Page 6 - Sentinel July 2017

with both, Josh put the dogs in separate bedrooms and left the
Darren and Jamelyn Steenhoek’s home on Fox Circle in Per-
house.
ry Park Ranch caught fire late in the evening on June 1. No
one was home. A neighbor called LFPD which arrived about
Eight hours later, my husband and I were both missing calls
ten minutes later. The cause has yet to be determined, but the
from neighbors as we played cards with my aunts and cousins. I
speculation is that it was electrical.
returned a call to my daughter after she texted that there was an
emergency at home, and when she picked up the phone she sim-
ply said, “Mom, our house is on fire.” Those words still don’t
STEENHOEKS PLAN TO REBUILD
translate in my mind, and I remember asking her if she was
AND COME HOME
joking. She started to sob and I said, “Our house is on FIRE?”
Jamelyn Steenhoek...
Darren jumped out of his chair and ran for his phone, which had
multiple missed calls from neighbors and friends.
Darren and I married in the back yard of our new Highlands
Ranch home on May 1, 2011. Our witnesses included Darren’s
sons, Nick and Josh, my daughter, Elena, my son Alex, and a
minister and his wife. A few months later, we found out we
would be adding a 7th to our family, and in February 2012,
Gerrit was born. By early 2015, Darren’s company expanded to
Montana and asked us to go there. With our oldest son in the US
Navy and four children at home, we accepted the adventure.

When my husband’s employer asked us to return to Colorado
after nearly two years in the open spaces of Montana, we knew
we had to find something that felt as free and beautiful here.
Returning to a suburban neighborhood was no longer an option
for us. We began our search in Evergreen and continued south
along the Front Range. At the suggestion of my brother-in-law,
who has been a member of PPCC for a few years, we turned our
search toward Larkspur and Perry Park.

As soon as we rounded the corner and saw the home on Fox
Circle, we were done shopping. Walking in the front door and
taking in the view of red rocks through the multiple windows
and deck solidified our love. We found our home.
We moved in just before Christmas 2016. The home was every-
thing we wanted, the first house we’ve lived in that needed no
improvements. Our kids adjusted, our dogs thrived, and we add-
ed a third fur baby to our family. We were warmly welcomed by
neighbors and made friends quickly. The community of Lark-
spur seemed so warm and friendly and we talked of retirement
My aunts and cousins helped pack up our vehicles, and we hit
and grandchildren and our future here. Little did we know at the
the road around 11:30 p.m. We made it home in less than two
time how truly caring a community we’d moved to.
hours, to find a street full of smoke, a couple of panicked teen-
agers, and one surviving dog. Our closest neighbors, Steve and
On Thursday June 1st, I packed up my car for a family reunion
Marsha Vecchione, opened up multiple guest rooms and we sat
at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado. After loading
on their deck, shocked, and stared at the plume.
13-year-old Alex, 5-year-old Gerrit, and our 13-year-old niece

Hannah into the car, I went back in the house and hugged my
By early Sunday morning, the community of Larkspur rallied
8-month-old puppy Rubble. I told him this was the last dog free
to our aid. The Larkspur Mom’s Group showed up with toys,
trip on the calendar, and I kissed him on the face. My husband
leashes, and harnesses for our surviving dog, and a list of other
joined us at the family reunion after work Friday, and our niece
things gathered for our kids. Amy Morrow and Becky Voth from
Kaylynn came to the house to help with the dogs and keep an
PPCC collaborated on a Go Fund Me page which surpassed its
eye on our teenagers, 16-year-old Elena and 17-year-old Josh.
initial goal in less than a day. Families from the area collected
and dropped off clothing, food, and notes of support. Emails
Saturday afternoon, Josh called and told us he’d been asked to
and calls went out and we were overwhelmed by the response.
pick up a shift at work. He said Elena left for dance and went
to hang out with her friends, and Kaylynn had gone to town
Two blindingly quick weeks later and we are living in a hotel,
for the day. Since our two Frenches could be rough with one
another and our 13-year-old Boston Terrier was easily irritated Continued on page 8
Page 6 - July 2017 Perry Park Sentinel