Donations sought for Chester family

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Three Chester children and their grandmother are now homeless after their mobile home caught fire on Wednesday afternoon.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The single-wide trailer at 110 Holmes Circle was occupied by the Mary Farmer family and is being declared a total loss. According to Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert, the cause of the blaze has been ruled undetermined for now.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"We're looking at electrical, but at this time we've left it undetermined until we can make sure," he said.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Bert said one of the home's occupants, a boy, reported hearing popping noises coming from the area of the hot water heater.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The boy who was home said there a flame around the hot water heater," Bert said. "He said he was able to put that out. He heard some popping noises back there."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Bert noted the boy then left the trailer and neighbors later reported the fire at 12:55 p.m. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chester and Ellis Grove firefighters responded, with firefighters clearing the scene at 2:32 p.m.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By Wednesday evening, administration at Chester Grade School - where the three children are students - were asking for donations for those affected.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"They are great students, hard working and very sweet children," said Chester Grade School Principal Tim Lochhead of the children, who are in kindergarten, first grade and fifth grade. "We're taking some things and I'm in communication with one of the daughters in Marissa where they're staying."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Family members also set up a GoFundMe&#160;page.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mom and the kids are currently with my family and I," Christina Carol wrote on the GoFundMe page. "They are in desperate fast need of funding to find a home. All (three) of my nephews and nieces are placed with her through Hoyleton ministries of the State of Illinois.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"There was no home insurance, and all kids and my 69-year-old mother are now homeless."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In a Facebook message to the Herald Tribune, Carol stated that the family has received an outpouring of support and has acquired the children's clothing needs.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">According to its website, Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is "</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">a community provider of emotional and mental health services for every stage of child and family development throughout southern Illinois."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Established in 1895 to care for orphaned children of a cholera epidemic, Hoyleton claims to make a positive impact on more than 2,000 lives each year.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Whether through reunification, adoption or developing the life skills to stand on their own, our goal is always to help children and families find a forever place they can call home," Hoyleton said on its website.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Needed donations for the Farmer family are as follows. For more information on how to donate, call Chester Grade School at 618-826-2354.</span>

<ul>

<li><strong>Groceries of all sorts</strong></li>

<li><strong>Bedding</strong></li>

<li><strong>Pillows</strong></li>

<li><strong>School Materials</strong></li>

<li><strong>TV</strong></li>

<li><strong>Monetary donations / prepaid cards</strong></li>

</ul>

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