Teacher’s family struggles after fire

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Seymour Community School Corp. is showing support for one of its teachers who lost her home and belongings in a fire earlier this week.

In less than 24 hours, more than $800 had been donated through the GoFundMe online fundraising website for Amanda Newby and her family.

The account was set up Thursday by Cortland Elementary staff as a way to help the Newbys replace household and personal items.

Newby has taught special education at Cortland for the past three years and before that worked at Seymour Middle School for 11 years. She also serves as the corporation’s vision teacher and writes Individual Education Plans for special needs students at Trinity Lutheran High School.

“She gives so much of herself to her students and school community on a daily basis,” Cortland Principal Diane Altemeyer said. “Cortland is like a family. When word spread of the fire, everyone at Cortland felt compelled to help in some way.”

The fire, which happened Monday afternoon, destroyed the family’s home southwest of Medora, and Newby, her husband, Charles, and their two children are currently staying in a rented hunting cabin not far from their property.

Carr Township Fire Chief Steve Ingle said investigators believe the fire at the one-story home at 5298 S. County Road 925W was likely electrical in nature.

Newby said the fire started around 3:30 or so in the afternoon.

“We were in the living room playing cards and didn’t know anything was going on,” she said of her and her two daughters, who are 11 and 12 years old. “They would have been home alone if it hadn’t been for the weather.”

Newby said her husband, Charles, saw smoke coming out of the eaves from the side of the house, and got them out of the house.

“It started in the attic, and it burnt down so fast,” she said.

Although she is saddened by the loss of their home and everything they had, Newby said she is thankful her family is safe and they have a warm place to stay.

“It’s really sad to think about our home and everything we did to get it just the way we wanted it,” she said.

The family moved into the home a little over a year ago, and she and Charles were married on the front porch, she said.

“We didn’t have a lot, but everything was special to me,” she added.

Two items she said she will miss the most are her deceased brother’s Navy uniform and a moose statue he gave her from one of his trips that she kept on her stove.

She also said she is overwhelmed by the generosity of her co-workers and other people, and appreciates everything they’ve done.

“What would we do without all of the wonderful friends, family and even complete strangers, who have come to our aid?” she said. “Thank you all, thank you so much for helping my family and I.”

With the recent stretch of bad weather and not having school all week, Altemeyer said another teacher, Suzi Fallis, suggested starting the GoFundMe page as a way to reach out to other Seymour Community Schools staff members who would like to help.”

“By people sharing the site on Facebook we’ve had donations from as far away as Florida,” Altemeyer said.

Ingle said firefighters were hampered by the snowy weather when fighting the blaze.

“Our turnout gear froze,” he said. Firefighters with Driftwood and Owen-Salt Creek departments assisted along with firefighters from the Campbellsville area in Washington County.

Right now, Newby said she is still confused and doesn’t know what she needs, but said it’s little gifts that have meant the most.

“People have brought us clothes and someone brought my girls stuffed animals, crayons and paper, stuff for them to do,” she said. “And it sounds silly, but someone gave me makeup and a necklace and some magazines. Those are some of my favorite things now.”

She also appreciated the coat and insulated work bibs that someone brought for her husband, who works outside.

It’s not going to be easy rebuilding, but in time, they will, she said.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she added.

To make a donation to help the Newby family, visit gofundme.com/newbyfamily.

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How to help:

To make a monetary donation to help the Newby family recover from a fire that destroyed their home and all their personal belongings, visit www.gofundme.com/newby.

Donations can also be mailed to Amanda Newby at Cortland Elementary School, 6687 N. County Road 400E, Seymour, IN 47274.

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