Friends of Defiance Memorial Fund

The Defiance Merchants Association is fundraising for one of our cornerstone families in Defiance, Missouri that suffered a horrific tragedy on the morning of January 19, 2024. Evelyn Turpiano lost her two young boys, Jamison and Julian Keiser, in a house fire where Evelyn lived with her mom, Jen Ham, and her step dad, Vern Ham. Not only will the family need to pay for two funerals, they lost their house and all of their possessions. In addition to your financial support, the family will need your prayers and emotional support as they grieve the lost of two special little boys. If you ever met the boys at the Defiance Roadhouse, the Christmas Festival or the St. Patty's Day parade you will never forget their enthusiasm for life and the joy they brought to all around them. Please be generous with money and gift cards so the family can put aside their financial worries and focus on grieving the loss of Jamison and Julian

This fundraiser is sponsored by the Defiance Merchants Association (DMA), which Jen Ham is the president. This was created by Secretary, Dan Tripp, and also managed by Treasurer, Mike Koehneman. These funds will be transferred and managed through a separate bank account managed by the DMA called, Friends of Defiance Memorial Fund. The DMA executive boards members will manage the disbursement of all funds to support the individuals affected by the fire.