A heartfelt thank you to a loving, caring community

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a letter from William and Lori, children of William and Judith Schmidt, who were killed in the March 30 house fire on Powers Way in Youngstown, along with their granddaughter, 10-year-old Corinne Gump.

Too all of the community members in Youngstown and beyond.

We have been receiving so much support, love, and kindness from many family members, friends, relatives and more.

We want to give our thanks to the firefighters who bravely attempted to save our family. Their efforts will not be forgotten. We also want to recognize and thank the police who have been involved in the investigations. We have full faith in the police and appreciate their efforts as well.

Our mother, Judy, wished to be honored with a funeral of Jehovah Witness traditions. Our father, Billy, wanted to have a celebration in honor of his life. With this sad situation, we made a decision to honor both wishes, and we included Corinne’s inspiring spirit in all of the services.

More than 600 visitors attended the memorial service for all three at Becker Davis Funeral Home during calling hours. That same night we had the celebration in honor of Billy with family and friends at the Saxton Club.

Our niece, Corinne, was laid to rest in Lake Park Cemetery on Monday. We also had the opportunity to attend a beautiful vigil with hundreds of community members who came to pay their respects to our parents Billy and Judy and our niece Corinne Gump.

Our parents have been cremated per their wishes and their ashes will be released in the Allegheny River this summer.

We will always remember our niece as an adorable girl with vibrant charisma and a quirky attitude. We will miss her greatly and will always hold her and love her with all our hearts.

We ask that you remember Corinne’s bravery in taking a stand. She experienced something no child should ever experience and fearlessly fought back. For that, we shall always remember our niece for her immeasurable courage.

We want to give a special thanks to the Schmidt family and Gump family for going above and beyond, uniting as family to honor our lost ones and remember Corinne’s brave spirit.

Billy and Judy were second parents to many people. We have witnessed how much our parents were well loved by the community. While we grieve the loss of our parents and niece, we know that Youngstown has also experienced a loss.

Let’s all say it together: Goodbye. We will always cherish you in our memories.

With deepest gratitude,

William Schmidt and Lori Schmidt, Youngstown