ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — A family in Roane County is picking up the pieces of their life. The Purvis family home was destroyed late last month by a fire.
Richard Purvis, a fifth-generation military veteran, lived in his dream retirement home on the shores of Watts Bar Lake. Richard had collections of cherished heirlooms and memories spanning back centuries. Most of those priceless memories were destroyed when a fire overtook the home in late August.
He asked firefighters to search for one thing in the fire's aftermath, his Bible.
"Found my Bible in 4 foot of ash that I read every morning and night," Richard said.
He moved to the home in 2020.
"It was just remarkable what he had transformed this home into and it was his forever home," said Grace Shaw, Richard's daughter. "He spent over 20 years in the Navy, about 15 in the National Park Service. So it was about time for him to finally, you know, retire and live out his dream somewhere."
She was putting her three babies to bed when she began to smell the smoke.
"My gut instinct was saying open up that door and see what's on the other side," Grace said. "And when I did the whole other half of the home was on fire."
Her motherly instincts kicked in as she noticed the flames, grabbing her three children and searching for a way out.
"I picked them up, ran out the door with my phone calling 911 screaming, get out, get out, get out. My dogs were in there and I thought my dad was inside," Grace said.
Luckily, Richard was not inside the home, but rather standing down by the shore watching his dream house go up in flames.
"When I was standing there about to go in the house, my dad pulled around on the tractor and it was like seeing an angel," Grace said.
To the Purvis family, losing the house meant more than just losing a building.
"The family heirlooms and things that were passed down that burnt those things can't be replaced," Grace said.
The family is still searching through the ashes to find ways to keep their history alive.
"You're so happy. You know, my daughter got out and the dogs and the babies," Richard said. "But then a couple of days, now you're in true reality. How am I gonna rebuild? How's this process?"
The family said they are thankful for the support from the community, especially from the firefighters who risked their lives battling the fire and attempting to save their home.
You can support the Purvis family and their rebuilding process by donating here.