Help the Stipp Family after multiple deaths in house fire

Our family is mourning the losses of 6 year old Kaiiree and our dad John Stipp, who you may know as John E, to a house fire. When he learned his daughter was still inside the house, he heroically reentered in an attempt to save her. If you knew John E, you know this is exactly the kind of person he was — and he would sacrifice his life again if it meant a chance to save another.

John Stipp was father to 15 children and the sole provider for a household of 8 children under the age of 13. He spent his life giving everything he had to family, friends, and strangers. He was a pillar of the Galesburg community, coaching hundreds of kids in a number of sports, building an honest home improvement business over 20+ years, donating his time and skills to Habitat for Humanity, and touching lives in other countless ways everyday.

Unfortunately, in addition the loss of our family’s sole provider and a beloved child, this fire has resulted in the loss of our home and a near total loss of belongings — clothing, sports equipment, toys, furniture, toiletries, and sentimental possessions. We are deeply grateful for the support we have already received from the community, and we are asking now for monetary contributions in direct support of the wellbeing of John’s seven young children and their education, food, necessities, and continued wellbeing.

— The Stipp Family