When I was five years old, living in Great Falls, Montana, I was attending my siblings' band concert with my mom, the author of this blog. In the middle of the concert, a man asked if my mother was in the audience and declared that we should go home because our house was on fire.
Being five years old, my memories of this night are a bit sketchy, but I do remember a few things clearly (funny how your mind works; to this day, some 30+ years later, whenever I smell a burned house, memories of my childhood come flooding back to me). I'm not sure how we got there, but I'm sure my Mom ran out of the concert with me in tow to the car outside. The next thing I do remember is being in the car on the street in front of my house. I don't specifically remember flames, but I do remember the lights from the fire trucks. We spent quite a bit of time there and being so little, I was passed around to all kinds of horrified relatives who happened to be there.
I'm sure these details will be corrected in the comments, but what I believe happened was that the gas line to the house somehow caused an explosion that witnesses said caused flames to shoot out of windows on both sides of the house, curl up around the roof and join above the house.
I'm not sure who it was, but I think it was Aunt Donna who asked me if I was scared or worried because I appeared to be taking these life-changing events in stride without crying or showing much distress at all. "Why would I worry? Don't you know my mommy prays?" was my response. I remember clearly at the time knowing with all certainty that the fact that our home was burning up in front of our eyes, that there was absolutely no reaason to be concerned, because my mother spent a good portion of each day praying to God. This was sure to result in our lives not really changing in any negative way, and probably would result in God blessing our family with some new path that would be revealed in time and everything would turn out.
How well placed my faith in my mother's prayer turned out to be. Looking back, I can see why my Mom was hysterical that night. I am the youngest of seven, and there was never a time where the whole family was out of the house at the same time. The whole house burned to the ground, and all of our families posessions were lost. Of course, with such a big family, there was very little money.
Miraculously (literally), everyone was out of the house that night. Mom and I were at Chuck and Debbie's band concert, and who knows where everyone else was, but no one was home. If they had been, they surely would have died due to the violently fast and hot nature of this fire. Even our dog, Sam was rescued from the back yard by neighbors. The only thing I know of that died in that fire was our cat.
You can see how devistating something like this could be for a family in our situation in the mid-70s. But, what turned out happening, was truly a miracle. That night we were taken in by relatives. No small feat looking back on it. A young married couple with seven kids and no material posessions moving into my Dad's sister's house with her own husband and ten kids. Somehow that worked out.
I remember getting a lot of new stuff from people who heard about our plight and donating things to us. Dad said that one man in town told him to take the whole family to the shoe store and to buy everyone a new pair of shoes. The bill had been taken care of. That was a big deal for our family. Think what new shoes for a family of nine would cost today.
Somehow we wound up in a rental house that turned out to be perfect for what we needed. But we weren't there long when Dad got a new job in Billings. This turned out to be the perfect place to be at the time. Everything did work out. I'm sure my Mom will add more details to this story, but our lives were all changed for the better (in the long run).
My point in this long-winded story is that I have always been able to look at my mother's faith in God as an inspiration and as an anchor during uncertain and difficult times. My Mom thinks I am really laid-back and happy-go-lucky and take a non-challant view of life and my future, but it always seems to work out in my favor. I know that it works out because my mommy prays. The confidence I have always had in many of my decisions in life can be attributed to the fact, that in the back of my mind, I know that my Mom, who is a perpetual worrier, is praying like crazy for me, my brother, and my five sisters. Furthermore, God listens to her. One way or another, my Mom's prayers are answered, and there is really no reason for me to get worked up, because God has a plan for me. There really is nothing that will happen to me that will not serve God's purpose. My mother instilled in me that God has a plan. We may not at first see the purpose, but it will become clear in time.
21 comments:
Wow, Brian. That is really wonderful story about Mom!! Yes! she is an inspiration to all who know her!
