Family overwhelmed by support after house fire

Free Press (Mankato, MN)

Feb. 12--NICOLLET -- People from around the world have reached out to help one Minnesota family get back on their feet after a fire destroyed their home, cars and most of their possessions on Jan. 16.

"When you say the world, it is the world," said Parrish Skrien, who works as a chiropractor in Mankato and raised four daughters at his house on Fourth St. in Nicollet. "We have people from all over the world helping us, and that's crazy."

His oldest daughter, Anna Engeman, 24, is living in Hawaii and created a GoFundMe site for the family where people have donated from as far as New Zealand and Katelyn Skrien, 23, is based in South Korea with the U.S. Army and her gym buddies sent support, too.

Emily Skrien, 19, is a basketball player at Bethany Lutheran College and her coach and teammates held a fundraiser for the Skrien family on Wednesday. Brooke Skrien, 17, plays basketball for Nicollet High School and an opposing team put together a duffel bag of necessities for Brooke to use, another team set up a free will donation for the Skriens.

"January 30, they played Martin Luther High School, and all of my daughters have played against these girls since they were in third or fourth grade," Parrish Skrien said. "After the game, they came out with a big duffel bag with everything that a 17-year-old girl that is in athletics needs. There were shirts, towels and shorts and scrunchies."

"And that one left her speechless," Parrish Skrien said.

Emily Skrien said that she was emotional when her teammates put together the fundraiser, selling baked goods and tennis balls for the Skrien family at the Bethany basketball game.

"Going to school the Monday before the benefit, they were starting to advertise and hang up posters. Every time I saw one it made me emotional again. It's so amazing to see how caring everyone is at Bethany and how much the wanted to help," Emily Skrien said. "Words can't describe how much it really means to my family and I and how thankful we are for what they have done."

Skrien and his daughters repeated over and over how thankful they are for the support from so many.

Each day gets better since losing their family home, Parrish Skrien said, but it is still difficult. His insurance makes it possible to rebuild the house, but in the meantime, he has missed work and the support from others has helped make things easier financially. Parrish Skrien said they are awaiting an OK from the gas company to start rebuilding, he was able to find a contractor and electrician through a professional organization.

It's been humbling, Parrish Skrien said. He remembers a friend sending him clothes hangers because he had none. Dealing with the aftermath of a house fire is full of unexpected, small difficulties. There are a lot of things people take for granted, he said.

"As a doctor, I'm always the person that fixes things and I can't fix this, so that's been the biggest hardship for me," Parrish Skrien said. "Their house is gone. It takes a long time to adjust to that, and not have your bed, your pillow and the blankets that you've had since you were a kid."

The house in Nicollet was home base for the Skriens for two decades, and while clothes and furniture are replaceable, some things are missed.

A few mementos and family heirlooms were rescued from the fire by firefighters who went into the house before it collapsed. Parrish Skrien said he is thankful the firefighters made that possible.

Nicollet Fire Chief Joel Polzin said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

"We're trying to learn that home is in the heart," Parrish Skrien said. "We don't have that house anymore, but I think in the end our family is going to be a lot stronger because we have our faith."

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