If it weren’t for Kim Stonehouse, Verna Zwarich may have never lived to see her 90th birthday.
Stonehouse, who was Zwarich’s next-door neighbour in Hanley for 10 years, was part of a two-man search party who saved Zwarich from hypothermia last October. Stonehouse, and Ben Collins, Hanley’s town foreman, had gone to Zwarich’s farm northeast of Kenaston in search of Zwarich who had been missing for days. They found her, late at night, laying in grass near her truck, near death after she’d broken her hip and was unable to call for help.
“When they found me, I turned to Kim and said, ‘Thank you Jesus.’ And he said, ‘I’m not Jesus.’ I loved him almost like a part of my family.”
On July 31, Zwarich, with a heavy heart, attended Stonehouse’s funeral in Saskatoon.
He was 45 and had died one week before in a July 24 fire that destroyed his Garfield Street home.
Provincial fire investigators have determined the fire was accidental.
It started in a brick fire pit in the backyard of the home and spread to a woodpile that was stacked against the exterior wall of the house and then caught the house on fire, said Jay Teneyecke, communications officer with Office of the Fire Commissioner.
He said this fire should serve as a reminder to people to never leave a fire unattended and ensure that it fully extinguished.
“You might think it is out, but it could spark back up,” he said.
Since Stonehouse died Zwarich says she gets up “with a heavy, hard feeling” in her chest.
“It’s a very lost feeling. He was always there. He always looked out for me,” she said.
She said Stonehouse lived alone and had a pet cat, kept his yard neat and had numerous houseplants. He worked in Saskatoon as a courier.
“He was a good neighbour. I really miss him. It hurts inside to think he’s not there anymore.”
At about 1:30 a.m., July 24 Zwarich was woken by a loud bang. She looked out her window and saw a red glow.
“The flames were up in the air and the wind was terrific. I’ll never forget it,” she said.
Zwarich phoned Collins for help.
Zwarich said Collins phoned Hanley’s fire department and then went to the burning house to see if anyone was inside.
To read more please see the August 11 print edition of The Davidson Leader.