My memories of the story are quite different. Kay, Janet and I were at our Church Teen event. We did NOT want to go because it was 40 below zero that night. For that reason alone, the fact that we were not home was a miracle!! No one goes out when it is that cold, usually. Dad dropped us (and many girl friends)off, and Melanie Reimer's Dad drove us home. We were all in the car saying things like " OH MY GOODNESS, the Bury's house is on fire...NO it must be so and so's" and on and on. No one imagined it would be OUR HOUSE! THen we saw Dad in the lawn crying his eyes out and caos all around. Kay and Janet jumped out the windows and I remained paralized in the back seat. My best friend, Lori Rose, was standing there bawling her eyes out because I told her I was staying home, and never told her I went last minute...so she insisted were home and the fire fighters went in looking for us for a long time. The memories of that fiasco run in slow motion in my mind as fire fighters are running, people are screaming and relatives are crying all around us. There seem to be the entire town standing around the burning rubble. The house did not burn to the ground, as Brian remembers. Too bad, because it cost dad $2K to have it torn down later. There wasn't much sleep that night. We all went to school the next day just to have some support and normality to this devistation. I stayed at Lori Rose's house for 3 months till the family came together in the new rental. The next day at High School a teacher asked me for my term paper that was due. I told him I had it all laid out on my bed, but our house burnt down. HE rolled on the ground with laughter and said that beat the dog eating homework story by a long shot. I ran out the the classroom crying and ran all the way to Jean and Mary Ellen's house and told Mom and Dad what he said. Dad was outraged, and took me to the house. We were able to walk up the chared staircase, and sure enough there on the bed was my term paper...black as cole and smelled to high heavens of fire. I put it all in a bag, and took it to the teacher in that same condition. He pulled it out of the bag and looked at me with tears in his eyes. So I know he felt bad. He gave me a month to do it over and I got an A (that was my miracle, and A). Anyway, Grandpa Eve said it was all a Miracle that no one was hurt or even injured. We never missed any "Stuff" we lost. We only experience the true nature of folks giving and reaching out in the face of disaster. It was a warm feeling and one I'll always remember. I always give when I hear of a similar tragidy others experienced after that.
Wow, you guys, this is so touching. I cried when I read this. And you say it so well. Thanks for remembering the power of prayer!
I'll add some more to the story. Dad and I were both at the concert - it was a 6th grade concert and you know how those are. The weather really was so awful - in fact, we listened to the news and they said to not go out. A little later they announced the mall closed, movie theatres closed, as did lots of other places, no school tomorrow! So, we thought the concert and the CCD program over at St. Luke's would be cancelled. But, it wasn't! I called Reimer's and made a "deal" that Dad would take them over there (over there was clear across the river on the other side of town) if Hank could pick them, or we could just skip it this week. Rosalie said no, we should take them because it was Holy Week, and to us Catholics, that is a very important date. So, Dad took the teen agers to St. Luke's - and it was Kay, Karen, Janet and Linda along with the Reimer's and maybe others. We had a station wagon that was always overflowing with people. When he got back, he said it was so awful out there and it took extra long to drive, and he was not going out in it again. But, we couldn't just blow off taking Chuck and Debbie to their concert. Chuck was the Tuba and Debbie was the french horn. So I said - okay, you stay here with Brian and I'll take these two. We got all ready to go, and Dad had to kick our doggie Sam out the door because he was just driving us crazy - he was running back and forth between the doors and whining, trying to get someone's attention. Then, as I was going out the door, dad said - Brian and I might as well go with you, and they did! Probably felt sorry for me having to drive in that since he knew I hated to. But, thank God, he decided to leave the house. And Thank God that CCD was not cancelled. Isn't that strange that everything else closed in town, but not these two events! Otherwise, we would not be here today. The fireman told us that even if we would have had our hand on the doorknob when it blew we would have died! It was a very hot and fast fire. We got called home from the concert and I remember standing there crying and thanking God that none of us were in the house, none of us even had a burn! We did lose everything we had, but we gained a lot of blessings and could see the way Our God takes care of us! He always will, too. We didn't all get to stay together for about 2 weeks after. We were scattered all over town at relatives and friends. But Brian stayed with us at Jean and Mary Ellen's. The others would come and visit often. One day one of you came over and didn't know that Brian was staying there. He was playing on the floor, and you said 'Hey, brian, why are you here?' and he said "Well, I don't have a house of my own anymore, you know!" So true. It was only about 3 weeks before we were all settled into a rental house - probably seemed like 3 months! It was hard finding someone who would be willing to rent to a family of 9 plus a dog. People were so good to us. We really experienced what a community Great Falls is - and the whole state of Montana for that matter! We received encouragement, items we needed, and money from everywhere! There is so much more to this story. I'm sure it will get stated here from each ones perspective. I'll write more later, too.
