Upper Peninsula community helps couple to recover from house fire
Fire in Paradise, Michigan.
With every disaster we look for light at the end of the tunnel… a new beginning.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the lives of Paradise residents Connie Voll and her fiance Joe Marsh.
Connie is a two time cancer survivor on disability and Joe is the owner-operator of J & C Fisheries.
Their home of 30 years was decimated by an August 9 fire.
“All of the sudden, we heard something trip like it was the fuse box, so Joe … he went over and fixed the fuse box and then sat back down,” Connie Voll said. “And I looked at him and he looked at me and we both smelled smoke. He got halfway up the stairs and couldn’t go any farther, it was filled with smoke, and he just said get the dogs and get out.”
They did not have insurance on the home, due to the woodstove being their primary source of heat. But Voll said the hardest part was losing things that money can’t replace.
“Photos of my children that were baby pictures and on up, and special recipes… it’s overwhelming, there’s so much,” Voll said.
Her daughters Dana Howland and Bridget Thorpe have been working to raise funds to begin replacing the family home. They have raised about $40,000 so far.
The family is in a race against time to get the exterior of the home built before the snow flies. They’ll need to raise about $20,000 in order to make that happen.
Local contractors have stepped up too – helping to clean up debris, and setting up new electric service to the family garage which is the base of operations for Marsh’s business.
As for Marsh, his time has been split between catching fish to supply his local customers and working to rebuild the home.
Voll said she’s been overwhelmed by the support of the community. Her daughter, Dana Howland also has a message.
“I just don’t know how to thank them all,” Voll said. “I told my daughter last night, I said, I’d like to make a big sign and put out in front of my house, and then put everybody’s name on it, because it means so much.”
Howland said to cherish the things that really matter.
“Look through your home, and just remember that life Is short.” Howlands said. “And these are things, but the memories behind them are what’s important – just spend a lot of time with your family. You know there could have been a more devastating end to this story.
Visit the following sites to help with the rebuilding effort or to purchase replacement items for the family home.
https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/2BYDCQ2KMVJ3E/guest-view
https://fundraising.littlecaesars.com/fundraisers/support/52fe5c31-0176-4519-acbe-7b7051268709