Rebuild and Remember: Hardesty Family Fire Tragedy

(I am writing this on behalf of my wife who lost her grandparents, uncle, and cousin) How do I begin this... There are no words to describe the pain my family has endured this week. In the early morning hours on Sunday, November 17, 2024, we received a phone call that our grandparents' home was engulfed in flames. We rushed over there to see nothing left of my grandparents' home. My grandmother, grandfather, uncle, and cousin were asleep and didn’t make it out. The remains were sent for autopsy, and because they’re all unidentifiable, we were told it could be weeks before knowing anything. This is a tragedy that no family ever imagines will happen to them. With that being said, I am reaching out to help ease some of the pain and burden from my family. We all know how hard it is to plan one funeral, let alone four. The remains will each have to be cremated.

Here is a little look into the life of those we lost.

My grandpa was a God-fearing, generous, kind, and loving person. My grandma was his life, and he was hers. Some years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. So my grandma, uncle, and cousin spent most of their days taking care of him. He had his good days and some that weren’t so good. Before Parkinson’s took over, he loved golfing and could cut a rug on the dance floor. At one time, he owned shrimp boats and loved being on the water. Later in life, he opened a tire shop known as LA (Louisiana) Commercial Tire. He, along with my uncle and dad, took care of many loyal customers for years.

My grandma, what can’t I say about her? She was the kindest, most gentle, and soft-spoken person I’ve ever known. She had a love so strong for the Lord and her family. She worked at Wal-Mart in Sulphur for over 10 years and loved it until she just couldn’t physically do it anymore. She always had the most beautiful yard, full of flowers, plants, and bird feeders. She loved being outside in her yard just listening to the birds and enjoying nature.

My uncle loved fishing, cleaning and polishing his car, and most importantly, he loved his children with everything he had. They were his pride and joy. Each time I’d go over to my grandma's, my 2-year-old would run straight to my uncle and cousin to see them before running to my grandpa, then grandma. He brought them joy.

My cousin, he was not only my cousin but a brother to us. He and my sister were born 5 months apart and were inseparable for years. There was a time when if you saw my cousin, my sister was close by and vice versa. My cousin would do anything for anyone. He had a smile and laugh that was contagious, especially that laugh. He loved a good joke! He loved his family, including his older sister. He looked up to her and loved her beyond words. The past few years were rough on him, and not many understood, but he never gave up and kept pushing forward. He was a survivor!

Our family is crushed. Our family is devastated. Not only do we have the responsibility of our loved ones who passed, but we also have the cleanup of what remains from my grandparents' home. We have to worry about the cleanup and tearing down what’s left. We want to restore the property back to its natural beauty. It is not a sight anyone would want to see. First and foremost, I’m asking for continued prayers for my family. If you feel led to donate, even if it’s $1, we will be forever grateful. I never saw myself making a GoFundMe, but I do not know what else to do. Physically and mentally, none of us are here. We’ve all been on autopilot and numb to what’s happened.