JC Couple Meets Fire Hero

A Jefferson City couple finally met their hero who ran into their burning home to save them Saturday. The couple in their 80s, who for three decades, have traveled to the Yucatan region in Mexico to give out free eyeglasses, didn’t see who their rescuer is. They were blinded from the smoke. Five months later Dorothy and Rudy Lemke restored their house with help from friends and family. One hundred people gathered in their two-story home on Cedarbrooke Dr. Saturday for their housewarming. The couple was in for a big surprise. Their hero was not in the know, either. The last time Officer Meredith Friedman entered in the Lemke’s home, she had to crawl under the heavy smoke. Despite not being able to see, the Jefferson City police officer called out to the couple and guided them out of the house. Her fellow officers didn’t tell her where they were taking her and why. She was in tears when she was suddenly surrounded by Lemke’s friends and family who thanked her for saving their loved ones. The officer said simply that she was just doing her job. But she is happy that the pair survived and have rebuilt their home. The Lemkes run their charity, Merida Foundation, from their basement. They said they will continue to help others until their time has come.