Gary & Ruth Zell House Fire

Many people have asked how they can donate or help in some way for my in-laws Gary and Ruth Zell in the loss of their house they called home for 53 years to fire on Father's Day. While I do not have a clear answer and we believe their insurance will likely cover rebuilding, it will never replace the sentimental items they lost. They walked away with their memories, the clothes on their back, and their lives but lost their only vehicle, the house, and most everything else in it as a result of fire, water, and smoke damage. One of the most heartbreaking losses was the loss of their pride and joy (other than their kids and grandkids, of course!) in the basement which included the incredible, extensive collection of antique farm equipment collectibles and the intensive labor of love they put into the building of the scale-size replica of the Zell farm where Gary grew up on Francis Road. You can see just a sliver of his basement size project in one of the photos along with their treasured collection of farm equipment collectibles. It was their hobby and passion and was featured in a few national and international magazines.

Being unsure of what to tell people when they ask how they can support Gary and Ruth, I started this GoFundMe as a way for them to do so easily. I guessed at a goal because it was required of me as a way to offer the use of the platform for contributions. You can use this GoFundMe page, or please let me know if you would like to donate in another way such as Venmo, or with kind words of support. If you have any pictures of the Zell farm replica, farm collectibles, or of the Gary and Ruth Zell family in general, we would love to build a photo album in generous coordination with Charming View Photography. As far as the loss, Gary has said, “We have lost our house, but we have not lost the place we call home.” He is so right - community is everything!

Thank you all for your love and support! ❤️