Yes, it was a long night for everyone. The days have gotten even longer since.....

Thank you

As a couple, they had named each other benefactor/executor, but both are gone now. I do know that there are some things his adult daughter, and her parents will have to do directly, but I'm doing the leg work to save them some of the frustration and heart ache. I expect to hit a few road blocks, but will have the death certificates with me and will not go back to my family empty handed.

Thank you, Zanne. I'm back in Denver today, trying to get things set here so I can head back tomorrow, and for the rest of the week. Certainly not the Thanksgiving we imagined.

I have a friend at FEMA that directed me to a helpful site that I think everyone should be aware of, as preventive and, God forbid, after a fire. If anyone needs it, it's at: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_citizens/atf/


I've printed a ton of stuff and plan to sort through it the next couple of days. I know the guy that the CBI that assigned the investigator, so he thought they could help me figure out some of the clean up stuff. That helps.

I'm not good at asking for help, but people have been stepping up to offer assistance and it means so much to me and the entire family. I just wish I could do more...

Again, thank you for the advise and support. If the link above helps another family avoid, or get through something like this, I'm glad. I'm hoping it will help our family in the days to come.

Thank you for telling me. I just read her post - very painful to see the photo. By the time we got there all that was left was the chimney and the ashes of what was a beautiful life for that little family.

Thank you, Noblenan! They were young, mid-forties, early fifties,and their son was only 17, and the businesses were fairly new too, but the Insurance Commission is a great place to check.

I am keeping track of everything so I can help my family sort things out. I want to make it as easy as possible for all of us to work through this. I lost my Grandma last Spring and was the Executor of her estate so I've done some of this before.

Death is never easy, especially a tragedy like this, but facing the "business" side of it is too much for some and only adds to the pain. If I can help minimize that, I plan to.

Again, thank you for your advise, and your prayers.

Thank you all so much.

I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to check with the bank and court house, but that does help. I was hoping there was a national insurance database that you could enter an address into to locate a policy or at least a provider. No luck on that one though! I'm working on the slideshow for the memorial service, trying to get pics from other family members and pull them off my PC, since many were destroyed.

I did get to the bank yesterday to set up a fund for the benefit dinner the community is hosting. I have found that during the darkest moments of life, the true nature of people is revealed. The entire community has been so wonderful and supportive, and people have been so very kind. For that, I am truly thankful.

Thank you for your kindness and advise. They did own another business in town that was not impacted by the fire. I plan to go there after a day or two after the service and see if I can find any paperwork. I'm thinking both businesses might be insured with the same company...I hope! I just know they kept all their files at the restaurant site since it was their primary business and residence. If I can just handle this it will ease the minds of their Mom and Dad, and the rest of the family who need time to recover instead of worrying about removing what is left of the life they built together. I just feel so helpless, and wish I could do more to ease my family's pain. It won't heal the pain, but if I can handle some of these details it would not prolong the pain either! I hope...

Three members of my extended family died in a house fire early Friday morning. Since then we had been swamped with the "details of death," including making arrangements, writing the funeral notices, comforting each other, and just trying to make sense of it all. For whatever reason, I am always the one of the family that handles the "details," but I don't know where to turn on this one ~ I feel like I'm stumbling in the dark and can't find my way no matter how hard I try! It looks like the house insurance had lapsed, but surely the family business that was attached to the house had to have been insured to maintain their business and health dept. certificates for the restaurant! The problem is that all was lost in the fire, so I have no policies/paperwork to go on. Even their cars were destroyed so no policy info there either. I just don't know where to start to figure out 1) If they were insured, and 2) with who?

Plus, the city has given us one week to clean the site (remove all debris). This is a tiny town of 1,500 people and only a few businesses. Who does that stuff? Do I rent a Bobcat of what? Is there a permit required? I'm online now just trying to find answers, and have some feelers out to a few people I know, but since it's the weekend I just can't get any answers! I just want to take care of as much of this as possible so the rest of my family doesn't have to worry about it. Any ideas or advice, and your prayers, would be greatly appreciated.

When the heart engages that nice, average person becomes quite the HOTTIE, cause looks aren't the only thing that can turn a person on!

I LOVED the Gong Show and the Dean Martin Roasts too...oh, and Carol Burnett! LOL....those aren't "old" just classics!!

I think it's ironic to receive a letter from the IRS, thanking me for my recent filing! Like I had a choice!

On Mingle, a dating site where many profess to be looking for that special someone, I find it very ironic that the typical advice to those who have hit a bump in their relationship, is,"BAIL!"

And Christmas carols on Halloween, I see the irony in that!!

You're right ~ me, myself and I got it done (but we stuck to internal dialogue until my neighbor went back inside!)

Besides, I've always been told that talking to yourself is NOT the problem...if you ANSWER that's when people get concerned!

I do it all the time, mainly to motivate myself! Stuff like, "Come on, you can do it! FOCUS!!"

Recently I was winterizing my sprinkler system and having a hard time, when I said, "You're a smart woman, just think it through!" After a few more minutes I grumbled, "This will NOT beat me!"

I stopped then though, when I heard my neighbor laughing across the fence!

LOL..."timely" reminder, especially since I thought it was Sunday night!

Dang Daylight Savings Time. And here I thought that dark cloud hanging over the country was just 'cause of the political BS in the air! Go figure....

I'm very fortunate to have many saints, or as I call them "Angels in Disguise" in my every day life, but on Mingle a few of the "saints" I know are:

Rapunzel
SKPCG

...and Goofball is the Patron Saint of Laughter!

Don't forget ENTERTAINING!!!

So, you are an erotic, sexy, hairy beast.

Excellent!

I'm generally a very positive person, but am going to play Devil's Advocate here.

Given the fact that one of the women wanted to listen in on a conversation with you and her husband to see what he would say about her....and the fact that both calls where within a few hours of each other...any chance the wives are playing you?

I hope not, but it does make me wonder. Either way, I'd stay out of it completely! If they are genuine these are problems they have to work out with their husbands. No good will come of you being in the mix. And, true friends will understand that and won't put you in that position!

Best of luck!

Depends...pre or post Dancing with the Stars??

Either way, I'll bet you are a sight in Sequins, Stiletto's and big hair!
Simply "Unforgettable!"

LOL...somehow I knew that!

Actually my ex-boyfriend dragged me on stage a few months ago to do "Midnight Train to Georgia," and I TANKED! I just could not get the melody right, but the audience was kind...and glad when the song ended! Longest 3.5 minutes of my life!!!

Awwww...the things you do for love! (good song, BTW!)