Published Thursday, December 5, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
Scores of Amish people stood silently across the road in the 10-degree night air, watching as six fire departments battled a house fire and tried to save five children trapped inside.
They couldn't.
Fourteen-year-old Katie Wengerd, and her brothers Levi, 12, Neil, 11, John, 4 and Jonathon, who had just turned 2, were all killed in the blaze that engulfed the home of Rudy and Lizzy Wengerd and their nine children just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.
A malfunctioning coal and wood burning furnace sparked the fire at the Amish family's home on state Route 208, a mile east of the village of Pulaski in Lawrence County, state police said. It was an accident, they said.
Wengerd, his wife and four of their children barely escaped the burning home. At least two of the children jumped from a second story window to escape the flames and one of them, 15-year-old Gideon, broke his leg, according to his aunt Mary Ann Byler. Police believe the children who died were asleep on the second floor when the fire broke out.
The children's bodies were all recovered by 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. They were found in the basement, where the second floor fell during the fire. Three bodies were found in the front of the house and two in the rear, according to Pulaski Township Volunteer Fire Chief Rick Show.
"It was an older home and it went extremely fast," he said.
Acting Lawrence County Coroner Russell Noga said autopsy results showed the victims died of acute smoke and fume inhalation.
In the aftermath, family and friends are rallying around the Wengerds, who were described as "real family-oriented," by Gail Phillips of Pulaski. Her husband Scott and Wallace Byler set up an account at First National Bank of Slippery Rock in New Wilmington on behalf of the family. The Phillips, who are substitute school bus drivers, knew the family and the children.
"They would give the shirt off their back if you asked for it. They were just real giving people and they adored their kids," said Mrs. Phillips. "The kids thought it was great when my husband would drive them to school on the bus, because he would turn the radio on for them. It made them open up to him. Its a sad thing to lose one kid, let alone five."
She said the children were well-behaved. "They would take all nine kids to the pizza shop and you never knew they had two. You always saw them all together," she said.
Rod Loomis, owner of Loomco International, Pymatuning Township, said Rudy Wengerd was a long-time employee of his and works as the barn manager at Mercer County Livestock Auction in Coolspring Township, which is also owned by the Loomis family.
Loomis is taking donations for the family and plans to hold an auction to benefit them.
Donations are being accepted Monday and Tuesday at the auction on U.S. Route 19 and all week at Loomco International.
He said a memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the auction barn.
Loomis said the kind of donations that would help the family include blankets, non-perishable food items, non-electrical household items, gift certificates to grocery stores and retail discount stores, and cards and letters of support.
Loomis is also planning to hold a large-scale Christmas auction next weekend in Hermitage Volunteer Fire Station No. 3 at Mercer Avenue and Maple Drive with all proceeds going to the family.
"We're donating a truckload of Christmas items and we're asking businesses in the valley to donate new items as well. They have nothing and we're asking everyone to get involved," he said.
The time and date of the auction will be announced, Loomis said.
Donations of lumber, food and money are also pouring in for the family.
"People have been so generous. While my husband was setting up the fund, people in the bank who overheard came right over and made donations," said Mrs. Phillips.
The family is staying with Mrs. Byler and other family members until their home is rebuilt.
Private arrangements have been made for the tentative funeral Saturday with Smith Funeral Home in New Wilmington.
Fire departments from New Wilmington, Volant, West Middlesex, Neshannock and Shenango townships, led by Pulaski firefighters, battled the blaze Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Oddly, volunteers from Pulaski ad just finished a cold weather fire fighting training before getting the fir call Tuesday.
To make donations, contact the bank at (724) 946-9300; or Linda Stewart Savage at Loomco at (724) 646-2550.