If you copy this information, please cite this as your source:

Betsy Mills and Ron Brothers. The Death and Cemetery Records of Lamar County, Texas, ReBroMa Press, 2008, http://www.lamarcountytx.org/cemetery. (12/15/2025)

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 05, 2009 By Bill Hankins: "Christians in Action Fatal Fire - Early morning disaster: It was in the early morning hours at Christians In Action that sounds outside woke Mickey McMillan, a resident of the shelter. ‘I heard three loud pops, and when I looked outside, I saw the sorting table completely in flames and a small television area burning,' McMillan said. The sorting area is where residents of the shelter sort items brought in to the shelter. No one was working there at the time the area burst into flames. ‘I rushed out and began yelling for people to get out of the building,' McMillan said. ‘I tried to call 9-1-1 but didn't make a good connection, then I grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to put out the flames. The fire extinguisher didn't do any good.' McMillan, who has lived at the shelter ‘off and on' three and a half years, said after that it was just try to get everyone out of the building and get out himself. Resident J. W. Johnson, who has lived at Christians in Action four years, said he was asleep in his upstairs apartment when someone banged on his door to wake him. ‘It sounded like they were trying to knock down my door,' he said. ‘When I got up all I could see was a lot of smoke and some flames.' Johnson said the sorting area was engulfed in flames when he began making his departure from the building. Roger Riemer, a resident of the shelter, went around trying to alert people there was a fire and to get out of the building. He said the fire apparently started on a large sorting table. None of the residents who fled the fire were aware of injuries or deaths from the fire, but unofficial reports said five bodies had been removed from the building and two other people were missing. Three people received medical treatment for smoke inhalation. Those who fled the shelter fire were provided shelter in a First United Methodist Church building across the street, borrowed by the Red Cross. ‘We have been given the names of 31 residents of Christians In Action to help,' Red Cross executive director Brad Scott said. ‘We have the church facilities three days, and I don't know if we can help the residents with clothing or not.' Scott said his most immediate task is to get medication for the residents who lost theirs in the fire. ‘A lot of the men left their medication behind,' he said. ‘We have provided them with cots, sheets and blankets, but getting their medication is something we have to do.' Some of the men suffer from asthma problems, and inhaling the smoke has worsened their conditions. The cold, wet morning air also furthered the problems the men suffered. The fire was reported at 2:49 a.m. by a caller who quickly hung up, according to the Assistant Paris Police Chief Bob Hundley. Firemen quickly responded to the building on Clarksville Street and remained there long after the flames were extinguished. Christians in Action is a privately run shelter for men, started by Don Walker two decades ago. It moved from the area near the downtown Farmers Market to the facilities on Clarksville in the 1990s after the building was donated to the organization. Men who seek shelter there and live there also do the work of the facility, sorting donated items, cleaning and cooking and serving meals to other residents. It is the only permanent address for many of the men. The small bedrooms line the walls of the main Christians In Action building, with downstairs and upstairs dormitories. It was the units to the back of the building where most of the damage occurred and most of the bodies were recovered."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 05, 2009 By Mary Madewell: "Christians in Action Fatal Fire - Deadly fire: Five men were confirmed dead and two others unaccounted for early today in a fire at Christians In Action, 410 Clarksville St. in Paris. Fire units battled the blaze more than two hours before bringing it under control. Firefighting activities were hampered by rain and chilling temperatures, and the residents of the facility were forced to stand outside in the soaking rain for a time. More than 30 men were residents of the shelter and most were asleep when the blaze began, apparently near the sorting room where workers go through items donated to the shelter. No one was working there at the time the fire began shortly after 2:30 a.m. Police and fire accounts said at least five bodies were pulled from the burned area of the building. Most of the dead were in the upstairs two-story living quarters within the structure. One of the residents, who asked not to be identified, said he heard three loud pops and then saw the sorting table ablaze. The table is used to separate donated items brought to the recycling center at the homeless shelter. Residents who spotted the fire quickly went around banging on doors and waking other residents, warning them to flee the fire. The American Red Cross quickly asked the First United Methodist Church across from the shelter to provide a temporary place for displaced residents to stay. Twenty six men are now being housed by the Red Cross. Emergency Medical Service technicians treated at least three people at the scene for smoke inhalation and asthma problems. Someone called 