Fire and fatal accident shake village in July

Hello everyone,

July was a difficult month for Lanark as Ben and Monica Steigner, son and daughter-in-law of John and Sharon Steigner, were tragically killed when they were struck by a truck on Arizona Street, just minutes from their family home.

Ben and Monica were visiting for the holidays from their home in Tallahassee, where they both worked as teachers. The Lanark community has come together with compassion and love to express their support and condolences, as have other communities. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family, titled “Support for Steigner Family Following Tragic Loss.”

“The Steigner family is the most caring, compassionate and loving family to everyone around them,” wrote organizer Juan Felipe Emerick of Carrabelle. “They have both served the community for many years and I hope we can help them in their time of need now. The people of Franklin County are just as compassionate and caring. Let’s come together and do our part.”

Later in the week, the Ensworth family home on Carl King Avenue caught fire. The Ensworth family was able to escape before being injured, but their small dog died of smoke inhalation. Please keep this family in your thoughts and pray for them. The home is uninhabitable and most of their belongings were damaged by smoke and water. They had no insurance to cover this damage. They have no place to live; they are living in very makeshift accommodations, with some donated clothes and shoes and a few necessities.

At this time they are not in need of any household items as they have no room to put anything. They need monetary donations to survive. If anyone or an organization can help them it would be greatly appreciated. Please reach out to the Ensworth family or contact me at the email address below and I will be happy to put you in touch with them. Your thoughts, prayers and help are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to the quick response of the newly formed St. James/Lanark Volunteer Fire Department and the Carrabelle Volunteer Fire Department, most of the building was saved. The majority of the damage was smoke and water. The volunteer firefighters worked quickly and diligently to save what they could. While this is tragic for the family, it could have been worse. The community and the Ensworth family send a big “thank you” and everyone is so happy that no one was hurt.

An alligator was captured in Lanark on Thursday. The alligator was in the ditch off Highway 98 in front of the Lanark Village Golf Club. It had an animal in its mouth. Some of the earlier bystanders and the officer called thought the animal might already be dead. The officer called for instructions and was told the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission expert would be on site to handle the situation. The alligator was over six feet long, could not be recovered, and was a danger to the residential Lanark Village. Earlier in the week, a large alligator was reported to be wandering between the residences. The alligator had to be shot. You may have read the incorrect comment that the police officer shot the alligator. In fact, it was the FWC alligator tracker expert.

The American Legion hosted a wonderful event on Saturday afternoon. A wine tasting/dining experience that included tasting six different wines with tasty appetizers to make your taste buds tango. The wines were carefully selected and the appetizers were delicious and beautiful to look at. If you ever see this advertisement again, make a reservation. Shawna was in charge of organizing and running this great event, assisted by Jessica, Juan and Ben.

I’m looking forward to: A retirement celebration will be held for longtime Lanark resident Joan Matey on Friday, July 19, from 4-6 p.m. ET at the Carrabelle History Museum. For more information, call 850-697-2141.

Lanark Village Boat Club will be hosting its monthly pancake breakfast on Saturday 20th July from 9am-11am.

On Saturday, July 20, the American Legion Post 82 will feature live music by Bat Bennett starting at 6 p.m. and a food truck from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Lanark Village Association is holding a Christmas arts and crafts market in Chillas Hall on Saturday 27th July from 10am-2pm. There will be lots of great things to buy.

I love Lanark.

Pat Sewell Funderburk is a columnist for the Times Lanark News. Be sure to send her news and society articles about life in Lanark Village to [email protected].