Church members identify local pastor and family members killed in Necedah fire

NECEDAH (NBC 26) – A family with ties to Green Bay and De Pere lost six people in a house fire in Necedah over the weekend.

• Six people died in a house fire in west-central Wisconsin
• Church officials at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Green Bay said Steve Witte, two of his daughters and three granddaughters died in the fire.
• There are currently two crowdfunding sites raising money for the victims’ families

Six people were killed in a house fire in western Wisconsin.
The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it received a 911 call about a house fire at W5040 Morros Mile Road in Necedah around 2:35 a.m. Sunday.

Officials said the house was completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters battled the fire for three hours.

According to church officials at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Steve Witte, a former pastor of the church, and five members of his family died in the fire.

Mike Pfeifer, a pastor, said Steve Witte stopped by the church Thursday to say hello as he passed through town on his way to a family reunion in Necedah this weekend.

Pastor Pfeifer says he was informed by family members that 66-year-old Steve Witte, two of his daughters and three of his granddaughters died in the fire.

TMJ4 News

Those who died in the fire:

• Steve Witte
• Two of his daughters: Lydia Witte and Charis Kuehl
• Three of his granddaughters: Stella Kuehl, Lena Henselin and Merci Henselin

Church officials say the Witte family gathered in Necedah last weekend to celebrate the life of Joel Henselin, the brother of Lena and Merci, who died in the fire, and the son of Hanna Henslin, who survived.
Seth Fitzsimmons of Muskego, Wisconsin, is a friend of Charis Kuehl.

“Charis and Stella were loving children of their Heavenly Father. Charis was a fun Christian friend to so many,” Fitzsimmons wrote on Monday. “We love the Kuehl family.”

Hanna, the daughter of Steve and Mary Witte, lost her two children, her two sisters, her niece and her father in this tragedy. The mother of Joel, Lena and Merci Henselin, a family acquaintance, tells us that Hanna lost three of her children in less than a year in this fire. She and her family are active members of St. Mark Ministries in De Pere.

If you would like to help, there are two crowdfunding pages accepting donations for the families affected by this tragic fire. One was organized by a family friend to support Charis’ husband and children, another was organized by St. Mark Ministries to support the Henslin family.

Deputies say the fire appears to have been an accident. The investigation is ongoing. Please stay with NBC 26 on air and online as we continue to follow this story.