When we were all together at Donna's house after the fire, I opened the bible that somehow survived the fire unscathed, and turned to this psalm, which forever will be a very important scripture in my life. It comforted us and was just what we needed!
Psalm 20 from the Living Bible:
In your day of trouble, may the Lord be with you! (He was!) May He send you aid from his sanctuary in Zion (He did!)May He remember with pleasure the sacrifices and burnt offerings you have given Him (We surrendered it ALL toHim) May He grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. (He did, and I'll write more on that another time.) May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that He has done for you. (That's why we tell this story - for His glory and praise!) May He answer all your prayers! (He did in the midst of an impossible situation, our prayers were answered!)
Wow, we all remember alot of different things about this tragedy, but we all remember the power of prayer and that this tragedy changed our lives for the better, and what a MIRACLE that none of us was in that house.
Sammy Dog ran out the front door when Reimers picked us up, and I chased him down the street aways but could not catch him. I could not understand why he would not come to me. He knew! Animals have a keen sense. Too bad about the cat and Linda's bird, but I remember being so thankful that our dog made it out.
Well, I believe that Lonnie taught her children through example in lots of areas, and prayer os one of them, evidentally.
When we had first moved to Billings, we went camping with all of the Eves, and the Nashes. I can't remember the Fried's being there. We were hiking up to a mountain lake and all got separated and were walking in small groups. I was with Tamara, who was eight years old at the time. A horrible mountain storm suddenly broke out. Rain came down in buckets and thunder shook us to the core. There were powerful bolts of lightening, and I remember one striking a huge rock not to far from Tamara and I. The rain had begun to run in a fast, steady stream down the trail and I was afraid it might get washed away and I'd be lost! Well, we had started to head down the mountain trail and came upon Brian and his group. Brian had taken his shirt off and it was tied around his waist and it was cold with the rain soaking everyone clean to the bone. Brain had his hands clasped tightly in front of him and he was so quiet and I noticed he was trembling. I was concerned he might get hypotermia and go into shock. "Brian!" I called on ahead to him, "unclasp your hands and swing them back and forth at your sides. That'll help warm you up."
"Are you kiddin!!" he yelled back to me, "I'm prayin' and I'm prayin' HARD!!"
Well, the rest is history. We made it back to our campsite and what a story we've had to tell all these years!
I remember that day very well, too, Sharon. And, believe me it WAS scarey! I also was praying hard, but my prayer was to "Calm the storm". Well - Jesus did it in the bible, didn't He? And we're supposed to have the same authority over the elements as He does. It didn't happen that time, and I always wondered why. but, I do know that God heard our prayers. And he was in control of the situation. I know that because we all made it back to camp. Thanks for the story and the memories.
This is really neat Brian. It's also a topic that has been forefront in my mind this week. Prayer. I desire to be in constant prayer this week. I have so much to be thankful for. So many needs that need prayer.
Thank you Lord for the Cross. Thank you for enduring the whips and sneers and spitting and nails for my sin and mistakes. Thank you for becoming the sacrifice that I may become a child of God. Lord I ask that you'd cure Mike's cancer. Lord grant us a miracle with Mike. Give us wisdom and knowledge to see your hand in all of our trials. Keep the enemy far away. Thank you for all the blessings we have. Continue to multiply our understanding of You. In Jesus name I pray these things.....Amen.
