McCook native, daughter among refugees from California fire

Thursday, December 13, 2018

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A McCook native driven from her Paradise, Calif., home by the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire is featured in a Dec. 1 Los Angeles Times news story about the aftermath of the “Camp Fire” and generous Californians’ response to evacuees’ need for housing.

Rose Unger Lucas, 62, formerly of McCook, and her 23-year-old daughter, Colleen, have taken refuge since the November fire in Chico and are living in the backyard and travel trailer of Marek and Kyle Abraham of Chico.

Kyle Marek listed his property on CampFireHousing.org. He told LA Times reporters, “It seems like every other person I talk to is living with someone or has someone living with them. I know people who have multiple families in their home … multiple trailers on their property. And it’s really cool to see.”

Rose’s sister Anne Unger Confer of McCook told the McCook Gazette on Nov. 15 that Rose lost her home and her possessions in the fire, but that she and two grandchildren evacuated without injuries. Rose left with her grandchildren, her car, her cat, her computer and some clothes. As Colleen evacuated, she nearly ran out of gas and was rescued by a busload of kids and taken to Chico. Colleen lost her car, although her house still stands in Paradise.

The Abrahams have given Rose and Colleen their word that they can stay as long as they need to.

“I think we’ll make it a family in some ways,” Rose told Times reporters. Overwhelmed by the couple’s generosity, she looks for ways to be useful.

Rose has been able to continue her job as a nanny, but Colleen’s job at a Paradise preschool ended when its families fled the fire.

Marek Abraham told Times reporters that friends questioned their decision to let strangers in. But helping people in crisis may be second nature for the Abrahams: she is an emergency room nurse, he is a physician assistant. She said for the news story that they still feel as though they aren’t doing enough. “This feels so easy,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve done anything.”

“Well, it’s huge to us,” said Rose.

Rose is the younger sister of Anne Confer of McCook; Anne and Rose are two of the nine children of the late John and Florence Unger, McCook. Rose graduated from McCook Senior High in 1974 and Anne in 1972.

Anne says Rose is “an inspiration.” She lost her husband, Don, just three years ago, and now she’s lost her home. “But Rose says that what she’s lost are just possessions, and possessions can be replaced,” Anne said for the McCook Gazette news story.

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