The state fire marshal's office was called to investigate a fire at 603 Ohio St. late Wednesday evening.

Funeral arrangements have been made for a Webster City man who died in a fire March 8.

Services for Lester Davis, 51, are set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Visitation is planned for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Davis died as from injuries sustained in a fire at 603 Ohio St. According to fire reports, the residence is owned by Merle White. The two-story home is divided into an upstairs and downstairs apartment. Davis and Tina Murray, 40, occupied the upstairs apartment where the fire reportedly started.

Both Davis and Murray were transported to Van Diest Medical Center. Davis was pronounced dead and Murray was taken by air ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City where she continues to recover.

Davis graduated from Marshalltown High School and at the time of the fire he was employed by Webster City Custom Meats.

No injuries, lost everything

Mary and Maurice Walker, the occupants of the downstairs apartment, were able to escape the fire without injuries. Mary Walker said she was first noticed something wrong when she found water dripping from the ceiling from upstairs. Then they saw black smoke coming from under the upstairs door. Mary Walker said her husband grabbed a wet towel and headed up the steps to try to help their neighbors.

“We tried to get in but couldn’t,” she said. “We tried to do what we could. I called 911.”

The couple said they were able to get into the apartment Wednesday to assess the damage, but everything sustained smoke and water damage.

“My husband has been a musician for years. We lost all of his clippings, my children’s photos and all those papers that parents save. My wedding dress is gone,” Mary Walker said. “It was horrible.”

The couple had lived in the apartment for 13 years. The Red Cross has helped them get a local motel room and their co-workers have helped with donations of clothes and other items. Mary Walker said her niece is working on getting a GoFundMe page established.

“We’re thankful for our lives and our jobs,” she said.