911 at 2:49 a.m. to alert firemen of the blaze, and immediately hung up the phone, according to Paris Police Department assistant chief Bob Hundley. ‘The fire was contained in the southern part of the structure, thanks partly to a fire wall, which allowed us to get hose lines in to keep it from spreading into the north part of the building,' Paris Fire Chief Ronnie Grooms said. About 30 firefighters fought the blaze using four fire engines. Firefighters from three stations initially answered the call. ‘We are still out here investigating,' Grooms said shortly after 7 a.m. today. ‘It is shift change now and we've got two of the stations manned in case of something else.' Grooms said multiple police units and two Emergency Medical Service units were deployed to the scene. Red Cross executive director Brad Scott said he had been given a list of 31 names of residents in the fire, but only 26 had arrived at the makeshift shelter by 9 a.m."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 06, 2009 By Bill Hankins: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Victim ID and cause of fire investigated - Bodies of five victims of a Monday morning fire at Christians In Action in Paris have been sent to Dallas for autopsies in an effort to make positive identification. Paris Fire Chief Ronnie Grooms told a group of television, radio and newspaper representatives at a news conference at Paris Fire Station No. 1 Monday the identification will be difficult and notification of the next of kin may be even more difficult. ‘We have preliminary identification, but we will not release that until we are sure,' he said. The identification process may take days. Two men, who earlier had been reported missing, reported to the makeshift Red Cross shelter later Monday. Grooms said the fire was so intense, it took firefighters three hours to bring it under control, and during that battle, the roof in the southeastern corner of the Christians In Action building collapsed, making the fire harder to fight. The fire chief said those who died were in individual cubicles built especially for residents of the shelter. ‘They worked there, sorting items that were donated to Christians In Action, repairing furniture and other items and storing the items in bins,' he said. Fire Marshal Dale Mayberry said the fire is under investigation. ‘We have not determined a cause yet, but it started in the sorting area of the shelter,' he said. Asked if arson could be involved, Mayberry said: ‘We do not know a cause, but we never rule anything out until the investigation is complete.' Grooms said approximately a third of the nearly 300-foot building was involved in the fire. ‘There were 21 other men there who were witnesses to the fire, and all are being questioned,' Mayberry said. ‘Most of them made a big effort to put out the fire themselves before calling 9-1-1 and heroically trying to get everyone out of the building.' Grooms said the building was not ventilated and that made the fire more difficult. Asked if there were fire code violations, Mayberry said: ‘I am sure there were, but I am not aware of any citations for code violations.' He said the building did not have a sprinkler system in place. The Paris Fire Department first got a call at 2:49 a.m. Monday, and firemen said the blaze was under control at 5:42 a.m. Some of the men attempted to use fire extinguishers but were forced back by the extreme heat of the fire. Others reported hearing a series of loud pops before seeing the smoke and flames. The American Red Cross has secured donated temporary shelter for the remainder of the Christians In Action residents in a First United Church building, but is looking for help from the community for needed supplies."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 06, 2009 By Bill Hankins: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Red Cross asks for help for survivors - Paris American Red Cross today applauded the community for its outpouring of help for Christians In Action fire victims. Executive Director Brad Scott said his organization will need a lot of help from the community to care for the residents displaced by Monday's fire that also killed five. ‘The shelter we have established at the First United Methodist Church is not permanent,' Scott said. ‘We have it only for three days, and we will have to find other quarters for them.' Scott said a lot of medications were lost in the fire, and the Red Cross is trying to replace those medications, with the help of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bonham, Agape House and Kings Daughters. ‘We have the medications replaced for all but a couple, and I have sent them to a doctor today,' said Carrie Newman, finance director of the Red Cross. ‘We have had a tremendous outpouring of help in the form of clothes, boots and shoes, but we are still needing undergarments, warm clothing and hats or caps for those men who work outside.' ‘We hope the community will step forward with donations of toiletries, personal supplies and other needed items,' Scott said. ‘We may need help later in the week of volunteers to man the shelter,' Newman said. The Red Cross originally was providing shelter for 21 men, but some have left to stay with relatives or friends. ‘The public should be commended for doing as much as they have done,' Newman said. ‘We will be looking for a place to move the men later this week. We have a meeting Wednesday to decide what to do. We want to keep them together.'"

