Two families lose possessions in fire

    Two families lost all their possessions in a fire that destroyed two mobile homes in Benkelman early Tuesday morning.
    According to the Benkelman Post, the fire apparently started in an unoccupied mobile home owned by Kristie Pankonin. She and her 16-year-old son Bradley now live in Imperial.
    The fire then spread to a garage and then to the residence of the Roy Shapley family, formerly of Imperial.
    Shapleys lost all their possessions, getting out of the residence with what they wore to bed.
    The Benkelman fire chief contacted the Red Cross to aid the Shapley family. The Shapley family is in need of clothing in the following sizes: Men's medium shirts, 29x30 pants, size 6.5 shoes; Women's 2x shirts, size 20 pants, size 9 shoes; Boys 10/12 shirts, size 10 pants, size 1 shoes;  Girls 7/8 shirts, size 7 pants, size 13 shoes; and Girls size 5 shirts, size 4T pants, size 9/10 shoes.
    The Shapleys lived in Imperial for nearly three years before moving to Benkelman in late 2017.
    Pankonin said they moved to Imperial in November and were bringing their possessions a little at a time.
    “Basically everything we owned was still in the trailer,” she said Wednesday.
    What they need most at this time is clothing, she said. Bradley wears 38/30 pants and extra large tall shirts.
    Kristie is size 16-20 and in need of all kinds of clothes, including undergarments.
    She said they have a limited amount of furniture that they moved here with. She said she’s looking to buy a washer/dryer, which was also destroyed.
    The Pankonins reside at 348 East 4th St. in Imperial. She can be reached at 308-737-9975.