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The Sodder Family: A Christmas Inferno
There is never a good time for your house to burn down and for your children to go missing, but when it happens at Christmastime, the sting burns hotter than usual. And when you lose five children at once, every breath from that point on requires determination and intentionality. Most parents would agree that death would seem like a welcome respite from such immense, soul-crushing pain.
For George and Jennie Sodder, Christmas 1945 brought unending grief and a million questions that, 74 years later, remain unanswered.
A Crushing Christmas Eve
In December 1945, World War II had been over for a mere three months. Many jubilant families impatiently waited for their fathers, sons, brothers, and uncles to return home from the fighting.
The Sodders had nine of their 10 children at home near Fayetteville, West Virginia; one son was still stationed overseas. But the fear of losing their son in battle was gone. It was just a waiting game until they could wrap their arms around him again.
It was Christmas Eve, and the oldest girl, Marion, 17, had just brought home toys for her siblings from the five and dime store where she worked. The younger Sodders were thrilled, and they’d convinced their parents to let them stay up just a bit longer to play with their new gifts.
