Kovac House fire at Hibbard

Monday, March 15, 1954
Rochester Sentinel
Bessie Kovacs
Mrs. Bessie KOVACS, who with six members of her family perished when their home at Hibbard burned last week, is survived by a brother and sister of this community.
A brother, Leonard DIXON, resides in the Richland Center community, while a sister, Mrs. William FLYNN, lives north of Rochester. Mrs. Kovacs' father was the late Riley DIXON, a former Rochester resident. Also surviving are brotrs [brothers], Bill and Norman DIXON, Lakeville; Charles DIXON, near Chicago, and another sister, Leone [DIXON], LaPorte.

Seven members out of 12 of the Kovacs family died when a flash fire hit their home in the small community north of Culver .

Culver Citizen
Mar 17, 1954

SEVEN MEMBERS OF HIBBARD FAMILY BURNED TO DEATH AS FIVE OTHERS ESCAPE THROUGH FLAMES.

Small I Residence Housing Twelve People In Cramped Quarters Scene Of Disaster

Frank Kovacs Family Figures In Horrible Tragedy



SEARCHING FOR THE BODIES OF THE FIRE VICTIMS Members of the Culver Fire Department had a horrible and grewsome experience between the hours of 3:17 and 6:40 a.m. last Thursday when the Frank Kovaes residence in Hibbard was the scene of the worst home-fire disaster in the history of this area. Fire Chief Dave Burns, in white hat, has his back to the camera As he directs the rescue work. Firemen Bob Hatten and Herlin B. Stafford are seen holding the stretcher on which seven bodies wer: removed from the debris. In the background are Culver Police Chief Don Mikesell at the left and Marshall County Sheriff Harvey Phillips behind Hatten. (Exclusive CITIZEN Photo by Ruth Walker of Walker's Studio).

A flash fire in nearby Hibbard early Thursday morning the worst disaster of its kind in Marshall County history totally destroyed the modest 32x35 frame home of Frank Kovacs and claimed the lives of seven of the 12 members of his family.

The dead, all of whom were sleeping in the dumpy second story attic, in which it was almost impossible to stand, are: MRS. BESSIE KOVACS, 48, wife of Frank. Their three sons, DONALD, 24; CARL, 18; and VICTOR, 17. Victor was a senior in the Culver High School and an honor student. Carl had graduated a year ago. ELIZABETH KOVACS, 28, wife of Donald, and her two children of a former marriage, JEANETTE QUACKENBUSH, 5, and MICHAEL QUACKENBUSH, 3.

Other members of the family asleep in the house who were able to escape were Frank Kovacs, 49, Caroline Kovacs, 25, baby Rose Marie, 14 months, Ruth Ann Kovacs, 11, and John Kovacs. 85. father of Frank. Another son, Robert, 26, lives in New York and a daughter, Mrs. Virginia Sue Rust, lives in Plymouth. About 3 a.m. Caroline was awakened by the noise of the fire which is thought to have started from an oil heater in the living room. She awakened her parents and then ran to a neighbor's (Glenn Snapp) to call the Culver Fire Department, but before the fire trucks could reach the scene the house was a mass of flames. Mrs. Bessie Kovacs who, with the five who escaped, was sleep being on the first floor of the six room frame house, lost her life when she re-entered the house in an attempt to save some of the rest of the family all of whom were sleeping upstairs. Fire Chief Dave Burns said it was much worse than the fire which destroyed St. Mary's of the Lake Catholic Church in Culver on Jan. 28. He praised and thanked those who served the firemen food and coffee during their rough workout.

Memorial services for the seven victims were held at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Hibbard Evangelical United Brethren Church with Rev. John Davis, pastor of the church, officiating.

Burial was at the Burr Oak Cemetery.

