Finding solace after a tragedy like Monday's fire in Blanchardville is surely almost impossible for the families of Daniel Hardekopf, 45; Jelayne L. Hughes, 44; Cody D. Olson, 23; and Brian K. Monte, 34, and those who knew them.
Loss of this magnitude is unexplainable. Regardless of the unknown cause of the blaze - the state fire marshal's report officially listed the cause as undetermined Tuesday before ending its investigation of the fire - there is no reason why these people had to die in the manner they did.
Before 3:30 a.m. Monday, fire crews and emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Silver Dollar Saloon in downtown Blanchardville. By 8 a.m. the fire was under control, but by then it had claimed four victims.
In the unspeakable sadness blanketing Blanchardville, a remarkable thing is happening. The community has outwardly shown tremendous support for the families and friends of the four victims.
In fact, based simply on the reporting by Times' staff and other news outlets, the support and compassion of friends and neighbors in Blanchardville has been critical to helping the families of the victims and the village grieve.
On Tuesday, Rev. Mark Gruner of Pecatonica Lutheran Parish explained the unique nature of how close a small town can be, especially just after a tragedy.
"There is a lot of hurting going on right now," he said. "In a small town, everybody knows everybody. We're all in this together."
From comments in news stories, e-mails and even a recently created Facebook page commemorating the lives of Hardekopf, Hughes, Olson and Monte, Blanchardville residents and others have been showing tremendous support.
One can only hope that if a terrible situation were to impact our lives that such support would come from the community around us.
God bless the families of those killed in the blaze, and all who have expressed support for them deserve our respect and thanks.
Loss of this magnitude is unexplainable. Regardless of the unknown cause of the blaze - the state fire marshal's report officially listed the cause as undetermined Tuesday before ending its investigation of the fire - there is no reason why these people had to die in the manner they did.
Before 3:30 a.m. Monday, fire crews and emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Silver Dollar Saloon in downtown Blanchardville. By 8 a.m. the fire was under control, but by then it had claimed four victims.
In the unspeakable sadness blanketing Blanchardville, a remarkable thing is happening. The community has outwardly shown tremendous support for the families and friends of the four victims.
In fact, based simply on the reporting by Times' staff and other news outlets, the support and compassion of friends and neighbors in Blanchardville has been critical to helping the families of the victims and the village grieve.
On Tuesday, Rev. Mark Gruner of Pecatonica Lutheran Parish explained the unique nature of how close a small town can be, especially just after a tragedy.
"There is a lot of hurting going on right now," he said. "In a small town, everybody knows everybody. We're all in this together."
From comments in news stories, e-mails and even a recently created Facebook page commemorating the lives of Hardekopf, Hughes, Olson and Monte, Blanchardville residents and others have been showing tremendous support.
One can only hope that if a terrible situation were to impact our lives that such support would come from the community around us.
God bless the families of those killed in the blaze, and all who have expressed support for them deserve our respect and thanks.
