Community offers prayers of remembrance for six children killed in South Bend house fire

SOUTH BEND — Friends, family, neighbors and community leaders gathered Sunday at the scene of a fatal residential fire, offering prayers, tears and blessings one week after it claimed the lives of six South Bend children.

Those who attended and showed support for the children's father, David Smith, who survived the fire, were asked to bring white, pink and blue balloons. Together, residents launched the balloons into the sky, reciting the names of the children: Angel, Demetris, Davida, Deontay, D’Angelo and Faith, echoed through the air.

"We're asking God today to give us what we need to know from this, so we can learn from this," said William Jones, the Cognitive Intervention Specialist at Madison STEAM Academy, where two victims, 10-year-old Demetis Smith and 9-year-old Davida Smith, attended school.

The fire also took the lives of their siblings: 11-year-old Angel Smith, 5-year-old Deontay Smith, 4-year-old D’Angelo Smith and 17-month-old Faith Smith.

Around 50 community members adorned the fence in front of the burned house at 222 N. LaPorte Ave. with more stuffed animals, balloons and letters. Residents have been leaving such remembrances all week.

One child left a letter that read:

"Hi Angels,

"I hope you’re having a great time with God. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to live your life longer, but you’ll be better with God. I hope you see a loved one up there, so you can give them a hug. My name is Zyiah by the way and I just wanted you to know that you don’t need to know me, but I will always have love for you and God will too, and so will many people (family). Angels, have so many teddy bears, flowers, balloons, and all that (which) came from family, friends, neighbors and even strangers. That’s how many people love you. But, anyway, I have to go. So have a good time while you’re there.

"Love you Angels. "

Residents arrived to honor the children, reflecting on their own children and grandchildren at home.

Monique Moody was feeling the return of emotions from when her friend lost his own daughter in a house fire years ago.

“They shouldn’t have been here,” Monique Moody said. “It’s not their fault that they were, but the fact that nobody else was able to get them out was tough too.

“It’s kind of hard to imagine how they must have felt."

Angela Williams has 20 grandchildren and couldn't stop thinking about losing one of her own, much less six.

“I just don’t know what I would do,” she said.

Resident Sheila Gaston knew the children from the nearby church, especially Demetris and Davina, who started attending Sweet Home Ministries right before Christmas.

She described Demetris as independent.

As their church gave away bikes for Christmas, the church asked, “Do you want us to help you take the bike out?”

He insisted on doing it himself, she said, “because he was excited about having his bike for Christmas.”

Davida was so innocent, Gaston said.

“They were so sweet and independent. They came to church and they just loved God.”

Investigators with the South Bend Fire Department and Indiana Department of Homeland Security have yet to determine the origin or cause of the fire.

The Housing Authority of South Bend had previously pulled a tenant out of the house because it had failed a safety inspection and repairs had not been made 30 days later, according to Director Marsha Parham-Green.

The owner of WJM Property Management, which was in charge of the house, declined to give her name to a Tribune reporter last week but claimed the repairs had been made.

Todd Boginia, who’s been a South Bend resident his whole life, said he is resolved in his knowledge God had a hand over the children to the very end.

“I’ve never witnessed anything so heartbreaking in my entire life,” he said. “I truly believe that God let them pass before the flame could get them. God is telling me that he let them go before.”

All week, Boginia thought about the eldest daughter, 11-year-old Angel Smith, who was sent to a burn unit at Riley Children’s Health following Sunday’s fire. He wondered: is she going to make it?

Angel passed away at 9:46 a.m. Friday.

“I have comfort that Angel didn’t have to live her days in pain,” Boginia said.

“God had another plan,” he said. “This child can’t live like this and live with the pain of not having her siblings.”

“I felt like she was their angel,” said Gaston, standing next to Boginia.

Gaston, an older sister herself, believed Angel protected her younger siblings, carried them through the fire and in the end, she went to be with them.

“She was their angel,” she repeated.

“When something like this happens,” Boginia interjected, “you’ve got to find joy in it somehow.”

Gaston agreed.“There’s always joy in something,” Bogina explained. “There’s purpose in pain. This is bringing us all together.”

“You’ve got to understand,” said Gaston, “maybe God didn’t want them to live their lives with pain, because the way the world is today, he took their pain.”

Gaston knows for sure that the children knew God.

“They were saved,” she said resolutely.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Prayers, balloons, hope in honor of 6 children lost in South Bend fire