Poplar Bluff city firefighters are paying tribute to the only city firefighter who died in the line of duty.
The Walter Weaver Memorial Scholarship is being established in memory of Walter Weaver and will help future firefighters pay for training.
Weaver was born Feb. 22, 1908, in Fisk, and served the city for eight years before his ultimate sacrifice Friday, Aug. 14, 1936. Firefighter Weaver was responding to a reported residential structure fire, which was later found to be a grass fire,when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He was 28 years old.
Poplar Bluff Fire Chief Mike Moffitt said the scholarship will be for students interested in a career in the fire service. Designated as a one-time scholarship, it is to be used to cover the cost of the Missouri Firefighter 1 and 2 classes at Three Rivers College.
Moffitt credits Battalion Chief Roy Lane with suggesting honoring Weaver by establishing the scholarship.
“I got to thinking it was a great idea to remember Weaver,” Lane said. “I was thinking it would help the college and help our department get more qualified people to apply for the position.”
Lane said the accident happened at Maud Street and Highway 67.
Weaver’s firetruck and a car were involved in the accident, Lane said. The driver of the car and Weaver were ejected and were killed.
“He had a wife, two kids and his mother and his father who survived,” Lane said.
Lane learned from his research, the vehicle “Weaver was in was the only department fire truck at the time. The city had to come up with a way to lease a fire truck from St. Louis to cover so the firefighters would have an apparatus until they could come up with a way to buy a new fire truck.”
Moffitt said, “We’re just trying to be a little bit proactive, because we are going to have several openings within the next few years. We’d like to play a hand in helping young men or women become firefighters. We would like to eventually get it to where we can help maybe two people pay for everything for them to go through classes. That’s our big dream.”
The fire crew has been seeking legal and professional accounting services to help in establishing the scholarship, Lane said.
“We’re just getting started to raise the funds,” he said.
They auctioned an opportunity for two youngsters to ride with the firefighters in the July 4th Parade.
Last week, with the help of Haffy’s Sports Bar & Grill, they raised $3,000 at Music Bingo.
After the event, the firefighters offered, “a big thank you to Haffy’s Sports Bar & Grill for hosting us and supporting our fundraising efforts for The Walter Weaver Memorial Scholarship.
“Thank you also goes out to each of the following businesses for donating prizes: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Gamblin Lumber, Richard’s Roadware, Subway, Nearly Perfect Shoes, Baker Implement, Kohlfeld Distributing, PB Cheer and Tumbling, Pizza Inn, Mike & Zach’s BBQ, Steak ‘n Shake, J Co., Lemonade House Grille, Myrtle’s Place, Bella Bee Boutique, Fox Trot Coffee, Kerry Lewis, LMT, Brooke Jones at Extreme Image and River Radio.”
Moffitt said,“We appreciate everyone who came out to play Music Bingo with us and support a great cause.”
Lane and Moffitt also talked about trying to organize a summer classic like a firefighter challenge.
“We’re going to try getting sponsors for the challenge and raise money that way. We’re trying to come up with new ideas all the time,” the chief said.
The challenge will include an obstacle course “that we do every year as a fitness test,” Moffitt said. “We want it to be a competition for different age groups, and there’ll be prizes and sponsors.
Firefighters will announce details when the plans are finalized.
If someone would like to make a monetary donation to the scholarship, they may drop it by Fire Station 1, or reach out to Lane, the chief, the secretary or any firefighter.
The fire crews are hoping to begin the student application process Jan. 1 through April 1. Submissions will come under review beginning April 2, to be completed by the end of May. Those applying will fill out an application and submit both a written letter explaining why they would like to become a firefighter, as well as a written story about a Missouri Firefighter line of duty death.