LOST NATION, Illinois-- We now know the names of the six family members who lost their lives in a house fire late Monday night; parents Tim and Melissa Shaw, along with their four children Ethan, a junior in high school, Leanne a freshman, Hailey from Reagan Middle School, and Dylan in elementary at Madison.
Little is left of the house that sat in the Lost Lake subdivision. Lost nation is a tight-knit community of fewer than 500 people. And on Tuesday night, many of them wanted to express their sorrow at the loss of the Shaw family.
It's a time to come together to pray and to remember the Shaw family.
"I wanted to come here because I knew Hailey and wanted to think of things to remember her by," says 8th grader Madelyn Munson.
Emergency crews say they got a call for help from 17-year-old Ethan who was trapped in the basement. But flames had already spread throughout the house by the time emergency crews got to the family, but now the focus isn't on the fire.
"You feel helpless when something like this happens, and we wanted to do something to remember them by," says neighbors Billie and Bob Branscum.
"We made a quick cross for people to remember them by," says Billie. "I'm pretty sure they would have been celebrating Thanksgiving together, and hopefully they're doing the same up in heaven."
Friends and classmates of Ethan, Leanne, Hailey and Dylan remember the kids through times spent in school.
"Weightlifting, that's where I would see him, and that's where I would remember him. He was kind of quiet but made friends really easily," remembers Dixon High School sophomore Aiden Johnson.
Dixon freshman Tristen Smith remembers time with Leanne.
"She liked drawing. She wanted to go to college and be an artist when she grew up."
Others remember by coming together.
"Hailey rode my bus and was really kind and upbeat and an awesome energetic person. She never tried to make anyone mad, offended, anything, just really kind," says Munson.
Trying to leave behind a loss that is impossible to understand but to carry on the lessons the Shaws left behind for others to follow.
