The Roth Report

Special Report 1:

Schrock Tragedy in WA

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

emailed around 6:00 p.m. Pacific

I would prefer to provide you with something more than news stories from the AP. However, I do not wish to impose upon any friends or relatives. If anyone voluntarily emails me any significant updates, I’ll consider putting out another one of these.

If anyone wishes to send notes of comfort and encouragement and prayer support, I’m sure using this address will get them there quite directly.

          Sacred Heart Medical Center

          101 West 8th Ave

          PO Box 2555

          Spokane, WA 99220-2555

I imagine Mr. Helm could use some godly encouragement and prayers as well. This is an opportunity to extend God’s grace to him.

A tiny community of Mennonites who live north of Spokane was in mourning today after all five children in a family were killed in a head-on collision of two pickup trucks.

          The eight-student school near Chewelah attended by three of the dead children will be closed for the rest of the week.

          Dan Hertzler of Chewelah, who was speaking for the nine families of the small religious sect, says the Pine Grove Mennonite Church community was gathering in support of Carolyn Schrock, mother of the children, who is pregnant and due in December.

          The Washington State Patrol says Jeffrey B. Schrock and his five children were in the extended cab of a southbound truck on US 395 when it collided with a northbound vehicle that had crossed a grassy median and entered the southbound lanes about 4:20 p.m. yesterday.

          Pronounced dead at the scene were Carmen Joy Schrock, 12; Jana Louise Schrock, 10; Corina Jean Schrock, 8; Jerrill Burdiette Schrock, 5, and Creig Allen Schrock, 2. None of children appeared to be in seat belts, the State Patrol says.

          Jeffrey Schrock was in serious condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

          The driver of the other truck, 55-year-old Clifford L. Helm of Deer Park, was in satisfactory condition at the same hospital.

          “This is pretty much the biggest one (accident) that has happened around here in quite a while,” patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney said.

          Sevigney said it was raining much of Tuesday, but it was unclear if weather was a factor. “We are working hard to try and figure out it out,” he said. “Everybody wants to know, including us.”

          For several hours, evening rush-hour traffic was detoured around the crash scene, in the far northern suburbs of Spokane. [Associated Press; 11/2]

The Schrocks were members of a 12-family Mennonite community in the area of Chewelah, about 45 miles north of Spokane. It is one of only two Mennonite communities in Eastern Washington, and the older Schrock children attended a church school, said Pastor Clayton Eveleth.

          Eveleth said no funeral service had been planned yet, before hurrying off the phone.

          According to an article in The Spokesman-Review in 1997, the Schrocks opened North Country Furniture after they and two other Mennonite families moved to Chewelah from Tangent, Oregon.

          The Mennonites, members of a conservative Christian sect with Anabaptist origins, began moving into the Chewelah area in 1992, Hertzler said. They lived and worked in the area, about 45 miles north of Spokane, and attended the small church that is one of only two Mennonite communities in Eastern Washington. [Associated Press; 11/2]

Jeff is in critical condition. He has a broken jaw, crushed chest (sternum?) broken pelvis, broken arm, and broken leg. He was drifting in and out of consciousness last evening and this morning he is awake. [MennoDiscuss.com; 11/2]

Jeff was upgraded from “critical” condition to “serious” condition this morning. [MennoDiscuss.com; 11/2]

At some point today Jeff had further surgery to find the cause of and remedy internal bleeding. It is my understanding that was successful. I also understand that Jeff’s dad told him this morning about the deaths of his children.

          I also learned a few minutes ago that the funeral is tentatively planned for Monday morning at ten. Viewing is Sunday afternoon. Pine Grove Mennonite Church.

          I saw two or three photos on the Web of Jeff’s pick-up. It bore no resemblance to a pick-up. I’m amazed he is alive. [Mark Roth; 11/2]