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 08, 2009 By Mary Madewell: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Investigators look into Monday's deadly fire - Investigators continue to sift through debris at the Christians In Action building on Clarksville Street where five men died in an early Monday morning fire, perhaps the most deadly in Paris history. While teams of investigators work the scene, other city officials attempt to contact relatives of the deceased. ‘We have identified the five men, but out of respect we are not releasing any names until the relatives of all the men have been notified,' Paris Fire Chief Ronnie Grooms said late Wednesday. ‘In my 30-year history with the department, I can't recall when we've had five killed in the same fire,' Grooms said. ‘From reading about the 1916 fire my recollection is there were not that many who died.' According to The Paris News records, four people died in the Paris Fire of 1916, which consumed the entire downtown and several neighborhoods. Grooms said his department is being assisted in the Christians In Action fire by the State Fire Marshall's Office and by investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Grooms said he does not know how long the investigation will take. ‘We would like to get an answer soon, but things like this sometime take quite awhile even after the initial leg work on the scene is completed.' State officials brought in a canine unit earlier in the week to sniff for flammable liquids and law enforcement and fire officials continue to collect samples used to determine both the origin and cause of the fire. The Paris hazardous materials team has been on the scene, along with its trailer and yellow tent, used ‘to get investigators out of the environment,' Grooms said. Teams also have interviewed the 21 other men present when the fire took place. Some of those survivors attempted to put out the fire while others knocked on doors of dormitory units to awaken other residents. Grooms said several fire code violations may be involved. ‘There was no sprinkler system and the only exit they had was the walkthrough door on the east side of the building,' Grooms said. ‘There were metal roll-up doors, but those are not considered exits.' Two stairways led from the upstairs part of the dormitory area, but both ‘led to the same general south portion of the building,' Groom said. Earlier, the fire marshall said firefighters were able to contain the fire somewhat because of a fire wall but the area involved included the residential section. About previous fire inspections, Grooms said, ‘We are looking back in a lot of our records to see how many times we have inspected that building. We are looking at earlier records to see but I am not aware the building had been inspected.' Grooms said the loss of life is ‘devastating.' ‘That is the reason we have tried to impress on people building new facilities or making renovations the importance of following fire codes, and we have taken some heat for doing so,' Grooms said. Grooms said his administration pretty much ‘inherited' the Christians In Action facility because it had been in place so long. ‘This is a classic example why we feel it is important for people to comply with codes,' Grooms said. ‘We understand human life is of tremendous value.'"

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 09, 2009 By Krista Goerte: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Permanent housing still being sought. Temporary solutions are in place for the displaced victims from the Monday morning fire at Christians in Action that killed five, but more permanent plans for the organization are still up in the air. Brad Scott of the American Red Cross said the First United Methodist Church will continue to staff the shelter, which, up until noon today, was staffed by the American Red Cross. Scott said the shelter will be staffed by trained FUMC staff until sometime next week. Scott and Don Walker, founder and director for Christians In Action, said they are still looking at housing options after next week. Scott said a homeless shelter in Sherman has contacted him with the possibility of temporarily housing some of the victims. Walker said he is looking at options for a new facility and that the response he has received from the community has encouraged him toward building the organization back again. ‘The support from the community has been wonderful,' Walker said. ‘It has given the blackest day of my life a little glimmer of hope. The community has been really helpful.' Scott and Walker said there are major obstacles in finding the kind of facility to house the number of people in the Christians In Action organization. Walker added that for the organization's recycling program to be built back again, the men would need to be located in Paris. The recycling program has, in the past, produced more than $40,000 annually — about half the organization's yearly income. Walker and Scott said the victims have received necessary clothing, food and other items. Monetary donations toward the Christians In Action cause can be made to the Red Cross fund for fire victims. Scott said the Red Cross is discussing the possibility of setting up a bank account strictly for the Christians In Action cause."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 09, 2009 By Bill Hankins: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Cause of deadly fire still undetermined. Fire investigators still have not found a cause of the deadly Christians In Action fire Monday that killed five people in Paris and left two dozen others without a home. Paris Fire Department Arson Investigators, members of the State Fire Marshal's office and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continued their comprehensive investigation into the origin of the fire today. A canine unit from the state fire marshal's department also joined the search for the possible presence of a fire accelerant, and the fire marshal requested assistance from ATF for its mapping resources. Investigators said there currently is no obvious cause of the fire, and they are not ruling out any possibilities. Paris Fire Marshal Dale Maberry said: ‘Our goal is to wrap up our on-scene investigation sometime today and try, when it can be done safely, to assist residents in the removal of personal items from the building.' A few of the residents have been relocated to facilities in other communities, but the majority are being temporarily housed at the youth building of the First United Methodist Church across the street from Christians In Action. Authorities continue their efforts to find and notify the relatives of all five victims, but so far have not found all family members. ‘Once this process has been finalized, authorities will release the names of the victims,' Maberry said. Paris Police and Fire Departments said citizens should avoid the affected area because the burned area of the building is becoming increasingly unstable. The section of Kaufman Street near the facility remains closed to traffic as a safety precaution. Authorities are evaluating the condition of the building and it is likely a portion of the building will have to be demolished."