TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2008 - Barb's Dream House!!

Hello Dearest Ones,

This WAS Barbie's Dream House!! And, this was a total "Dream House" in a very nice neighborhood. And, Barbie did live there!!

Early Tuesday morning, 2:38 a.m., this turned into a real nightmare house!! Barbie, WAS a very prominent community leader both in Fulton and Clinton, volunteer with every charity group in this area, wonderful lady who NEVER said "NO" to any one and more importantly and WAS very generous woman who helped any where and every where there was any type of need!! AND, most importantly I had the privilege of calling her good friend!!

Barb fought one of the hardest battles I have ever seen to overcome an agressive breast cancer for two to three years!! She was just declared cancer free about a year ago!! Barb overcame her cancer, but Barb perished in her "Dream House"!! We had planned to build our new home in Fulton right in this same city block!! We finally gave up our building plans as we had tried to get it started for five years in a row, but very difficult situations always developed with either "M" or myself that prevented our personal attention!! This "killer" fire is just another reason that has come out that has made me quite glad we let our "Dream Condo" plans crash and burn!!

There are three television stations covering this tragedy because Barb held such prominent positions in both my city of Clinton and a small town right across the river in Fulton, Illinois. And, there are two local newspapers also covering this horrific fatality. I have come to absolutely hate seeing this picture!! The picture appears to me to look like a big old pot that is boiling and is about to explode!! Just now being aware that Barb lay inside the fire makes me quite ill!! A few of the other friends have contacted me after years of not much contact to ask if I would like to go over to the "house" and see what remained this morning. Besides, being it is barely 7 degrees out with dangerous windchills with two fairly significant ice storms accumulation under the three inches of snow we got yesterday detering me from going out, I truly do not think I want to see this house!!

Barb's husband is a school teacher and some how he did make it out of the house uninjured at all!! I can not imagine what goes through his mind over and over and over!! Barb also had a daughter and a son, but I believe they were both out of the house!! Barb was always into the Scout troops, PTA, school activities, sports, you name it!!

Barb was truly one of the most giving and caring people I have ever met!! Even through her own battle with her breast cancer she continued to work every day and kept up with most of her community and charity groups activities also.

Barb's family has had the greatest loss ever!! Both the cities of Clinton and Fulton have had a very great loss!! And, her friends, which I am honored to have been, have experienced great loss!!

My sincerest sympathies are with Barb's family!! And, I guess this proves once again "only the good die young"!!

Rest In Peace, Barbara!!