Go Fund Me created for Claysville woman who lost home, cats in fire
A fast-moving fire ripped through the two-story farmhouse of a Claysville woman on Oct. 26, destroying the home and killing two cats.
Now, the homeowner, Brenda Varner, is trying to recover from the losses.
“There’s nothing that could be saved; there was no time,” said Varner. “All my photos, sketch books – I sketch, I draw faces – all those are gone. All my paperwork, my deed to the property, my driver’s license, Social Security card – they’re gone. I got out wearing my sliders, no socks, and a nightgown. That’s it.”
She also lost two of her cats, Halo and Sweet Pea, who her daughter, Julie White, said were Varner’s “companions and her babies.”
A third cat, Mellow, was found alive the next day.
According to Claysville Volunteer Fire Department, the fire broke out just after 12:30 a.m. at 99 Brandenburg Lane.
Firefighters from North Franklin and South Franklin volunteer fire departments assisted Claysville at the scene.
The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania Region assisted Varner and an 18-year-old who has been staying at the home.
“I was sleeping when the fire happened. He pounded on the door and said, ‘Get up! The house is on fire!’ and we called 911,” said Varner.
Varner, 64, lives on a fixed income and had no homeowner’s insurance.
White has set up a Go Fund Me account to help her mother after the loss.
“If you’ve met my mom, you know she is the person who gives and never asks for anything back. She is a mom, a nana and a great-nana,” White wrote in an email.
She said her mother, who had lived in the house for 34 years, opened her home over the years to people who had nowhere to go, and has helped dozens of people get back on their feet and find housing. She also rescues stray cats who are abandoned along Interstate 70, pays out-of-pocket to have them spayed and neutered, and feeds strays.
“Now, she’s the one who needs help,” White said.
Varner said she plans to move into a vacant mobile home that sits on the property, but it lacks working utilities and needs utility hookups before Varner can live in it.
Said White, “It’s been terrible watching my mom go through this. She lost her house, her pets, the young man who was staying there lost all of his belongings. My mom’s taking it day-by-day.”
To donate to the Go Fund Me, visit https://gofund.me/b23b4782d. Donations of gift cards for clothes, groceries, and cat food for Mellow and the strays Varner cares for also are being accepted. To donate items, contact White at JulieWhite8005@gmail.com or 724-413-8005.