WAPAKONETA — Evelyn Bigelow, 82, of Waynesfield is filled with thanks. She experienced a fire Jan. 6 at her home located at 108 E. Cook St. and lost everything. She had lived at the home for more than 30 years, and is a lifelong resident of Waynesfield.
Enter social media.
Immediately after the fire, her daughter, Jenny Bigelow, of Wapakoneta, put a notice out via Facebook that “Grandma B,” as she is known to most of the Waynesfield people, lost everything. She needed clothing, toiletries and even a bed to sleep on.
Family friend, Misty Conrad, copied the post and pasted it to her Facebook page.
“Grandma B is just the most loving person ever. She loves everyone and treats everyone so nice. We are friends with her grandson, Dave McGinnis, and she adopted all of his friends,” Conrad said.
There were other responses as well.
“I put a notice on Facebook the night of the fire and that night my phone was burning up from family and everyone. It was nonstop for two days on my phone and Facebook with people wanting to know how they could help. Some people went to Wal-Mart and bought clothing. She received a twin bed that somebody donated, and somebody donated a few bags of groceries and toiletries,” Jenny Bigelow said.
Others gave Jenny Bigelow an idea where to go find help for her mom, like Mercy Unlimited.
Evelyn Bigelow is staying with Jenny Bigelow in Wapakoneta at the present time.
“The only thing she really needs right now is a small lift chair,” Jenny Bigelow said. “My recliners are too large for her and it’s hard for her to get out of them.”
An account has been set up at Chase Bank to help offset some of Evelyn Bigelow’s needs. The bank can accept checks or money orders only, made payable to Evelyn M. Bigelow. The donation account number is: 3551298689.
“I know the local gas station has a fundraiser container sitting near the cash register. They are planning to give whatever funds they get from that toward her future utility bills, so her water, sewer and electrical bills will have a little credit to it. There are people in the community starting to rally around her,” said Chief Nathan Motter of the Waynesfield Police Department.
The fire
Evelyn Bigelow, initially thought her eyes were the problem on that fateful Friday afternoon at about 5 p.m. She couldn’t see the television and figured her eyes were just getting worse. Little did she realize the house was on fire.
“I was getting ready to go in and lay down and take a nap and I looked toward my bedroom door and I couldn’t see it. It was just hazy, I couldn’t even see the door frame and I got scared and I called my son, who should have been off work on his way home and he said, ‘Mom I’ll be right there,’” she said. “He called the police chief, Nathan Motter.”
Evelyn Bigelow sat down at the kitchen table to gather her senses.
“The back door opened, I heard it but couldn’t see it. Next thing I know Nathan had me by the arm and said you gotta get out of here. I only had socks on and a housecoat. He took me out and was going to go back in and get me a blanket or coat or something and the neighbors came over from across the street quick and grabbed me up and took me to their house, Jackie and Jeff Stuber,” she said.
Motter was the first on the scene and rushed through the smoke to get Bigelow out of the house.
“We got to the doorway to exit the home, and it was kind of a funny moment, the house is on fire at this point. She looks at me and says, I can’t go outside. I said, why can’t you go outside? She said I don’t have my dog and I don’t have shoes and a coat on,” Motter said. “I said well, let’s get you outside and I’ll come back and get you a coat and I’ll get your dog as well. I opened the screen door and the dog ran out the door. So the dog was fine, she was happy about that. I got her down the ramp from her house and told her to stand right there and I’d get her a coat. By that time the neighbors across the street came over and asked if everything was OK. They brought a vehicle over to load her up in the car because obviously she wasn’t going to walk to their house.”
Bigelow was taken by ambulance to St. Rita’s Medical Center. She had carbon monoxide poisoning and had to stay at the hospital for about 10 hours.
There were three fire departments that responded to the fire. Wayne Township Fire Department, Westminster Fire Department and Uniopolis Fire Department.
“I believe they left the scene at approximately 3 a.m. Then, at around 5 a.m. that morning, the house rekindled. That’s when the house became a total loss, during the rekindle. They were there from 5 a.m. until 1 or 1:30 p.m. They were there for a very significant amount of time,” Motter said.
The roof and walls collapsed, and Bigelow lost everything. The value of the home, according to the Auglaize County Auditor’s Office, was $46,240. She does have insurance on the house through Nationwide.
“I want to thank everybody for their prayers and for everything they’ve been doing for me. God bless them all,” Evelyn Bigelow said. “Some people even came up to the hospital.”
The cause of the fire was attributed to an electrical fire in the attic. Bigelow’s sons went to sift through the burned remains for anything personal that they could find.
“My brothers went there hoping to find anything. Mom collected angels and butterflies and had them all over the house. Most of them are either melted or burned up,” Jenny Bigelow said.
Rebuild
Evelyn Bigelow’s sons have been in contact with a manufacturing home company, as Evelyn Bigelow wants to rebuild on the lot.
“The insurance won’t cover the cost to rebuild. A foundation alone costs $40,000,” Jenny Bigelow said. “The cost for a two-bedroom, handicap accessible home is $60,000.”
The family will continue to look around for a house for Evelyn Bigelow.
Still, Evelyn Bigelow said she’s grateful.
“It could have been worse. We just had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas there,” she said. “I’m so thankful my daughter had a place for me.”
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