Morden couple killed in fire remembered as ‘pillars of the community’

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This article was published 25/12/2020 (1749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A couple who called Morden home for more than 50 years are being mourned this Christmas after a fatal house fire early Thursday morning.

News of the tragedy spread quickly throughout the city, where the couple, both in their 80s, were reliable faces who became “pillars” of the community, the city’s mayor, Brandon Burley, told the Free Press.

“They certainly had a big hand in forming our identity, and certainly touched a lot of people in a positive way,” he said.

Fire crews arrived at the couple’s Birchwood Drive home at about 4:15 a.m. The victims — whose names have not been publicly identified yet pending an investigation by the chief medical examiner — were found after the blaze was extinguished.

Burley said the loss has already started to reverberate throughout the city. He said he got to know the couple, especially the husband, after his election.

“We’d see the gentleman at coffee at one o’clock almost every other day,” he said, or at the Royal Canadian Legion enjoying a card game. He was always willing to talk, Burley said, and even left a message a few days ago, commending the mayor for a letter he wrote to the reeve of La Broquerie, who has downplayed the dangers of COVID-19.

“Every community has a certain number of people like this, who you just can’t replace, and they were like that,” Burley said.

“At this point, how I feel about them is the way the whole community does. As hard as it will be for this community, it will be impossible for their children to replace them, so our hope is they’ll find peace in the support of the community and the knowledge they’ll be remembered by a lot of people.”

On Facebook, posts by the Morden Police Service and other community organizations were shared widely, with many pointing out that as terrible as the loss would’ve been at any point, for it to come during the holiday season makes it more painful.

“This is hard to swallow,” commented Muriel Derksen on one post. “How we will miss them.”

Burley added, “They left a mark that won’t soon be forgotten.”

Earlier Thursday morning, a couple in Sanford were killed in a fire at their home. Allan and Valerie Boyd, both 65, were remembered similarly — as dedicated “community” people. “They were great people, great neighbours,” recalled Ryan Sotheran, who lives next door.

Both fires are still under investigation.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca

— with files from Kellen Taniguchi and Rosanna Hempel