Union Hill Baptist News
by Mickie Bigbie

Grandma Coe and Shasta

Shasta

We, at Union Hill were frightened, yet thankful, when we heard about the fire that had destroyed the home of Ms. Charlie's mother, brother and sister-in-law, saddened by their loss but grateful that Grandma and her grandson Bubba, the only ones home at the time, had been spared. We all wanted to know "what happened? " This is their story but it's not only the story of the fire, it's a perfect example of the never-to-be-doubted, awesome power of our God.

Shasta is an eleven year old blue-gray Maltese cat, which having been spayed and declawed at an early age, has spent all her life indoors in the Coe household. She belonged to Grandpa Coe and could usually be found curled up on his lap or on the foot of his bed.

When Grandpa went on to Glory seven years ago, he left Grandma and Shasta to take care of each other. And that they did, one with a loving stroke of the soft gray coat, and the other with a snuggle and a purr. Every night since Grandpa's been gone, Shasta has slept at Grandma Coe's feet.

In the early morning hours of January 31st, Shasta began pawing at Grandma wildly and making a strange, frightened noise. Being drowsy and wishing only to go back to sleep, Grandma put Shasta outside the bedroom and closed the door, but the excited persistent Shasta would not be silenced. She continued to scratch on Grandma's door and kept on with the constant, strange meowing.

Then Grandma heard what she thought was Shasta rattling the birdcage which sat a few feet away from the bedroom door. Thinking the occupants of the cage, two young Cockatiels, were being harassed by the cat, Grandma, though extremely drowsy, was aggravated with Shasta's behavior and opened the door to scold her. But to her surprise, Shasta still sat at the bedroom door making the dreadful noise. Then Grandma saw the flames coming from the ceiling reaching down to the family pictures which hung above the fireplace, cracking the glass and popping the burning frames...that was the noise she had heard.

Grandson, Bubba Nugent, was the only other person in the house, as son, Cliff and his wife Debbie were in Grand Prairie. Bubba's room was on the back side of the fireplace. He was asleep with his door closed. Grandma frantically beat on the door, trying to wake him. When he finally awoke, he grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to put out the fire but the area above the ceiling was already fully engulfed in flames. Not being able to call from the house, they grabbed Shasta and the family's little Chihuahua, Sugar, and ran next door to grandson Ray's house and called for help.

The two grandsons then went back into the house to rescue the trapped birds and little Sugar, who was so frightened she had run back into the house. The boys grabbed family pictures as they made their way out again. The fire, by that time, had become too fierce to try another attempt at saving anything.

Grandma's daughter and son-in-law, Charlie and Bill Hamilton, who live one street away were notified and were there within minutes. Grandma and her family sat in the Hamilton's car on that cold, cold night and watched as firefighters with six fire trucks fought the fire, finally extinguishing it about 6:00 a.m.

When Cliff and Debbie were called about their home being on fire, they and the other little family dog immediately headed back. They arrived about the same time the fire was being put out only to find their home destroyed but, thankfully, Grandma and Bubba were okay.

Folks commonly think that the scent of smoke in a house fire will surely awaken them from their sleep. The truth is that the smoke puts a person into a deeper, sometimes fatal sleep. It was difficult to wake the grandson and, remember, Grandma was close to going back to sleep, had it not been for the frantic efforts of the faithful Shasta.

When Grandpa Coe knew that the time was short before he would be going home, he prayed that the Lord would take care of Grandma and the family. Now, when they look back on that cold January night, they know that their lives were desperately in danger...but none of us are privy to God's timetable. God used a fat, little gray cat as His instrument to alert the family and get them out safely. Truly, God works in mysterious ways. In their desperate situation, it seemed they had only minutes before it was too late for their survival but we all know that God is never late.

This was not to be the end of their lives here. Grandma Coe has spent her life working for the Lord and, evidently, He still has more for her to do. Bubba, along with his friend Matt, will go into the Air Force immediately after graduation from Brownsboro High School in May. There's no telling what opportunities God will put in front of these two young men, a chance to do His work as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

The Coes lost just about everything they had: Clothing, furniture, family heirlooms, irreplaceable family pictures, and a lifelong collection of John Wayne memorabilia. Miraculously, an antique bedroom suite in Cliff and Debbie's room survived the fire. Her grandfather had brought it with him from Tennessee. Most things were totally destroyed, but the family feels they have been greatly blessed by the Lord, because as precious as those things were, they were "things." All family members are okay and now they are rebuilding their lives, with two little dogs, two lucky young birds and a very much loved and appreciated persistent little cat.

The Coe family has just moved into their new house. Shasta purrs quietly now and has returned to her place at the foot of Grandma's brand new bed and on the brand new nightstand sits a precious survivor of that terrible night...a picture of Grandpa and Grandma Coe.

We thank you God, for your love and your mercy.