FERGUSON, Mo. — Funeral services have been scheduled for the four children killed in a Ferguson house fire on Feb. 19.
The children, 2-year-old Millie, 6-year-old Jackson and 9-year-old twin girls Ellie and Ivy, will be memorialized at The Crossing in Chesterfield on Friday. Visitation will be held at 2:30 p.m. and the service will start at 6 p.m.
The family has asked that only friends and family attend.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'It ripples throughout the community': Ferguson house fire that killed mom, 4 kids was murder-suicide
“The murder of my two beautiful children has changed my life forever," Jared Spader, the father of two of the children, wrote in a statement. "My friends and family are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. Please keep us, the kids’ classmates and loved ones in your prayers.“
The family has asked for donations be sent to the St. Louis Region Critical Incident Stress Management Team for First Responders, which assisted the first responders who were at the scene of the fire. Mail checks to 1266 Sutter Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133.
Spader shared a photo of him and his two children with 5 On Your Side:
Bernadine Pruessner, the girls' mother who police said started the fire, will have a separate funeral.
The St. Louis County Police Department said that a preliminary investigation revealed Pruessner intentionally set a mattress on fire. Officers also found a note that outlined her intention to take her and her children's lives.
"In the shadow of a tragedy that’s left an indelible mark on our town, the loss of Bernadine 'Birdie' Pruessner and her four remarkable children, Ellie, Ivy, Jackson and Millie ... has deeply touched not only me but also the officers who were first on the scene, and indeed, our whole community," Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle said. "The first responders met with a situation that no training manual could ever prepare them for. It was a stark reminder of the unseen battles some of our neighbors are fighting and the critical need for empathy, compassion and support from all of us."
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