In early September of 1963, a wood-framed house owned by the Baker family, which consisted of the two Baker parents and their ten children, caught on fire. It started while the Baker parents were at work, and 4 of the 10 children were at school. Nearby neighbors were the first to notice the blaze and tried to save the remaining children, but due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, they were unable to. By the time the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department and others arrived, the house had burned completely, claiming the lives of all six children.

Two years later another fire broke out close to the Bakers former home. This fire was started around a space heater in a house trailer owned by the Duncans. The four Duncan children were home in the trailer alone. While the parents were away the fire started.  As with the Baker fire, attentive neighbors got there first but were unable to rescue the children, trapped behind locked doors. The firefighters arrived as the fire was consuming the trailer, tragically killing all four children.

The deaths of innocent children brought the local community together in an effort to get a section of the local fire department closer. The hope was to have a truck and volunteers nearby so that if any more fires started, tragedies like those from the previous years could be avoided. Their efforts were successful. Soon after the last fire a station was set up in a warehouse until a more permanent one could be built. When it was first started, the Widewater Fire Department had just one truck, and according to one news article, around 30 people were interested in volunteering. By the 70’s the operation had grown to the point of purchasing two more trucks from Fredericksburg and starting a rescue squad. At its peak, this station would become the workplace of Percy Pondexter, an active member of the Stafford community and volunteer firefighter. Mr. Pondexter carries the distinction of being the first African American firefighter in Stafford, as well as being the first president of a volunteer fire fighting force in Virginia, serving as Widewaters from 1975 to 1985.

Percy E. Pondexter – A Lifetime of Service

 Percy Edward Pondexter was born in Ronceverte, West Virginia to Ruffner and Evelyn Pondexter on 21 April 1928.   He was one of ten children.  His parents instilled the importance of education and although opportunities for Black students in West Virginia were limited, Percy graduated from Bolling High School.  He became a truck driver and eventually moved to Washington, DC where there were more opportunities.  By 1952, Percy had moved to Washington, DC where he met Elnora met Allen; they married in 1952.  Percy was employed as a chauffeur for the Central Intelligence Agency.  In 1961 they moved to Widewater where they both became involved in the community.  Percy joined the Oak Grove Baptist Church where he served as deacon, trustee, missionary, ambassador of faith, a representative to the Pregressive National Baptist Convention and sang in the choir. In 1955 two tragic fires in Widewater claimed the lives of xx and underscored the need for a fire department.  The community, Black and White, came together and formed the Widewater Volunteer Fire Department.  A respected member of Widewater, Percy was elected the first president. He was the first Black firefighter in Stafford.  Percy was a life-time member of the NAACP and a 32^nd degree Mason.  He was recognized by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors in 2018 for his exemplary service to the community.  He died in 2021 and is buried at the Stafford Memorial Park.

Sources:

Find A Grave:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235063239/percy-e.-pondexter

Legacy.com:  https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/stafford-va/percy-pondexter-10483582