An older woman died in a fire at her mobile home in Loudendale Monday morning.
The fire was reported in the 1500 block of Loudendale Lane at about 3 a.m., according to a Kanawha County Metro 911 dispatcher.
Randy Thomas, her son, was there Monday morning. Not much of the home remained, other than one wall and some of the charred frame.
"My mother was Ruth Thomas," he said, his voice trembling but growing in strength when he said her name.
He added that his mother had suffered two strokes, and lived with his brother, Jeff, who was on his way back from North Carolina Monday.
"He took really good care of my mother," he said.
Thomas referred to his mother as "a great woman of faith."
"She woke up every day and said 'Lord, it's just me and you,' and he got her through it," he said. "She would give him all the glory."
He said that two sisters, Ardena Cecil and Kay Pennington, also took good care of her.
Thomas said he knew his mother was in paradise.
"She didn't make it to church every day," he said, "But I know this, my mother had church every day."
"She was a fine lady," added Chuck Pennington, her pastor. Pennington, the pastor at Loudendale Church of the Nazarene, also was there Monday morning.
Although he said he knew his mother was in paradise, Thomas' emotions still were raw Monday morning.
"I just know that God's got a reason for it," he said. "I don't know what it is. I just don't know what it is."
The men said the cause of the fire was still unknown Monday morning.
The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating. Courtney Rosemond, spokeswoman for the state fire marshal's office, also said the cause was unknown. She said it was unknown if the home had smoke detectors.
Fire departments from Loudendale, Malden, Davis Creek and Alum Creek responded, according to a dispatcher. No one answered at the fire departments Monday.
First responders were on scene for several hours after the fire was reported.
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