Buried In Common Grave As Rev. Davis read the graveside rites a cold sleet was blown out of the darkened skies on the group of 24 friends and relatives. Side by side the seven caskets, two of them white and small for the 3-year-old boy and his 5-year-old sister were lowered into a common grave. An American flag was draped over Donald's casket since he was a former serviceman. Welfare authorities have come to the help of the Kovacs family by offerings of clothing, food, and lodging. Yesterday a receptacle was placed in the lobby of The State Exchange Bank for those who care to assist the Frank Kovacs. Sr. family. Rev. Davis is responsible for this splendid gesture. Those of us who are more fortunate are urged to help out this Hibbard family

The following photos were by Rev. Harry Carpenter - on back os a card board reads: Kovacs fire Hibbard 3:15 a.m. Thursday Mar. 11 1954. To the fire force. Rev. Harry Carpenter.





Logansport Pharos-Tribune<
Thu, Mar 11, 1954 ·Page 1

Five Other Persons Escape Blazing Home

Mother and three Sons, Daughter-in-law and Her Two Children Trapped in Inferno. That Swept Two-story Frame Home.

PLYMOUTH. Ind. (UP)- Seven persons were burned to death and two of five survivors were injured today when flames blamed on an oil stove explosion leveled •a two-story house at Hibbard.

Culver Fire Chief Dave Burns said the stove was the only heating unit in the house.

Twelve persons were sleeping in the six-room home when the fire started about 3 a.m. The bodies of the dead were charred so badly plans were made to bury them in Burr Oak cemetery this afternoon, only a few hours after they died.

All but one of the victims were sleeping in upstairs bedrooms. The victims included two small children.

The dead were identified as Mrs. Bessie C. Kovacs, 48, her three sons, Donald, 23, Karl, 18, and Victor, 17; Elizabeth Kovacs, 28, her two children by a former marriage, Michael Quackenbush, 3, and Jeanette Quackenbush, 5. Elizabeth Kovacs was the wife of Donald.

MOTHER DIES TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS

Mrs. Bessie Kovacs was the only one of the victims sleeping downstairs, authorities said. She was trapped in the flames when she ran back into the house, apparently to try to save others, after she had escaped.

The survivors ran outdoors in the early morning hours in their nightclothes, but those sleeping upstairs were enveloped in flames with little chance to escape

Two of the survivors were burned. Frank Kovacs, Sr., 49, suffered burns on his feet, and his daughter, Caroline, 25, received third degree arm burns.

Those who escaped without injury were John Kovacs, 85, father of Frank, his granddaughter, Ruth Ann, 11, and Rose Marie Kovacs, 14 months. All the bodies were recovered from the charred ruins after the flames died down. * Firemen from Culver, Ind., fought the blaze.

GIRL DISCOVERS HOME ABLAZE

Survivors said Caroline Kovacs discovered the fire, tried to rouse the family and ran to the home of a neighbor, Glen Snapp, to call the fire department.

Caroline said when she awakened the fire had enveloped the bouse and "seemed to be everyplace." The only two children in the Frank Kovacs family who not at home when the disastrous fire occurred are were Robert, 26, who resides in New York, and Mrs. Virginia Rusk, of Plymouth.

Dr. Otis Bowen, of Bremen, Marshall county coroner, Sheriff Harvey Phillips and Culver Town Marshal Donald Mikesell investigated.

Memorial services for the victims will be conducted at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Hibbard Evangelical United Brethren church, Rev. John Davis, pastor, officiating.

The bodies of the victims were taken to the Easterday funeral home at Culver pending burial.

TWO-STORY FRAME HOUSE AT HIBBARD IS FUNERAL PYRE FOR FAMILY OF SEVEN CHARRED.


