INSTITUTE, WV (WOWK) — Joseph Williams built his home in Institute nearly 60 years ago, and as his family grew, he worked hard to ensure his home could accommodate everyone by building extra rooms.
But after a fire broke out on Sunday, nearly all that remains are memories, and he’s asking for the public’s help to restore what was lost.
Joseph and his wife Arline were visiting a relative when he got a call from his niece, saying their home was on fire.
“By the time I got back to Dunbar and got closer, there was nothing but black smoke all over Dunbar,” said Williams.
While much was lost, a few personal items were salvaged that brought the Williams family some comfort. Items like Joseph’s prized guitar, Arline’s Bible, and a collection of family photos.
13 News spoke with Patrice Williams, the youngest Williams child, who said that finding those items was a silver lining.
“When you first pull up to the house and you see the flame, immediately the thought process is everything is completely gone. There’s nothing to be salvaged, nothing to be saved. When we found the pictures, when we found the guitar, that’s a piece of home,” said Patrice.
Joseph and Arline’s three children traveled hundreds of miles, coming from Charlotte, D.C., and London, West Virginia, to support their parents.
This week, they are hard at work cleaning up the property and digging through the rubble to find more salvageable items with the hopes of rebuilding their childhood home.
Rafael, the middle Williams child, spoke on the family’s efforts to rebuild the house.
“Our family is healthy, we’re strong. Fire has been the great cleanser so it’s really brought our family back together. One of my past mentors said, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at at time, so that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to approach it one bite at a time,” said Rafael.
If you’d like to contribute to the Williams family’s efforts to rebuild and restore their home, you can find the GoFundMe page by clicking here.
The Williams said that if you can’t contribute financially, then prayers are welcomed as well and would be a great way to help out.