A
house in the little Missouri hamlet of Defiance exploded, killing two small
children.
Their
school had canceled classes due to extreme weather, so they were at home.
Julian
Keiser, age four, and Jamison Keiser, age six, passed away early on Friday
morning before they could escape their burning house near Highway 94, just
outside of St. Louis.
Their
mother, Evelyn Turpiano, and grandparents, Jennifer and Vern Ham, were able to
flee and reach safety, according to officials and a GoFundMe page.
A
neighbor, Sharon Oberlag, said, “They were the nicest little boys. They thought
school was the coolest thing ever, and they were so cute.”
Jaiden,
who had just started kindergarten, and Julian were at home when the explosion
happened because their school had canceled lessons to protect the children from
the cold.
Firefighters
couldn’t reach the victims in time since the house was already on fire when
they arrived.
New
Melle Fire Protection District Chief Dan Casey said the firefighters entered
via a window in search of the boys.
“The
fire prevented them from being found right away,” Casey stated. The boys’
bodies were discovered later.
Oberlag
told KMOV that she heard an explosion-like sound coming from the residence.
“Thank
God, we didn’t know we were going to lose the two little boys, but everyone
came running to help.” What transpired is really tragic,” she said.
Oberlag
added, “They attempted, but were unable, to capture the boys, Nick and Travis,
who lived next door. It is awful.”
The
cause of the explosion and fire is still being investigated.
The
Hoffmann Family of Companies, a Florida-based enterprise founded by Missourians
David and Jerri Hoffmann, owned the building. The Hoffmanns had purchased
nearby wineries and eateries intending to turn the region into the Midwest’s
Napa Valley.
“Our
hearts are with the member of our team and their family who lost their children
and grandchildren,” the company stated on Friday. “As a family-run company, we
are committed to supporting our staff and our community.”
The
house was close to the Defiance RoadHouse, a bar and grill owned by Turpiano,
the boys’ mother.
Dan
Tripp, a co-owner of Good News Brewing in Defiance, informed the Post-Dispatch
that Jennifer Ham, Turpiano’s mother, had also operated the for many years.
Tripp
created a GoFundMe campaign for the family, which as of Monday morning had
raised over $145,000. He mentioned that both women belong to the Defiance
Merchants Association, an organization that supports the regional wine
industry.
“If
you ever met the boys at the Defiance Roadhouse, the Christmas Festival, or the
St. Patrick’s Day parade, you will never forget how excited they were about
life and how much joy they brought to everyone around them,” reads a statement
from the GoFundMe page.
The
family will have to pay for two funerals in addition to losing their house and
everything they possessed. “The family will need your prayers and emotional
support as they grieve the loss of two special little boys in addition to your
financial contributions,” the statement continues.
A
neighbor, Laura Emerson, placed her Christmas wreath on a water pump near the
destroyed house. She filled it with two plush animals.
“Those
boys appeared content. They were intelligent. They were happy. They were
loved,” she told the press.
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