Above is shown the smouldering embers of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kovacs at Hibbard, died five miles northeast of Culver, where Mrs. Kovacs, her three sons, her daughter-in-law and two children when trapped by flames early Thursday morning. Five other members of the family escaped the inferno. (Pharos-Tribune Photo-Engraving)

KOVACS (names was original Kowatch or vice versa, according to David Burns BUT thus far this can not be proven). I remember the articles in the 2-3 scrapebooks (full of Culver Fire Department history that David lent out (that NEVER was returned)- The family all but a few died in a house fire

The listing as found in the cemetery records of the Burr Oak Cemetery (with a notation that the 7 listed with same death dates all died in a house fire per infromation given to the transcriber by someone in the cemetery at the time) is as follows: KOVACS Frank V., 1904-1973 KOVACS Bessie C., 1905-1954 KOVACS David O., 1931 (one date only) KOVACS Karl K., 1935-1954 KOVACS Francis V., 1936-1954 KOVACS Donald Madison, Ind Tec 5 382 Station Hosp WW2, May 9, 1929 - Mar 11, 1954 (military marker) KOVACS Elizabeth, 1924-1954 QUACKENBUSH, Jeanette, 1949-1954 QUACKENBUSH, Michael, 1951-1954

THE KOVACS FAMILY

John Kovacs Birth 26 Jul 1869 Hungary Death Nov 1954 Marshall County, Indiana, Burial Cedar Grove Cemetery Notre Dame, St. Joseph County, Indiana

The South Bend Tribune 1954 Nov 17 Page 34
EX-RESIDENT'S BODY IS FOUND NEAR CULVER
CULVER, Ind. The body of Bend, was found Tuesday afternoon in a marsh on the farm of Willard Zechiel west of Culver.

Kovacs' son, Frank, of Culver, said his father had been in the habit of visiting back and a forth between his home and that of Kovacs' daughter, Mrs. Vendel Torok. of near Monterey.

The son said his father had left the son's home about 15 days ago.

Coroner Otis Bowman said the man had been dead for about 15 days.

A native of Hungary, he came to the United States 57 years He moved to South Bend in 1906, and came to Culver six years ago.

Surviving, besides Mrs. Torok, are four other daughters, Mrs. Edward Talboom, Mrs. Louis Horner, Mrs. Edward Mead and Mrs. Morris Lanchswierdt, all of South Bend, and two sons, Frank and John, both of Culver.

Funeral services will be at 10 a. m. Thursday in Our Lady of Hungary Catholic Church in South Bend. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery, South Bend.

married 1893 Anna Kocsis Birth 29 Sep 1878 Hungary Death 3 Dec 1947 South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana Burial Dec 6, 1947 Cedar Grove Cemetery Notre Dame, St. Joseph County, Indiana daughter of Gasper Kocsis and Katherine.

Children: 1 Isabella Kovacs 1899–1971 married Vendel Torok 1892–1971 (m. 1917)
2 Theresa M. Kovacs 1902–1976 married 1st James Isaac Littlejohn 1897–1928 (m. 1925) & 2nd Edward Charles Mead 1906–1967 (m. 1928)
3 Francis Victor "Frank" Kovacs 1904–1973 (SEE BELOW)
4 Mary Kovacs 1908–1986 married Henry Edward Talboon 1905–1956 (m. 1925)
5 Anne Margaret Kovacs 1912–1994 married Morris Peter Lanchsweerdt 1911–1992 (m. 1936) 6 Elizabeth Lydia Kovacs 1914–1966 married Louis F. Horner 1900–1981 (m. 1933)

Francis Victor "Frank" Kovacs Birth 2 Sep 1904 South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana Death 26 Jan 1973 Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana Burial Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana

The South Bend Tribune 1973 Jan 27 Page 4
Frank V. Kovacs
Plymouth 0 Frank V. Kovacs, 68, Rt. 2. died at 9:30 p.m. Friday in the Plymouth Parkview Hospital, after an illness of one year.

He was born Sept. 2, 1904, in South Bend, and had lived in Plymouth for 14 years, coming from Culver.

He was retired from the Bendix Corp. of South Bend and was a member of the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church of Plymouth.

On Aug. 26, 1924, he married Bessie Dixon, who died in 1954.

On Feb. 11, 1955, in Plymouth, he married Lora L. Isom. She survives.