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 14, 2009 By Krista Goerte: "Christians in Action Deadly Fire - Christians In Action is back in business - Action Recycling, the counterpart to Christians In Action, is again collecting recycling materials, but at a new location — 325 Clement Road. The organization is prepared to collect newspapers, aluminum and cardboard, according to director Don Walker. The alternate facility has storage bins, which Walker says will be labeled according to recycling type. The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., but anyone wanting to bring items after that time can stack them by the bins, Walker said. ‘This is a temporary spot so that we could have a place to collect it.' Walker said. He said Action Recycling will not be collecting plastic at this time because he does not have facilities to store and sort them. Walker said he hopes to collect plastics again at some time in the future. Action Recycling will be accepting recyclable items only, not furniture or clothing items as they did in the past for Christians In Action. Action Recycling also will restart pick-up again for newspapers, aluminum and cardboard. They can be reached at 903-784-6857. Walker said Action Recycling is renting the new facility on a temporary basis — probably six months to a year. Walker said he believes the organization has an obligation to continue the recycling program. ‘We can't give up,' Walker said. ‘We have to keep going. It is just too important to the community.' The market for recycling items is currently very low, Walker said. He plans to store recycled items and wait until the market hopefully rises again before selling. Workers from Christians In Action will be either at the recycling facility on Clement Road or doing demolition work on the Christians In Action building on Clarksville Street. The center burned Jan. 5, killing five men at the shelter."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 18, 2009 By Krista Goerte: "Fire victim names released - The Paris Fire Department has confirmed and released the names of the five men who died in the Jan. 5, fire at Christians In Action. Derrial Wayne Dixon, 48; John Norman Bove, 50; Burt Babb, Jr. 49, Floyd Eugene Hutt, 45; and Delores ‘Bobby' Parker, 60, all died in the early morning fire. The investigation of the fire continues. The State Fire Marshall's Office and investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were present at the site the week following the fire, but no more information about the cause of the fire has been released. Immediately after the fire, temporary shelter for the displaced men was set up by the American Red Cross at the First United Methodist Church, and was manned by members of the First United Methodist Church after Jan. 9. As of Friday, Don Walker, head of the Christians In Action organization, said he is still looking for a more permanent place for the displaced men. The back part of the Christians In Action facility at 410 Clarksville St. was demolished Tuesday in a move to prevent walls from falling onto Kaufman Street, but the rest of the building remains. Temporary facilities for Action Recycling, which funded a large portion of Christians In Action and was operated out of the Clarksville Street building, has been set up at 325 Clement Road. The organization is now collecting plastic, cardboard and newspapers."

THE PARIS NEWS, Jan. 25, 2009 By Krista Goerte: "Recovery begins for Christians In Action. Christians In Action took another step toward recovery Saturday from the deadly Jan. 5 fire that claimed five lives and left almost two dozen men without a place to stay in the aftermath of destruction at the homeless shelter on Clarksville Street in Paris. The former U.S. 82 West truck stop (former Flying Tiger Museum building) has become home to 17 or 18 men displaced by the fire. After about a week in an American Red Cross shelter at First United Methodist Church, the men had been housed in a local motel at a cost Christians In Action director Don Walker said was draining his resources rapidly. Sam Burchinal took up the cause of the tragedy-struck organization and temporarily offered the museum building. Walker said he and the organization's men have been working for the past week to make the shelter into what will become their home for the next four to six months. Unable to find a building suitable and up to code in Paris, Walker said the donation of the Flying Tiger building came at the right time. Gas lines have been run to the temporary facility and the organization's men have ‘put their best foot forward trying to get this place ready,' Walker said. ‘I've tried to make the place as safe as possible,' Walker said of the temporary location. ‘It's not pretty, but it's a roof over their heads. I'm not a quitter; I'm not giving up.' Although the men are staying in the facility now, Walker said they still have need for many items at the temporary facility. He said the organization needs a clothes washer and dryer, 10 sets of bunk beds (or 20 twin bed frames) with mattresses and bedding. Also on the wish list is carpet for the floor, curtains and safe indoor heaters. Walker said as of right now, the organization has plenty of clothing and food. ‘Everybody has really come forward trying to help,' Walker said. ‘Paris is a wonderful community.' Although he and the organization's men are still working on the fire-ravaged building on Clarksville Street, Walker said he is afraid without sufficient funds, the organization might not be able to make the building functional again. He said that while some parts of the building — the part facing Clarksville Street where the clothing store was located and part of the recycling facility — are undamaged, there is still much work to be done, and the money to do it is scarce. ‘When you are doing homeless work, money is not as plentiful as you might think,' Walker said. ‘It's really tough.' But Walker said he is determined to do what he can, as he has been made aware by people in the community that the work done for years by Christians In Action is missed. Programs such as the clothing store and passing out diapers donated by Kimberly-Clark have been out of operation since the fire. Without funds, Walker said he is not sure how the organization will get back to full operation."