Neufeld, Anne (1929-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 3 Mar 1949 p. 1; 10 Mar p. 1

Birth date: 1929

text of obituary:

Six Young People Burned to Death At Morden, Man.

MOTHER AWAY IN WINNIPEG AT TIME OF TRAGEDY

Newspapers of both Canada and the United States carried reports early this week of the great tragedy at Morden, Manitoba, in which six young people, ranging in age from eight to 21, were burned to death there on Sunday, Feb. 27.

Perishing in the fire that destroyed the family home were Nettie Neufeld, 21, and her sisters, Annie 19, Helen 14, Sadie 10 and Marjorie 8. Nineteen-year-old John Storey, who lived with the family, also died of burns.

The mother, Mrs. Kathryn Neufeld, who was in Winnipeg on a visit, was heart broken when she returned to find her home and family wiped out in the sudden tragedy.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Mar 10 p. 1

text of obituary:

Mass Funeral For Six Victims of Manitoba Fire

SERVICES HELD AT MORDEN M. B. CHURCH ON MARCH 3

Morden, Man. — Six young people, five sisters and a 19 year old boy, burned to death here when fire of unknown origin destroyed the home of Mrs. Jacob Neufeld early Sunday morning, February 27.

The dead are: Marjorie Neufeld, 8: Sadie Neufeld, 10; Helen Neufeld. 14; Anne Neufeld, 20; Nettie Neufeld, 21; and John Storey, 19, a boarder at the Neufeld home.

Rescue Attempts Fail

The fire was discovered at 3:30 a. m. Sunday morning by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Neufeld, uncle and aunt of the five girls, who reside across the street from Mrs. Jacob Neufeld's house. Arousing his neighbor, John H. Loewen, the two men rushed to the flaming house, where they were turned back by the smoke and flames as they endeavored to enter through the back door.

Meanwhile Dave Reimer, Jr. brought a ladder from the Mennonite Brethren church yard and with the help of his father raised it against the house near a bedroom window. Thick clouds of smoke belched forth when the window was broken, and there was no chance of rendering any help in that manner.

The two youngest daughters were pupils at the Morden public school and Helen attended high school. Nettie had arrived home from Winnipeg where she is employed. Mrs. Neufeld had gone to Winnipeg to visit other members of her family. When she telephoned her children Saturday night, the girls replied "Don’t worry about us, we’ll look after ourselves.” That was the last Mrs. Neufeld heard of her daughters. Mr. Neufeld passed away in 1947.

Final Services

The mass funeral for the Neufeld sisters held in the M. B. church here Thursday afternoon was sad in the extreme. Rev. F. H. Friesen of the M. B. church, Rev. J. S. Wolkof of the Church of God, and Rev. W. S. Buhr of the Bergthaler church officiated at the services.

The cause of the fire can only be conjectured, but may have been the result of overheated pipes which ran through the kitchen and upstairs to the three bedrooms.