‘Meaningful, beautiful and significant’: Community honors 5 killed in Jeannette house fire

JEANNETTE, Pa. — The tragic loss of a father and four of his children impacted people all around the Greater Jeannette community.

>> 4 children, father killed in Westmoreland County house fire

“God grieves this, too,” said Pastor Nate Keisel of Mosaic Community Church. “If you look around you here this morning, the amount of people here are here because they’re groaning with you.”

Tyler King and four of his kids, Kyson, 7, Kynzleigh, 6, Keagan, 3, and 1-month-old Korbin John died in that tragic fire in Jeannette on March 20.

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Major Gregory Hartshorn of the Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania said family members are an active part of the Salvation Army’s worship in Jeannette.

He said seeing so many people at Friday’s memorial was touching.

“Tremendous outpouring, and giving, support, donations, just a beautiful expression of love,” Hartshorn said. “That’s what we all need when we’re going through such times of terrible tragedy.”

That support has been evident since the fire.

>>Click here for more information on how to help the family

Fundraisers and events have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Miranda John and two of her young children who survived the fire.

“That’s a lifeline to hold on to as we move from this day to tomorrow and the next that will come,” Hartshorn said. “That lifeline needs to continue to be there by family, friends, the church and schoolmates, and we pray that that continues. I know it will in the spirit of Jeannette.”

And as the families impacted move beyond the memorial and funerals, Pastor Nate Keisel reminded them of one important thing: “No matter how short their lives, their lives were meaningful, beautiful and significant.”

There are still many ways you can help the families impacted, including several GoFundMe pages.

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