February 26, 1923 - June 24, 2010
Rex John Breitsprecher Obituary
(Age 87)
Rex passed away June 24, 2010, at his home. He is survived by his wife, Gertrude, to whom he was married for 66 years, a daughter Jana Oulman and grandsons, Scott and Landon Oulman, brothers Mel and John and sister Hazel Anderson, numerous nieces and nephews. Rex was a WWII veteran and was stationed mostly in Japan (Nagoya, Osaka/Kobe and Sasebo) and in Manilla, Phillipines. He was a Spokane City Fireman for 25 years and retired from the city in September, 1972. After he retired, he volunteered with Spokane County Fire District 9 for many years. Rex was on duty for three especially notorious fires, the McCallister Warehouse Fire in January 19, 1951, the Savon's Clothing Store Fire, and the Ridpath Hotel fire in 1947. The McCallister Warehouse Fire in January 19, 1951, started in the evening. It was put out by morning. Rex came on shift at 7:00 a.m. and his crew went to the warehouse to put out spot fires inside the warehouse. While he was in the warehouse, a 1951 Buick car came crashing down from the third floor and landed on Rex, pinning him to the floor. He and another fireman were pinned to the floor. Large timbers happened to land alongside both firemen so that the Buick did not crush either fireman. Rex was hit on the head from a timber. Rex's helmet was crushed and creased in the middle where a big timber hit his head. He got a big knot on the back of his head. His arm was pinned up against his face. He could only breathe out the side of his mouth because his hand was covering most of his mouth. Rex had landed on powdered soap boxes and was squished in amongst the soap boxes. The firemen were digging and trying to get Rex and another fireman out of the rubble. They got the other fireman out first. The firemen almost had dug Rex free. Since Rex was going in and out of consciousness, Charlie Burger (Assistant Fire Chief) went next door and got a Beardmore crane. He had it brought to the McCallister Warehouse. The crane operator lifted the Buick car off of Rex. Rex was pulled out from underneath the car. Rex was rescued. Rex was taken to the hospital. His injuries were a big lump on the back of his head and both arms were numb and they dangled. He was in the hospital for two days. Within days he could use his left arm. He couldn't use the right arm. It took about six months to restore the use of his right arm. He recovered completely from his injuries. There is no evidence that he had ever been injured. He returned to work as a fireman. In the Savon's Clothing Store Fire, Rex and the other firemen entered the store and Rex noticed that the fire was in the ceiling in the overhang in the front of the building. Rex told the other firemen to step back because he was afraid that the ceiling may collapse on them. They moved to safety. Sure enough, the ceiling came crashing down. Rex saved his life and the other firemen. In his spare time, he built houses and did house remodeling and cement work. He was a handyman. He was a hockey fan and he frequently attended hockey games and he proudly watched his grandson play hockey. He loved his job as a firefighter. He will be missed by family and friends for his humor and knowledgeable conversations. Visitation Saturday and Monday 10-5 at Heritage and Funeral Service 11:00 am Tuesday June 29, 2010 at Heritage Chapel.
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