Evans house fire

Lenora L W Evans was Birda's eldest sister.

The following 1903 article was the closest thing I could find in relation to her marriage to Edward William Evans in 1904 (as the 1904 year of the "Vernal Express" is missing.)  Considering the story aspect of it all, I felt it deserved it's own post.

News article:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1903, Aug 29, p.2

News article transcribed:
A Big Blaze
The residence of E.W. Evans was totally destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon together with some furniture, bedding, etc.  The origin of the fire was due to a defective flue and started in the upper part of the building.
The fire was discovered by one of the children from the outside of the building, who ran in and communicated the startling news to Mrs. Lenora Watkins who with the children were the only occupants of the place at the time.  Mrs. Watkins at once started the children for assistance to the neighbors, but the fire had already gained such headway that it was apparent that nothing could be done to save the building.
With commendable nerve Mrs. Watkins and the children rushed about moving what furniture and utensils they were able to handle from the kitchen which was directly underneath the seat of the conflagration.  Several neighbors arrived on the scene and set about the task of removing the furniture from the parlor, the most of which was saved.
All of the winter bedding, clothes, etc, upstairs were lost and the greater part of the kitchen furniture.  At the time the fire was discovered two of the children were bathing in one of the rooms, and they were force to leave minus clothes, shoes, and all, which were destroyed.  A box of clothes which Mr. Evans had recently had made for the children, went with the rest.  Mr. Evans states that he estimates the total loss at $1,500 covered by an insurance policy of $600.
R.S. Collett, agent for the company in which the policy was carried, went down Thursday evening to inspect the ruins in the interest of his company.
*Spelling and punctuation adjusted.


This event happened about 6 months before they married, and as Nonie was watching his kids in his house, it leads me to conclude that she was either being neighborly and this tragic fire united them together more intimately, or that they were fond of each other this far advanced of their marriage and she was practicing a prospective maternal role with his previous family of children when this all went down.