MARYSVILLE – When Darrell and Sandy Knapp died in a car accident two months ago, 25 kids lost their foster parents. And five adopted children and one natural-born child lost their mom and dad.
Now, the tight community of friends and churchgoers who were inspired by the Knapps generous life have adopted the family the couple left behind.
Thanks to a collaborative one-week remodeling frenzy by friends, neighbors and local businesses, 22-year-old Fawn Ringen, the Knapps natural daughter and a newlywed, will live in a completely renovated version of her parents home.
Like something out of a TV episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ringens family will get a chance to reorganize their lives.
The front door has been replaced. The cement floor downstairs has been carpeted over. A fireplace that used to be boarded up, drafty and full of cobwebs has been turned into the centerpiece of a new family room.
It was a house before, and now its a home, said Alex Knapp, 20, Ringens brother.
About 60 people gathered outside the Marysville home on Tuesday to welcome Ringen, her husband of four months, Tyler, their 2-year-old son and three children the Knapp parents had adopted.
After the Knapps died, the Ringens decided that they would take custody of Fawn Ringens adopted siblings.
The young family, still reeling from the May 30 crash that took the lives of their parents and brother Noah, 6, was sent to Ocean Shores for a 10-day vacation last week. Thats when a handful of area volunteers did their handiwork.
Tony Knapp, 12, stood in the middle of his small bedroom on Tuesday, his eyes wide. This is awesome, he said.
The Star Wars fan now has a bed with space-themed blankets and pillows. Model spaceships hang from the ceiling. Pictures of planets are scattered along the wall. His fathers paintings of spaceships hang next to his bed.
Down the hall, his sister, Amber, 16, was oohing and ahing over the life-size cardboard version of Elvis Presley on her door. Pictures of lions, wolves, penguins and polar bears hung on her wall.
For Amber Knapp, an Elvis fanatic who aspires to rescue animals for a living, her renovated room was perfect.
I just love it, she said.
Next door, Jeanine, 14, was showing off her new room to friends.
It was pink. Six pink pillows cushioned a pink bed. There were pink curtains. A pink chair rested in the corner.
Its cleaner and brighter, she said.
She paused, then added, And more pink.
Upstairs, a redone living room, kitchen and main bedroom were just what the Ringens needed.
Its a lot more open, a lot more modern, Tyler Ringen said. This means were not going to have to spend a lot of time renovating, like we thought we would.
Marla Ringen, Tyler Ringens mother, said the number of people who called her to help volunteer was nearly overwhelming.
Each day brought a new surprise, she said. Every time I got off of the telephone, it was just very it was just very …
Marla Ringen choked up.
You can tell from this, she said, pointing to her tears.
Reporter Chris Collins:
425-339-3436 or
ccollins@heraldnet.com.
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