December 5, 200916 yr Fire Guts Soldier's Home CEDAR LAKE | Annie Rekitzke is happy her four children were staying with her parents early Wednesday when considering the burned out wreckage that was her home. "The four most important things in my life are fine," the Cedar Lake resident said Wednesday afternoon. "My babies were good." Her husband, Christopher Rekitzke, also was safe from the blaze but not from other danger. He has been deployed in Iraq for the past six months with the Army National Guard. Among the most tragic parts of the fire that destroyed Annie Rekitzke's home was the loss of the family's six-year-old Labrador, Pudge, two family cats and thousands of photographs of her children. A firefighter managed to save some photos of her 12-year-old son playing football. "It's a heartbreaking story," Cedar Lake Fire Chief Todd Wilkening said. "They were looking forward to the holidays, and now this is pretty devastating." Annie Rekitzke learned of the fire through a phone call from her mother. She had been working her job as an assistant night manager at the Portage Walmart. Rekitzke said she could hear the panic in her mother's voice. She later was able to reach her husband via Facebook to tell him about the fire. Wilkening said his department and two others responded to the fire in the 6900 block of West 141st Avenue about 4:25 a.m. Wednesday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the house was a total loss, Wilkening said. Rekitzke said the family is living with her parents for now and is in contact with the American Red Cross. They're accepting donations at the Portage WalMart and Demotte State Bank in Cedar Lake. This is a family friend. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
December 8, 200916 yr QUOTE (mreye @ Dec 5, 2009 -> 09:44 AM) Fire Guts Soldier's Home They're accepting donations at the Portage WalMart and Demotte State Bank in Cedar Lake. This is a family friend. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Not that I'm lazy, but could you post the contact info for the bank and the WalMart?
December 8, 200916 yr Author Guys, I'll find out and update later. Obviously, I'm having a hard time getting ahold of her. One update though, they let her husband come back home for the time being.
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