BLANCHARDVILLE - A Blanchardville resident was found dead after his home burned to the ground early Sunday morning in the N8500 block of Badger Road, Town of York.
According to a press release from the Green County Sheriff, the residence was reported burning at 4 a.m. Sunday. By the time the New Glarus Fire Department responded, the house was fully consumed by flames, and the roof had collapsed.
The body of a 37-year-old man was removed from the ruins, the release said.
The state fire marshall and Green County coroner were summoned to the scene, according to the release.
Neighbors said Paul Richardson lived in the house.
Richardson, originally from Mount Horeb, had lived at the residence almost 15 years, said his neighbor Jim Wirts.
"His nickname was Tall Paul," Wirts said. "He was easy-going and would help you with whatever you needed. He's going to be missed by a lot of people."
Donna Klosterman, who keeps horses and cattle across the road from Richardson's residence, said she didn't know Richardson well but always enjoyed waving to him when she drove by.
"He kept to himself a lot," Klosterman said. "He was very friendly and always waved. He just mowed the lawn the other day."
Klosterman remembered Richardson's sense of humor. Once, about five years ago, she said Richard had a silhouette of Norman Bates - the titular killer from Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic "Psycho" - displayed in his window. Instead of his own name, his mailbox was emblazoned with the words "somebody" and "nobody," and stone gargoyles inhabited his backyard.
"You never knew what was going to be back there," Klosterman said.
"It is going to be so weird not seeing him out there."
According to a press release from the Green County Sheriff, the residence was reported burning at 4 a.m. Sunday. By the time the New Glarus Fire Department responded, the house was fully consumed by flames, and the roof had collapsed.
The body of a 37-year-old man was removed from the ruins, the release said.
The state fire marshall and Green County coroner were summoned to the scene, according to the release.
Neighbors said Paul Richardson lived in the house.
Richardson, originally from Mount Horeb, had lived at the residence almost 15 years, said his neighbor Jim Wirts.
"His nickname was Tall Paul," Wirts said. "He was easy-going and would help you with whatever you needed. He's going to be missed by a lot of people."
Donna Klosterman, who keeps horses and cattle across the road from Richardson's residence, said she didn't know Richardson well but always enjoyed waving to him when she drove by.
"He kept to himself a lot," Klosterman said. "He was very friendly and always waved. He just mowed the lawn the other day."
Klosterman remembered Richardson's sense of humor. Once, about five years ago, she said Richard had a silhouette of Norman Bates - the titular killer from Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic "Psycho" - displayed in his window. Instead of his own name, his mailbox was emblazoned with the words "somebody" and "nobody," and stone gargoyles inhabited his backyard.
"You never knew what was going to be back there," Klosterman said.
"It is going to be so weird not seeing him out there."