What can I say, Chuck, but Amen!
By His stripes we are healed. Lord Jesus, we claim that promise and ask a complete and total healing for Mike. Thank you, Jesus for what you are about to do for Mike; and thank you that you actually did it 2000 years ago on Calvary. What a wonderful Savior you are.
By the way, Brian, this story you wrote is very touching. You really have a way with words, describing so many details and tying in the power of prayer and trusting the Lord. Thank you for writing this.
My memories are so different from others. I thought I was the last one to leave, rushing to close the fire place doors before I left the house and trying to catch the dog before I hopped in with my ride. Coming home and rushing down the street, worrying about poor Mr and Mrs Jensen, as I was sure it was their house and not ours. Seeing my whole family in front of me as the firemen crawled out my bedroom room, and being so thankful that we were all alive and together. The other alternative would surely have caused us to doubt our faith. But instead, it brought us much closer together as a family and to God. Thank heavens for that! I have so much to be thankful for. Before that, I think I viewed my siblings as a pain in the rear. After that, I saw you all in a whole new light, and there is not one of you I would trade for another soul on earth.
There are so many "consequences" in our story. They really are miracles - what else could explain it? I was thinking today of another amazing consequence that happened that day. Mother and Daddy had been visiting us and were going to go back to Billings to the receiving home the next day, as they did almost every week on their days off from there. Daddy saw that the weather was turning bad, and he didn't like taking chances of having the roads closed or sliding off the road or something and not being able to be to work when they needed them. So he decided they would leave about noon that day! That night was the fire, and they would have not gone with us when we left the house, probably. They would have died there! Now that's a miracle! They came back when the weather cleared and were just heart sick at what they saw, and so thankful we were all okay. Another thing about this, too, that is a miracle is that they had stored a lot of their valuable stuff in our basement as they had no where to put it in Billings. When we went into the house - the basement steps were still there. It was awfully black and smelly down there. Their valuables had a sheet over them, and not a single thing there was damaged one bit! Now, isn't that a strange coincidence? They moved it all to Bev's basement in Deer Lodge, and lo and behold, they also had a fire in their home about 2 months later and Mother and Daddy's things survived there, too. Just a couple more miracles of that day - March 25, 1975
Kay - I think you probably remember right. You probably did close the fireplace doors before you left. And Sam probably did run out the door when you girls and Dad left to go to CCD, and you probably did try to get him back, but didn't have enough time as Dad wasn't one to wait around long. And you were the first one out of the car. Linda remembers you and Janet going berzerk and you both jumped on her lap and when the car stopped you jumped out and went running to the house. So I think your memories are right. Sometimes when there is such a trauma, we get our memory mixed up. And sometimes it's difficult to remember the details, but it is good to do so when we are ready as that is part of the healing of the memories. I had forgotten about the firemen coming out your upstairs windows until you said that. That would be a scarey sight. I love your thankfulness for the way God protected us and how your siblings mean so much to you after that.
And Karen, I think that what you say about not missing our "stuff", but witnessing the generosity and kindness of the people is such a great lesson for all of us. I think after that is when I really realized how unimportant all of our possesions are. We work so hard to accumulate "things", and then it was gone in an instant - but we had each other. And giving to others who have troubles is another important lesson for us. We didn't realize the importance of that until it started happening to us!
We learned so many things through this fire. Maybe that's how God got our attention. Can you think of other things we learned through this tragedy?
Being five years old, I wasn't bothered at all by losing all our stuff, as long as everyone was safe. The only thing I missed was Chuck's GI Joe with the Kung-Fu Grip. That was OK, though, because he wouldn't let me play with it anyway. I remember having to play with it while he was at school.
But anyway, it wasn't long before we had everything we needed in material possessions again due to the generosity of others. I remember playing 'cops 'n robbers' and 'cowboys 'n indians' with the neighbor kids with toy guns we must have been given. Boy how times change.
