Wilson urges all his neighbors to have CO detectors

October 23, 2021

Tim Wilson lost his mother Friday, 18 years after he lost his father, Pete, and brother, Kip, in November 2003, when an improperly installed pool heater filled the house with carbon monoxide. Tim's mom, Rhoda, and brother Duff were flown to a Spokane hospital, and both survived.

But six months to the day after Duff was killed, with that CO gassing as a factor.

Afterwards, Rhoda continued to love and take care of her family, but always wondered why God didn't take her that day, too.

Tim doesn't convey the story to garner sympathy, but to alert all in the community of the importance of having working CO detectors in your home.

"She is now where she wants to be," Tim wrote. "I put all this down so I can remind everyone, as the weather gets colder, to have CO detectors in the house. You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, and it makes you feel like all you want do do is sleep. See, I was gassed and almost went down that hole. Please don't lose those you care about when you can do something as simple as putting in a detector.

"I hope no other family has to go through what we did."

Rhoda saved the rest of her family with her strength and set an example, for both her own family and her extended family, as she was not just the Wilson family mom, but Bonners Ferry's mom.

She set a shining example to follow.

CO detectors are available at nearly all hardware and building supply stores, Walmart, Amazon and many other places for as little as $12, and many fire stations have and can install them at low or no cost.