John Melchi - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Looking for information on the ancestors and family of John Melchi.Born about 1880, Married abt 1902 to Laura Jane Oman.Was the father of Alma Viola Melchi who married Ernest LeRoy Casteel.Ernest was born in Lima, Allen County, Ohio on June 13, 1904.Alma Viola was born in Indiana on March 22, 1905.Alma Viola died in a tragic house fire in Kalamazoo, Michigan along with her nephew Daniel Casteel, who tried to save her on November 3, 1940.
Alma Viola Melchi Casteel's mother Mrs. John Melchi was still alive at the time of the fire according to Newspaper Story in the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Any help would be much appreciated to tie this family to the Melchi Family of which I know they must belong.
FIRE STORY BELOW
Front Page Story pulblished in the Saturday, November 3, 1940 edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette reads as follows:
The mother of two children perished in these ruins, ( has Picture above story ), at 2614Alamo Avenue, this morning.Pictured above are sheriff's officers extracting the remains of Mrs. Ernest Casteel, about 46, from what was once the kitchen in the one-story structure after a stove explosion had set both her clothes and the house on fire.A nephew, Daniel Casteel, 15, in trying to save his aunt was also seriously burned and is in Bronson Hospital.The father and two daughters were not home ------- Gazette Photo.
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SOURCE:Fire Story as appeared in the KALAMAZOO GAZETTENov., 10, 1940
Page 1 - Col. 1
SECOND VICTIM
OF FIRE EXPIRES
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Youth Who Tried to Save
Aunt Succumbs
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Death toll in the disastrous early morning rural fire Saturday mounted to two Saturday afternoon when Daniel Casteel, 18, ( ? maybe 15 ) of 2614 Alamo Avenue, expired in Bronson Hospital.
Mrs. Viola Casteel, 35, aunt of Daniel, died in the flames which consumed the Casteel home about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, when a wood stove fire, on which kerosene apparently had been thrown, exploded.Daniel was severely burned when he attempted to rescue Mrs. Casteel.He was admitted to Bronson Hospital and survived only a few hours.
The fire occurred as Mrs. Casteel was preparing breakfast.Only she and her nephew were in the home.So rapidly did the flames leap from the stove and envelped the two persons that escape was impossible for the woman.Daniel forced to give up his attempt to rescue Mrs. Casteel, barely was able to stagger out of the burning building.Neighbors came to his rescue and smothered the flames on his clothing with blankets.He suffered third degree burns all over the entire body.
Mrs. Casteel was born in Revore, ( ? Revine ) Indiana, March 22, 1905, and had resided in Kalamazoo 17 years prior to her death.Surviving are her husband, Ernest, three daughters,Audrey, Leatha, and Cora;her mother, Mrs. J. Melchi, Paw Paw;a sister, Mrs. Anna Keckler, and two brothers, Alvin and Robert,Kalamazoo.
Daniel Casteel was born in Kalamazoo.He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Casteel;a brother, Elmer; and three sisters, Fairy ?, Betty, and Jacqueline; and his Grandparents, Mr and Mrs. Casteel,Kalamazoo, and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond, Paw Paw.
The two death Saturday brought to seven the total number of persons who have lost their lives in fires in Kalamazoo city and county this year.
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The children of John Melchi and Laura Jane Oman seemed to be:
Alma Viola Melchi, mentioned above, Mar. Ernest Casteel
She is buried in the Riverside Cemetery, Hastings, Michigan
Anna Melchi, Married Unknown Keckler
Alvin Melchi
Robert Melchi