Friends of Joe Mencer are working to uplift him and his family as they look to rebuild from a devastating house fire that occurred during the recent ice storm.

On the morning of Tuesday, January 27, Joe Mencer followed his normal routine of leaving his Lake Village, Arkansas, house before dawn to head to his farm with his dogs. Prior to leaving his house, he moved a load of laundry from his washing machine to his dryer. Within an hour of his departure, he was notified of a fire at his home.

He rushed back to his house through the snow and ice only to find his home fully engulfed. Due to the road conditions, he beat the first responders to the scene, and by then, it was too late to counter the fire.

Fortunately, his wife was out of town, and there were no injuries to any humans or pets. However, the house was a total loss. Everything under the roof and within its walls was lost. All that remained was the fireplace.

While insurance will certainly assist in the efforts to rebuild, it will take time, and there is no substitute for the support of neighbors, friends, and community.

We've created this page as a way for people to provide support in a simple, clean, quick, and meaningful way. Please consider offering support by contributing to this GoFundMe to help Joe and his family as they seek to rebuild from what was lost. Additionally, please continue to pray for their recovery and ongoing journey.

Contributions will be delivered to a bank account established by Joe Mencer to strictly provide for the rebuilding efforts related to the fire.

Sincerely,

Friends of Joe Mencer

About the creators of this page:

This page was created by Andrew Grobmyer, the Executive Vice President of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas where Joe Mencer currently serves as President. The idea of creating this page was a joint effort from organizations and friends supportive of the Mencer family. Funds will be transferred directly to Joe Mencer and his family.

About Joe Mencer:

Joe Mencer is a 3rd generation Arkansas farmer who grows cotton, rice, beans, and corn primarily. He heads a family farm where he's working to pass along the operation to the 4th generation with the help of his two sons William and Josef.

Mencer is an active member and leader of many agricultural organizations, including Arkansas Farm Bureau, USA Rice & Arkansas Rice, the Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, and the Agricultural Council of Arkansas. He's also an active member and supporter of his community in Southeast Arkansas.

He lives in Lake Village with his wife Pam and their dogs Sage & Saint.