Eldery couple dies in house fire [St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.]

Nov. 11--A small Grundy County town is devastated at the loss of a prominent elderly couple, who died in a house fire late last week.

The bodies of Rev. Robert Darby, 79, and Judith Darby, 74, were recovered from their nearly 100-year-old family home in Spickard, Mo., late Thursday afternoon, almost 12 hours after the fatal fire broke out.

Residents of the tiny 200-person town are devastated at the loss of the couple, who, as devout Christians, were heavily involved in a variety of community organizations.

"It was a disaster that our town experienced, and we never will forget," said Ramona Baker, a neighbor of the Darbys. "It's going to be hard for a really long time."

Volunteer firefighters from the Spickard Fire Department arrived to the home around 3:30 a.m. Thursday to find the upstairs fully engulfed, with flames showing from both the east and west windows, along with heavy black smoke. Jesse Richmond, training officer for the Fire Department, said though they knew the Darbys were asleep inside, the situation was too dangerous to conduct a search and rescue mission.

"Within the short period of time it took us to get our hoses off the truck and water going to it, the fire got very intense," he said.

Coroner reports indicated the pair died from smoke inhalation. A cause of the fire, however, has been undetermined since the home was reduced to rubble.

Ms. Baker, who has lived in the neighborhood for 59 years, said the landscape is now changed when she looks out her window -- a constant reminder of the loss of her life-long friend.

Judith Darby, a retired school teacher, grew up in the Georgian-style home where she died.

She and Ms. Baker were friends since childhood, were in the same sorority and served on the same committees at Spickard United Methodist Church, where Rev. Robert Darby served as minister in the 50s. Mrs. Darby most recently worked in the Trenton School District at Adams Middle School, which is no longer active, until she retired in 1998.

Rev. Darby served at many small churches in Northwest Missouri, as well as Faith United Methodist Church in Kansas City. He worked full-time at Traveler's Insurance Company in Overland Park, Kan., while the couple lived in Raytown, Mo. When he retired from the insurance business, he continued his role as minister at Green City, Green Chapel and Prairie Chapel until 2009.

Ms. Baker said the couple returned to Spickard, Mo., in the early '90s to care for Mrs. Darby's ailing mother at the home.

Mrs. Darby was involved in United Methodist Women, Republican Women and was the church's Christmas pageant choir director. Rev. Darby served on the Spickard School Board, Spickard City Council and was on various committees at the local Methodist Church.

"They enjoyed life and they enjoyed each other," Ms. Baker said. "I guess it's a blessing now that they're together."

The Darbys are survived by two children and one grandson. A Celebration of Lives will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Spickard R-2 School gym, with a funeral service to follow at 2 p.m. at the Spickard United Methodist Church.

The family asks that donations be made to the church via Slater Funeral Home at 412 E. Ninth St., in Trenton, Mo. Since all mementos were destroyed in the fire, they also ask for any photos of the family.

Kim Norvell can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPNorvell.

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