Barn Destroyed by Fire North of T-Town

Fire destroyed a barn on the property of Lawrence and Anna Ruholl just north of Teutopolis Saturday.

The cause is still being determined, but one of the Ruholls' daughters had been using the riding mower to finish mowing the property. When she put the mower in the barn, it backfired. She went into the house for a drink of water, and when she came back outside, black smoke was rolling out of the barn.

(TEUTOPOLIS FIREFIGHTERS LOOK FOR ANYTHING SALVAGEABLE AFTER PUTTING OUT THE FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE BARN)

Teutopolis firefighters responded, with an assist from a tanker truck from Montrose, but the fire had a good head start by the time firefighters could reach the scene. The building and its contents, including an antique tractor, were destroyed.

No one was injured, something stressed by the Ruholls as a reason for thankfulness. Lawrence Ruholl and his brothers built the barn 55 years ago.

(ANNA AND LAWRENCE RUHOLL WATCHED AS FIREFIGHTERS HANDLED THE FIRE THAT DESTROYED A BARN LAWRENCE AND HIS BROTHERS BUILT 55 YEARS AGO)

The Ruholls, who raised 11 children in the house near the burned barn, will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary in September.