The memory I have is pretty much the same as you'all. Like, I will ALWAYS remember that smell. And it was my friend, Jeanine W" (such a good friend, I can't even remember her whole last name). Anyway it was her uncle or dad or somebody who bought us the shoes.
I remember after I left the car I just stood. I was the only one there - the only one around - alone - confused, staring at ..... nothing. Until one of the Balliet girls came up to me (who we just dropped off down the street) and she was crying and saying she was sorry. I didn't understand why she was so sad. The only thing I could say is "how did you get here. The weather is so terrible". Then there was all this noise, and chaos and everyone in the whole world was around and making so much noise and fuss. I didn't see my family or the firemen, or the neighbors - only nothing, until my peace was disturbed by reality. It is funny how we all handle trauma.
In the back of my mind I now can imagine the fireman coming out of kay's window. I remember when dad had to take time off work to tear the house down. He said he couldn't have done it without Lowell and Lyell Olson. He said they tore down whole walls with one fell swoop. I thought that was amazing.
I also remember not having anything - a big relief. I often wish for that state again. I always tell Eric that he doesn't know what it is like to have nothing and how peaceful it is not to have to clean it, or put it away, or find a place to store "it". I often wish for a similar miracle for us now, with the same end result - safe and sound.
When people ask me how our house burned down I tell them "politics". Dad said it was the Honeywell thermometer that the "professionals" installed just a short time before that hazard. The big guys didn't want it to be that, so the fire marshall had to go in and come up with something else to tell the public so they wouldn't panic. They said it was the Franklin Stove. The FS people didn't want it to be that because nobody would buy their fireplaces anymore, so they made the fire marshall go in and find something else to be the culprit. My memory of the story is the last thing on the list was the battery operted clock in the kitchen was the culprit. Like, yeah!?!?!?!? That room was only melted to nothing, not blown to pieces like the back of the house.
Anyway, I think you should publish your story in a Christian magazine, Brian.
There was only one thing left standing that I remember, and that was the clawfoot bathtub. Janet wanted to keep that real bad. I didn't really understand why, but she had a good idea what she was going to do with it, and it would probably be valuable today. What ever happened to that tub?
I wanted to make a garden in it. I had forgotten about that tub.
I don't know if I ever told anyone this, but the night of your fire in Great Falls, I suddenly saw your station wagon (was it green?) driving away from a fire. It really startled me, as I was not in tune with the ways of the Holy Spirit and thought those little pictures in my head were some kind of ESP or something evil that I trained away from my mind. Anyway, it bothered me and the next day I called and couldn't reach you guys, so I called Mom or someone and they told me your house had burned. I felt so bad for you - I right away thought of precious photos being gone. I rounded some up and sent them to you. Didn't Pat have a kitchen fire around the same time?
This little sign I saw tells it as you guys remember it :
THE BEST TINGS IN LIFE AREN'T THINGS
I also remember the placque that fell off the wall. it was word side down. The back, or top as it lay, was blacker that black. I picked it up and the word I read struck a cord:
God bless this house and everyone who goes in and out".
p.s.....Shaorn - did you live in MN at the time?
Yes. I believe I was in Dilworth, Minnesota.
Yes, that saying sure summs it all up!
"The best things in life aren't things." Thanks for sharing about what you saw while living in Minn., Sharon. That is amazing. I believe stuff like that happens because we are so close in spirit. It seems like you have that gift more than just that time. I do remember the pictures coming to us from you and several other people. We got most of our pictures replaced that way - and some of our pictures were still in the drawer and the ones on the bottom were okay. What a great gift for us. I don't remember Pat and Gordon having a fire. I'll have to ask them. I don't remember what happened to that bathtub. I do remember how badly Janet wanted it, but we couldn't justify taking it to Billings. So, where it is, I don't know. Dad gave it to somebody in town, but I don't remember who it was. God did bless our house and everyone going in and out. At least that's how I see it today.
I've always suspected that Grandma Josephine had the gift of visions too. Might be mistaken though.
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