Thankful for help during tragedy

To the Editor:

We take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped with the fire at Vine and Broadway streets on August 10. This includes the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, MoDOT, EMS services, Red Cross, local news media, community members, strangers, local business owners and employees, friends, family and neighbors. Thanks also to all those who prayed for the affected individuals, including both the business people and the residents of the building, and to those who donated money, food and other items to help out.

We especially thank our wonderful Poplar Bluff and Butler County fire departments. We've always known our Poplar Bluff Fire Department is great, but when you're directly affected by a fire you see things from a much different perspective. The firefighters' professionalism, concern and care shown us during and after the fire have been beyond amazing. They fought that fire on possibly the hottest day of the summer, never complaining, and yet we felt the emotion of the firefighters who knew this was another Poplar Bluff landmark being destroyed along with the residences and livelihoods of many of their friends and neighbors. This fire easily could have taken down all the structures in the 100 block of Broadway, as well as the vacated buildings in the 300 block of Vine, had it not been for the efforts of our firefighters.

Although our business, McNeely Shoe Service, at 319 Vine St., escaped the actual fire, we lost everything due to smoke and water damage and the razing of the building immediately after the fire. We have started all over again and are open for business at 411 Vine St. just one block west of our long-time previous location.

THANK YOU Poplar Bluff. We have personally experienced an entire community pulling together during a tragedy.

Bennie and

Beverly Roach

Owners

McNeely Shoe Service

411 Vine Street