A group of friends and neighbors gathered at Joe and Darla Ondreko's rural Lowell home Friday to help clear ashes and debris after a fire destroyed the couple's garage and storage building May 28.

It really wasn't the loss of a tractor, two vintage cars, a motorcycle, woodworking tools, lumber or furniture that most tugged at the heartstrings of the Ondrekos following the fire.

"Tools and cars, you can replace," said Joe Ondreko, 40. "It was the family mementos, many my mother's things, that hit home."

A cause of the afternoon fire was never determined, but an electrical source is suspected, he said.

Contents included most all of Ondreko's carpentry and woodworking tools, an old cedar chest and other pieces of furniture, along with a collection of bisque and porcelain figurines.

As cleanup from the fire has progressed over recent weeks, there was an occasional personal treasure uncovered, he said.

"You'd be shoveling out debris and ashes, large pieces of wood and metal, and all of a sudden out comes this little porcelain figurine intact," Ondreko said. "You couldn't help but smile."

There were lots of smiles to go around Friday as the friends helped complete cleanup that was difficult for Ondreko to do by himself.

"They did a week-and-a-half's worth of work in five hours," he said.

Last fall, a tractor fell on Joe Ondreko, leaving him with injuries that still require walking with a cane.

"They've had so many things - bad things- happen one after another the past year, and we just wanted to help out," said Sheila Tilton, of Lowell.

She put together the small, but dedicated team, including her husband, Irvin, and a number of people from their church.

Brothers Brad and Gary Wells, Harold and Dorothy Hollister, all of the Lowell area, along with David Hawkins of Lower Salem and Mike and Darlene Raddish of the Canton area, participated.

Dr. Darla Ondreko, who has practiced internal medicine in Marietta, recently took a medical leave to recover from serious health problems herself.

"They are troopers," said Tilton, who had worked with Dr. Ondreko in her practice (most recently as office manager). "They keep on truckin' and are just wonderful people. We wanted to do something for them."

Loading up buckled, twisted and charred aluminum siding was the job the men took on, she said.

"We women dragged stuff out of there and got good and black and dirty," Tilton said.

Lunch, along with iced tea and lots of water, was supplied by the Ondrekos.

A carpenter and cabinet maker, Joe Ondreko said he and his wife moved back to the Marietta area in 2002 because of the people here. The couple plans to rebuild.

"Many hands make short work," Tilton said.