Walz Family Barn Fire
Donation protected
On Friday, February 8th, 2019, the Walz Family farm endured a devastating tragedy. The cattle/hay barn had caught fire and left nothing standing, except the two silos. Our dad, Norb, had the day off from work and around 2:30 PM, he noticed smoke coming from the hay barn. He rushed to call 911, then headed to the barn to get the cattle out. He was able to get all of the cattle out safely, and nobody was hurt. The fire department arrived, but unfortunately, the only way to get the fire under control was to take down the barn. What a helpless feeling he had--we all had--watching the barn burn and knowing that there was nothing we could do. The cause of the fire was determined as unknown.
With the help of family and friends we were able to clear out one of the nearby pole sheds so the cattle would have shelter for the night. In the back of our minds, we knew this was only a temporary solution. It was the dead of winter and a water source was hard to come by. The cow yard also became very dangerous with ice that formed from the water to put the fire out. The following day, dad made a very difficult decision to sell the cattle. It was the right decision, and was in the best interest for the herd. It was hard for everyone, as the farm has had cows for as long as we can remember. The money made from the sale will go into building up a new herd.
A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the building of this irreplaceable structure, and our hearts broke that day watching it burn away. The barn was built by our family, in 1964. The bricks were laid by our great grandpa Ethen. Our grandpa, Bernard Walz, and our great great uncle Roman, along with many other family members, neighbors, and friends, also had a large part with the building of the barn . The barn has been around for the majority of our dad’s life, and we also have many wonderful childhood memories in it. Farming is a strong passion of our dad and is a HUGE part of who he is, and has shared this love of farming with his family. Dad has decided it’s not over, and would like to rebuild a new barn, one with new memories that will last for generations, and hopes to pass the farm on to his daughter when the time comes.
Life has thrown some curve balls to our parents in the last six months. As some of you may have heard, this past August, their house was hit by a car. Thankfully, they were both physically unharmed, and insurance covered the costs. It was definitely a traumatic experience, though, as they both were in the house when the car hit.
These hard times have shown just how strong our parents really are. They have been able to keep their heads up and keep moving forward. Those of you who know our parents, know that they are the kind of people who help out wherever they can and don't ask for much in return. Now, it's our turn to do that for them.
We decided to set up this GoFundMe, in hopes that our family, friends, and the community, will help as they are able to. As the old style barns are no longer practical to build for financial reasons, and insurance only goes so far in this case, anything is appreciated. Support can be a monetary donation, helping clear away the old structure/rubble, helping build the new structure, or a simple sharing of this GoFundMe on your social media account to get the word out. There is nothing like the power of a community coming together, and we need it more than ever. If you want to donate but are not comfortable doing so through this website you may contact either of us. We will do our best to keep this site updated, and share the progression of the new barn.
Thank you to all of the local fire departments, police departments, and paramedics that were involved the day of the fire. Also, a huge thank you to all friends, family and neighbors that have reached out in support. Please, keep our family in your prayers, the support is greatly appreciated.
God Bless,
Kimberly and Jared Walz
PS- Below are some pictures of the tragedy that day, along with pictures of what the barn looked like before the fire. 
The aftermath...
Photos of the barn before the fire.
With the help of family and friends we were able to clear out one of the nearby pole sheds so the cattle would have shelter for the night. In the back of our minds, we knew this was only a temporary solution. It was the dead of winter and a water source was hard to come by. The cow yard also became very dangerous with ice that formed from the water to put the fire out. The following day, dad made a very difficult decision to sell the cattle. It was the right decision, and was in the best interest for the herd. It was hard for everyone, as the farm has had cows for as long as we can remember. The money made from the sale will go into building up a new herd.
A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the building of this irreplaceable structure, and our hearts broke that day watching it burn away. The barn was built by our family, in 1964. The bricks were laid by our great grandpa Ethen. Our grandpa, Bernard Walz, and our great great uncle Roman, along with many other family members, neighbors, and friends, also had a large part with the building of the barn . The barn has been around for the majority of our dad’s life, and we also have many wonderful childhood memories in it. Farming is a strong passion of our dad and is a HUGE part of who he is, and has shared this love of farming with his family. Dad has decided it’s not over, and would like to rebuild a new barn, one with new memories that will last for generations, and hopes to pass the farm on to his daughter when the time comes.
Life has thrown some curve balls to our parents in the last six months. As some of you may have heard, this past August, their house was hit by a car. Thankfully, they were both physically unharmed, and insurance covered the costs. It was definitely a traumatic experience, though, as they both were in the house when the car hit.
These hard times have shown just how strong our parents really are. They have been able to keep their heads up and keep moving forward. Those of you who know our parents, know that they are the kind of people who help out wherever they can and don't ask for much in return. Now, it's our turn to do that for them.
We decided to set up this GoFundMe, in hopes that our family, friends, and the community, will help as they are able to. As the old style barns are no longer practical to build for financial reasons, and insurance only goes so far in this case, anything is appreciated. Support can be a monetary donation, helping clear away the old structure/rubble, helping build the new structure, or a simple sharing of this GoFundMe on your social media account to get the word out. There is nothing like the power of a community coming together, and we need it more than ever. If you want to donate but are not comfortable doing so through this website you may contact either of us. We will do our best to keep this site updated, and share the progression of the new barn.
Thank you to all of the local fire departments, police departments, and paramedics that were involved the day of the fire. Also, a huge thank you to all friends, family and neighbors that have reached out in support. Please, keep our family in your prayers, the support is greatly appreciated.
God Bless,
Kimberly and Jared Walz
PS- Below are some pictures of the tragedy that day, along with pictures of what the barn looked like before the fire. 
The aftermath...
Photos of the barn before the fire.
Organizer
Jared & Kimberly Walz
Organizer
Saint Joseph, MN
