May 26--MOUNT HOLLY -- Majorie Means, who died in a house fire early Sunday, spent the last several years of her life on a street named after her mother's family, where her relatives -- many of them brick masons -- had crafted custom homes.
The street, named Forney Avenue, was meant to keep the family close. But over the years, several relatives died or moved away.
Means remained. And although her health had started to decline in recent years, the 62-year-old would often take walks up the street, said her cousin Jodawndi Forney, who lives on the street as well.
"She was a real good person. She had a good heart," said Forney, adding that her cousin had been divorced for more than a decade and never had children.
Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, the Mount Holly Fire Department and the Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to Means' home at 225 Forney Ave.
Forney said she heard a popping sound around the time the fire was reported. When she walked outside, she saw flames and smoke pouring out of her cousin's home.
"I didn't know she was in the house," she said.
When authorities arrived, the entire house was on fire, Mount Holly Police Chief Don Roper said in a statement.
Authorities told the family that Means had been trying to get out of the house when she died, Forney said.
By Sunday afternoon, much of the left side of Means' house was missing a roof and windows. The damage gave passers-by a clear view of the home's fireplace -- inscribed in brick with the letters L and M -- toward the back of the house. Two cars sat in the driveway and a pile of rubble sat next to what remained of the front porch.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation, authorities said.
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