Also surviving are two sons, Robert, of the Marshall Islands, and Matthew, at home; three daughters, Mrs. Albert Vermillion of Lapaz, Miss Carolyn Kovacs and Mrs. Virginia Rust, both of Plymouth; two sisters, Mrs. Mead and Mrs. Morris Lanchsweerdt, both of South Bend; 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Johnson Funeral Home, Plymouth, with Myron Randall of Knox, officiating.

Burial will be in the Burr Oak Cemetery, Burr Oak.

Friends may call in the funeral home from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Monday.

married Aug. 26, 1924 Elizabeth Carmen "Bessie" Dixon Birth 5 Aug 1905 Starke County, Indiana Death 11 Mar 1954 Hibbard, Marshall County, Indiana Burial Jan 30 1973 Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana daughter of RIley Dixon and Nettie Deem. 1950 United States Federal Census
Name Frank V Kovacs
Age 45
Birth Date abt 1905 [abt 1905]
Gender Male
Race White
Birth Place Indiana
Marital Status Married
Relation to Head of House Head
Residence Date 1950
Home in 1950 Union, Marshall, Indiana, USA
Street Name Continuing North On Elrod Rd.
Dwelling Number 3
Farm No
Acres No
Occupation Hone Operator
Industry Aviation Product
Occupation Category Working
Hours Worked 40
Worker Class Private
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Frank V Kovacs 45 Head
Bessie C Kovacs 44 Wife
Carolyn C Kovacs 22 Daughter
Donald M Kovacs 20 Son
Virginia S Kovacs 18 Daughter
Karl K Kovac 14 Son
Frank V Kovacs Jr 13 Son
Ruthann C Kovacs Jr 6 Daughter

Children: 1 Donald Madison Kovacs Birth 9 May 1929 Indiana Death 11 Mar 1954 Hibbard, Marshall County, Indiana Burial Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, married 1953 Elizabeth Lee Buchholz Birth 6 Mar 1924 Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana, Death 11 Mar 1954 Hibbard, Marshall County, Indiana, Burial Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana daughter of Fred H. Buchholz and Effie P. Percell Buchholz Elizabeth Lee Buchholz married 1st 1942 Charles Edward Quakenbush Sr. they divorced their children were:
Thomas Charles Quakenbush 1943–2018
Jeanette Quackenbush 1949–1954
Michael Quackenbush 1951–1954
2 Christina Carolyn Kovacs Birth 16 Mar 1928 Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, Death 19 Mar 2010 Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana, Burial Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana/ Her children:
Terry Kovacs married Beverly ?
Katherine Kovacs married Leonard) Hess
Rose Marie Carolyn “Moe” Kovacs Birth 2 Jan 1953 Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana Death 16 Jan 2025 married ? Hattery
3 Robert Marvin Kovacs born 28 Dec 1926, died 24 Nov 2008
4 David Oscar Kovacs 1930–1931
5 Karl Kenneth Kovacs 1935–1954
6 Francis Victor Kovacs 1936–1954
7 Ruthann C Kovacs Birth 15 Apr 1943 Hibbard, Marshall County, Indiana Death 1 Feb 199 Burial Burr Oak Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana married Albert Vermillion 1933–1999 Her children:
Vickie Lynn Vermillion 1958–2020 married Howard John Piper
Jerry A Vermillion 1962–2020
Sarah Vermillion married Jack Wright
John Vermillion
8 Virginia Sue Kovacs, born 7 Feb 1932 married Forrest Conley, MArion W. Tenner, ? Rust, Glenn Swift

Francis "Frank" married 2nd 1955 Lora Louella Isom Birth 6 Jan 1934 Death 6 Jan 2004 Burial Highland Cemetery North Judson, Starke County, Indiana, daughter of Claude Amel Isom and Gracie Mae Woods. Lora was married 1st to Gerald Marlatt in 1952 divorced in 1953 and William "Bill" Looman in 1975 divorced in 1983. They had:

9 Matthew "Matt" Kovacs married Rosemary ?