Funeral arrangements announced for Griffin 11-year-old killed in house fire

GRIFFIN, Ga. — Funeral plans have been released for an 11-year-old girl who died in a Griffin house fire last weekend.

Channel 2 Action News spoke to fire department officials from Spalding County and the family of the girl on Sunday to learn more about the fire and 11-year-old Katelynn Simonds.

Family members told Channel 2 Action News that girl went back into the home to try and rescue her dog when she died.

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An investigation from the Spalding County Fire Department revealed the fire had been caused accidentally.

By the time firefighters got to the house, she was already dead.

On the day of the fire, relatives started an online fundraiser to help the family rebuild while grieving the loss of their daughter.

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On Wednesday, they released funeral plans for Katelynn, who was a student at Cowan Road Elementary School.

“Katelynn was a 5th grader at Cowan Road Elementary School and had been a cheerleader for the Spalding County Recreation Department. She was a loving daughter with a generous spirit, beautiful heart and a wonderful smile. Her favorite colors were pink and purple, she loved to dance and was always making jewelry for herself, her friends and her family,” an obituary for Katelynn reads.

According to information from Katelynn’s obituary, a visitation will be held on Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Conner-Westbury Funeral Home, with a funeral service to follow in the chapel.

Pastor Brandon Footit will officiate the ceremony before a private interment.

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