Eunice Schmidt’s House Burned to the Ground – GoFundMe Information.
Eunice Schmidt has lost her home and all its contents. The cause of the fire was determined not to be negligence on Eunice’s part, but likely started as a result of an electrical fire. Fatefully and thankfully, Eunice awoke in the night to find the house ablaze, and she escaped with her life, watching it burn in her pajamas.
Eunice is named for her grandmother, Eunice Baikie, who was also part of the Piercy family. Eunice’s grandfather built the little red house at the corner of Denman and East Roads for his wife Eunice and family, on part of the original Dalziel property. That’s where Eunice’s mother Betty Schmidt was raised.
Betty spent all but 5 of her 94 years on Denman Island. She married Walter Schmidt in 1943 and raised her five children, including Eunice, on the Dalziel property, starting off in the same little red house.
In 1967 Walter bought The Swale from the Pickles family, so he could farm the land. At that time, Ernie Pickles had a little house in a lovely spot by the creek.
Eunice and Bob Andor, her partner, raised their 3 children in that spot, adding another generation to the Denman Island family tree. Bob and Eunice built on to it, and greatly expanded the little house, resulting in a lovely home. All that is left is the fireplace where Eunice had completed the stone work herself.
There was no insurance on this old house, but Eunice plans to build a cabin and resume life in the place she treasures, near the site of the house that is gone. She has the love and support of friends and family in this endeavour, but building materials and furnishings and even clothes need to be purchased, while the electric and septic amenities will need to be reestablished. Should you be inclined to donate through GoFundMe, Eunice and her family and friends would be ever so grateful. https://gofund.me/ff9729577
