As they watched their home burn, Jerry and Dwaynetta Tolbert already had church members coming by to help. The Columbia couple said it was almost like the people were being transported there, as if “angels dropped in.”
“They just surrounded us like a huge hug,” Dwaynetta Tolbert said about their church family at Woodlawn. “And I feel the prayers because there’s no way you can go through something like this and not feel like you want to break. God has had His hands on us.”
Their ordeal began on Valentine’s Day. A blaze that was reported just before 7 p.m. consumed their home at 115 Columbia Purvis Road. Tyler Creel, deputy chief of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, said the structure was fully involved with flames when firefighters arrived. He said it was a total loss, but no one was injured.
The Foxworth Volunteer Fire Department and Columbia Fire Department assisted in battling the blaze, and crews remained on the scene until about 3 a.m. the next day.
The Tolberts were not home, and Jerry got the call first, from a co-worker whose wife had passed by and seen the fire. Dwaynetta was at Rajun Cajun’s and said her friend Lisa Ledet had to drag her from the restaurant, saying they needed to go see her home.
“We got here, and it was engulfed. Just surreal,” she said. “It was crazy. I’ve never gone through anything like that in my life.”
Simple questions like her kids’ names and ages wouldn’t come to her immediately, and Jerry took it hard initially.
“I was down. I was crying for about two days,” he said. “We didn’t know what we were going to do. Me being a man, you don’t want to ask people for help.”
But their faith has made the difference, along with support from church members and the community.
“The community has really just loved on us. Our town, it’s a big heart is what it is,” Dwaynetta said.
“A lot of people try to say bad things about Columbia: They can’t tell it to me and my wife,” Jerry said.
In the meantime, the family is looking to recover. Their four children – ranging from 10 to 19 – have been coping with the loss. The Tolberts initially sent the children to the Coast to stay with Jerry’s sister so they would feel safe, and they’re now back in school in Columbia.
“My son took it pretty rough. Not being hysterical, but was just really quiet,” Dwaynetta said.
The family is staying at the Magnolia Inn for now and would like to rebuild their home. They say they love the spot, having memories of their daughter’s first Christmas and other family milestones there. They had just gotten an old video camera out and were watching the old home movies.
Those are gone now, but the Tolberts are taking a positive outlook. For one thing, if it had happened a little bit later they would have been home in bed, they said. Also, they have an opportunity to share their testimony to encourage others.
And, most of all, they plan to be there in the future to help other people in similar situations. If all they have is a little hut, Dwaynetta said, they’ll do what they can to help.
Pictured Above: Dwaynetta and Jerry Tolbert stand Tuesday outside the remains of their home at 115 Columbia Purvis Road, which was destroyed by fire on Feb. 14. The couple said support from their church and community has helped them get through this difficult time. “Our town, it’s a big heart is what it is,” Dwaynetta Tolbert said. | Photo by Charlie Smith
