lived and overshadowed by good memories, and saved lives.
You're one of the few people I've heard mention a shiveree. My parents talked about the one they were given when they married in the early 30s.
The memories remain but the pictures and all the other things that help trigger the memories gone. How sad.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame to see the beautiful old house in ashes. Blessings to your cousin as they rebuild their lives.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know your memories will live on though~~