Sherae Honeycutt

KINGSTON, Mo. — Original Post

For one Missouri couple, this holiday season is one of change and loss.

A fire destroyed almost everything they own right after Christmas and just days before their wedding.

The fire was at their home in Kingston, Mo., about an hour and a half east of St. Joseph.

The soon-to-be newlyweds said thanks to the kindness of strangers on Facebook, their wedding is saved. However, it’s hard to go into 2018 after losing almost everything they own.

“Luckily we woke up. There was no power in our bedroom, and we knew something was wrong,” said bride-to-be Patty Walker.

She and her fiancé, Dustin Heinrichs, moved into her childhood home a few months ago.

Walker said they were fixing it up for a new life together.

“When I turned the corner there was smoke coming down the stairway, so of course, we went and got the kids up,” Walker said.

They believe an electrical issue cause the fire and destroyed their home. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“The wedding’s the bright spot. The wedding is probably the one thing that’s kept me going, and not giving up on everything,” Walker said.

New Year’s Eve is their wedding day, but the bouquets, clothing, and food all went up in flames.

“I don’t even know how it started. I believe someone had posted on one of the wedding swap shops just our story, about losing the house so close to the wedding,” Walker said.

Walker said she is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, and thanks to strangers, her wedding is complete.

“It’s huge. It really is huge. It’s not just a wedding; it’s the turning the page, and starting the new year, and hopefully complete, now having to rebuild everything fresh start,” Walker said.

But that fresh start is from the ground up.

“Starting our lives over. Trying to rebuild. Trying to make a home again,” Walker said.

No one was hurt in the fire. Even their pet turtle got out safely.

Again, their wedding is going on as planned, thanks to donations.

However, this family has lost much of their personal belongings.

If you would like to help, you can visit their Facebook donation page.