Family, neighbors, community come together for Jeannette fire victims, survivors

On Thursday morning, Richard John got what he said was the best phone call of his life.

“I talked to my grandson,” John said. “He couldn’t talk, but just to see him. I haven’t seen any of them since the fire.”

It was the first time John had been able to cry since the incident. John’s grandson was one of the three survivors of a devastating fire on Guy Street in Jeannette overnight Wednesday.

Four children, Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan, 3; and Korbyn, 1 month, and their father, Tyler J. King, 27, were killed in the fire. Two children, 10 and 1, and King’s fiancee, Miranda John, made it out and were hospitalized. Family members said they were being treated for smoke inhalation.

Since the disaster, Richard John and other relatives have been gathering, along with other locals from the Jeannette neighborhood and beyond.

“This community came together,” Richard John said.

He thanked everyone who has provided help and especially thanked neighbor John “Jack” Mull, who witnessed the fire, grabbed a ladder and joined forces with firefighters to rescue Miranda and her two children.

“That man is a hero,” Richard John said. “That man saved my daughter and my two grandkids.”

Other relatives, friends and extended family members stopped at the site of the home Thursday to pay their respects and leave stuffed animals and toys at a makeshift memorial.

Brandi Uiselt and her daughter, Emery, brought Care Bear toys and crafts for the memorial. Ryan Meyers helped arrange balloons there.

“I heard about it the night it happened — my mom lives literally right there on the next street over. The four little ones were my daughter’s cousins,” Meyers said.

Joseph John and Josh Aley helped move the family’s car from in front of the home. Aley made replacement keys for the car because the originals were destroyed in the fire.

“The whole town pretty much knows each other, all the way from the football coach to the little guys walking around the street. We all grew up here helping each other and stuff,” Joseph John said.

“It’s nice that everybody pitches in and helps out.”

Helping hands

There are three active GoFundMe fundraisers associated with the fire. As of Saturday evening, one had raised nearly $94,000 of a $100,000 goal for Miranda John. A second, created by Tyler King’s twin brother, Kenny, has raised $5,800 of a $50,000 goal.

A third effort is in support of the family who lived in the home beside King and John’s home. Organized by Maddison Skundrich, it had raised more than $19,000 of a $20,000 goal to benefit the family of David and Lauren Diffenderfer, whose home was destroyed.

A memorial fundraiser will be held for John’s family and others impacted by the fire Monday at American Legion Post 344, 109 S. 5th Street in Jeannette.

The fundraiser will kick off with a memorial service at 6 p.m., said Robin Evak, a Jeannette resident who is helping to coordinate the event. Live bands will perform until 10 p.m.

People can support the family by purchasing a raffle ticket for a Chinese auction, food from a Firehouse Subs food truck or baked goods from a local vendor.

Proceeds from cash bar sales during the band sets will be donated to funds established at the Elliott Community Federal Credit Union, to benefit the surviving fire victims, according to Rick Loughner, adjutant at the Legion post.

Other cash donations received at the Legion event will benefit Miranda John, according to Jennifer Deemer, who also is involved in organizing the gathering.

The fundraiser had gathered more than 100 volunteers as of Saturday, Deemer said.

“It’s turning out bigger than we expected,” said Evak.

American Legion Commander Art “Sonny” Blasco said the Legion’s community focus inspired its members to get involved.

“A lot of people are giving up their time to come down here to the Legion to work that event,” he said.

Evak hopes the event helps the family and the Jeannette community recover.

“Jeannette right now is a walking zombie. We are all very somber,” she said. “We still cannot wrap our heads, let alone our hearts, around this, so we need to heal.

“We’re doing this for those families, for those babies.”

Those interested in helping with the fundraising effort may call Deemer at 724-787-3076.

Jeannette resident Ashley Flynn and her husband, Arnold Schmidt, also are pitching in.

Flynn is organizing a benefit dinner for John and her neighbors from 2 to 7 p.m. April 20 at Grapeville Fire Department, 2528 Newark St., Hempfield.

Fuggenthaler Catering in Unity volunteered to cater the event, and others have reached out to donate items such as plates and forks. Each plate of food will cost $10, and the proceeds will be split among the families, Flynn said.

Flynn also is selling “Jeannette Strong” T-shirts to raise money. Additional information about the shirts and ways to support the benefit dinner can be found on the “Jeannette Strong Decals” Facebook page.

“I did this because this is a small community, and our motto in this community is ‘small town, big pride,’” Flynn said. “Our pride can be big, and everybody can go out and support our football team, our basketball team, our baseball team, our sports teams.

“But, when it comes to something as tragic as this, I would like to see our community come together and be the backbone for this family as they are healing, as they’re grieving.”

Community businesses also are pitching in to help the families.

• Ketter’s Restaurant and Catering, 221 S. 4th Street, is collecting monetary and clothing donations, said store manager Chrissy Shank. Household items and gift cards also will be accepted.

“We’re just helping out,” Shank said. “They and their family members, they are frequently here at Ketter’s.”

The restaurant will host a basket raffle to collect donations for the family, beginning Saturday. The drawings for the raffle will take place between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Monday. For updates on the basket raffle or collection, visit the restaurant on Facebook.

• Free-Op Community Store, a pay-what-you-can store featuring clothing, toys, household items and decor, donated clothing to Miranda John’s family, said owner Madison Feidner.

Feidner opened the store at 307 Clay Ave. for close family and friends to shop for John and her sons. Feidner plans to open the same opportunity to John’s neighbors.

“Really, this is a prime example of why I do what I do,” Feidner said, adding she will open the store to both families if they need household items when they move into their future residences.

• Peinetti’s Bakery, 512 Clay Ave., is collecting clothing, toys and household items such as laundry detergent and soap. Store owner Jennifer Toughlian is amazed by the way the community has come together to support the family.

“I am just awestruck by the community,” she said. “I can’t say anything else besides they’re amazing.”

• Elliott Community Federal Credit Union is collecting donations for John and her neighbors.

Donations can be made at any of the credit union’s locations, member services representative Laurie Colt said.

“It’s been pretty much a revolving door this morning with donations coming in,” Colt said.

The credit union has two funds going for the families — the Jeannette Fire Survivors Fund and the Disaster Relief Fund. Checks made payable to the Elliott Community Federal Credit Union with either fund name in the memo line will support the families.

The credit union has locations across the county, including:

• 920 N. 4th Street in Jeannette

• 100 Lewis Ave. in Hempfield

• 631 N. Main Street in Greensburg

This story is updated with new information on fundraising plans.

Julia Maruca and Quincey Reese are TribLive staff writers. They can be reached at jmaruca@triblive.com and qreese@triblive.com.