Tragically killing two little boys, Julian Keiser, 4, and Jamison Keiser, 6, the house in Defiance, Missouri, burst on Friday morning. Extreme weather caused their school to call off lessons, thereby leaving them at home when the explosion happened. Safely escaped were their mother, Evelyn Turpiano, and grandparents, Jennifer and Vern Ham.
Arriving but unable to reach the lads in time because of the fierce flames, firefighters “The fire kept them from being discovered right away,” said Chief Dan Casey of the New Melle Fire Protection District. Hearing the explosion, neighbor Sharon Oberlag called the boys “the nicest little boys,” adding, “They thought school was the coolest thing ever.”
“Our hearts are with the member of our team and their family who lost their children and grandchildren,” said the owners of the building, the Hoffmann Family of Companies.
The family has raised almost $145,000 through a GoFundMe effort. Starting the campaign, co-owner of Good News Brewing in Defiance Dan Tripp observed that both women participated actively in the Defiance Merchants Association. The family will need help with the loss of their house as well as the funerals.
“Those boys seemed content,” neighbor Laura Emerson said as she laid a Christmas wreath on the wrecked house. They were intelligent. They delighted me. People adored them.