Anna Caplan
A Port Arthur pastor said the news of the mother and her five children killed in a house fire last week in rural southeast Texas really stuck out in his mind.
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RELATED: A mother and her 5 children have tragically died in a house fire in southeast Texas
This is why Van Jordan, 51, who is also a mortician and owner of a Houston casket business, said he decided to step up and take care of funeral expenses for the family.
An Oct. 18 fire claimed the lives of Ashley Pickering, 31, and her five children, Cristian Mattox, 11; Serenity Mattox, 7; Cavence Mattox, 4; Cash Mattox, 4; and Camden Mattox, 3, in Silsbee, about 40 miles north of Jordan.
Victims of the fatal fire in Silsbee have been identified as Ashley Pickering & her 5 children
Christian, Serenity, Cavence, Cash & Camden pic.twitter.com/SgrRxheY9L
— 𝙹𝚞𝚊𝚗 𝙻. 𝚁𝚘𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚣 (@_JuanRodriguez_) October 18, 2017
According to authorities, the six killed in the fire, who medical examiners said died of smoke and soot inhalation, lived in a converted workshop in Pickering’s father’s backyard.
“Funerals can average up to $10,000 per person,” the Rev. Randy Feldschau of Cathedral Church of the Pine and a family spokesperson said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “Now multiply that by six … That’s a huge financial load. We as a church family have committed to taking this load off of them.”
Jordan continued with his explanation of his donation during his interview:
“People will say that’s a lot of money, but to me it’s not about the money,” Jordan said. “It’s about kingdom building.”
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Organizers said funeral service for Pickering and her children is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Cathedral Church.
Investigators say preliminary findings show an electrical problem is partly to blame for the fire.
