The newly-wed Woodlands couple who died when a fire destroyed their bungalow during the early morning hours of Wednesday May 26, were buried this past weekend.
Monique Lindoor and Hugn Lindoor, who had been married for nearly three weeks at the time, had been asleep when the fire started. By the time Mr Lindoor’s mother, Johanna Adams and her family tried to save the two, it was too late, she told the Plainsman.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the couple had died and that two homes had been destroyed in the fire.
He said they had received the emergency call at 12.26am and that firefighters had managed to contain and extinguish the blaze by 1.42am. Two wendy houses were destroyed and a motor vehicle damaged in the fire, said Mr Carelse.
The bodies of the couple were found in one of the wendy houses.
Ms Adams said a neighbour had seen the flames coming from behind Ms Adams’ home where the bungalow was situated.
Her son who had been inside her home, also saw the flames and they rushed to put out the flames.
“We heard the shouting and the screaming, we ran outside. The community helped us so much, they came with buckets of water to help put out the flames,” said Ms Adams.
The Lindoors got married on Saturday May 8 at the Revival Mission Church in Ottery and had had their pictures taken at Westridge Gardens.
Ms Adams said the couple’s nuptials had been “a wedding in a million”. They couldn’t wait to get married and one could see how happy Hugn was on his wedding day, Ms Adams said.
“He couldn’t stop thanking us. He showed everyone his finger, saying he was now a married man.”
However, she said: “The week before he died, my son became silent, quiet and still. It was as if he was preparing for his passing, in a spiritual way.”
Ms Lindoor did not have a burial plan and they leave behind two daughters, aged 8 and 13, who are being counselled, Ms Adams said.
“Hugn was the best. He would always help us around the house. He was a happy man. We will miss him,” she said.
A memorial service was held for the couple on Thursday June 3 and they were buried in Ottery on Saturday June 5.
A number of people, including neighbours, had contributed toward the funeral costs, said Ms Adams and Ms Lindoor’s sister Rizelda Jullies.
Ms Jullies, said the couple’s death had been hard to accept at first.
“We have a picture of my sister and her husband above the TV. We go to sleep with their faces, we wake up with it and it’s still unbelievable. It feels like Monique will walk through the door any minute,” she said.
In their Delft family home, Ms Lindoor, described as a quiet and shy person, had been the breadwinner.