Two Missouri firefighters who died in the line of duty last year, along with another killed in a fire in 1849, will be honored during services today and Sunday at the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City.
At 9 p.m. tonight, a candlelight vigil will be held for all Missouri firefighters who have died while serving their communities.
At 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the names of three Missouri firefighters who died in the line of duty will be added to the monument wall commemorating firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their fellow Missourians. Other Missouri firefighters who died during 2017 will be remembered during the ceremonies.
Both memorial events will take place at the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri, located one block northwest of the I-70 and U.S. 54 intersection (Exit 148) in Kingdom City. In case of inclement weather, events will be moved to Auxvasse Elementary School, 650 E. Harrison St.
Gov. Eric Greitens has proclaimed Sunday as Fire Service Memorial Day in Missouri.
“The fire service is a calling for brave, selfless men and women who are willing to risk their lives each time the alarm bell sounds in order to protect their fellow Missourians,” Greitens said in a news release. “We are forever indebted to the heroes who made the supreme sacrifice. We will never forget them, and will continue to stand with and support their loved ones left behind.”
“Missouri’s fire service is truly a family of dedicated individuals who all share a commitment to strengthening our communities through service to others,” State Fire Marshal Tim Bean said in the news release. “I am moved each year that we come together to share stories of bravery, devotion to serving others and of the lives these fallen heroes lived and the people they touched while they were with us.”
The firefighters whose names will be added to the Fire Fighters Line of Duty Memorial Wall are:
• Jeffery Sanders, 55, a 32-year member of the Mayview Fire Protection District. He had responded to a call for an arcing power line threatening to cause a fire when a vehicle crashed into a fire truck on the scene, causing his death June 19, 2017.
• Capt. John Kemper, 59, a 25-year veteran of the St. Louis Fire Department. He died one week after sustaining injuries fighting a structure fire July 5, 2017.
• Fireman Wells Colton, 37, a member of the St. Louis Volunteer Fire Department. He was fatally injured in an explosion fighting St. Louis’ most disastrous fire, known as the Great St. Louis Fire, which started May 17, 1849, on the steamboat White Cloud and quickly spread to more than 20 other steamers along the St. Louis levee, and then destroyed several blocks of downtown buildings. A recent review of historical records connected Colton’s death to the fire June 26, 1849.