CO-WORKERS BEGIN COLLECTION FOR VICTIMS

WHITEWATER -- When Laura Amelunke's co-workers heard that her home had been destroyed by fire Sunday afternoon, they immediately began thinking of ways to help.

They started Monday by taking up a collection of food, clothing and money to give to Amelunke and her two children, an 11-year old girl and 13-year-old boy.

By 5 p.m. Monday, the collection jar had a couple hundred dollars, a worker at the Break Time in Chaffee said.

Anyone who would like to donate money or clothing should contact Rhonda Carter, store manager, at 887-6675.

The Amelunkes lived in her parents' home on Church Street in Whitewater. Amelunke's father, John Seabaugh, said the family had lived in the house since 1972.

They had no insurance and everything was destroyed.

Several rural fire departments were called to battle the blaze that began around 5 p.m. Sunday. It took nearly four hours to fully extinguish the blaze.