Bio: Wehe, Ray – Family Home Fire (Jan 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Wehe, Koche

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 09 Jan 1975

A 10:30 p.m. fire on Wednesday, January 1, 1975 left the Ray Wehe family homeless and with very few belongings. Their house is located two miles west of Abbotsford.

The fire, of undetermined origin, stated in the living room, and left the two story log structure standing, but completely gutted from the fire’s intense heat. Wehe estimated the loss to at $15,000 for the house and personal property, and thought the fire was the result of faulty electrical wiring.

Ellen Wehe was the first to discover the fire, as she work to find intense smoke. She ran into the kitchen, thinking perhaps the flames could be put out without assistance.

Mrs. Wehe stated that she then ran back to the bedroom and work up her husband. They had just enough time to grab Jonathon, their 13 1/2 month old son and ran out into the cold, winter night in their bed clothes.

They ran across the road to the home of Gordon Koche and called the Abbotsford Fire Department, which responded with a pumper and tanker.

The Wehe’s lost everything except their freezer and the meat that was in it. Wehe said that they had just stocked up the freezer and the cupboards.

They have received help from friends and neighbors, mainly in the form of clothing for the baby.

The Wehe’s are presently looking for a place to rent somewhere between Abbotsford and Dorchester.

They could also use clothing, canned good, or whatever people are will give them help to get a new start.