Brothers killed in Esparto fireworks explosion laid to rest together in Bay Area
Loved ones gathered on Monday to remember two of the victims killed in the deadly fireworks explosion in the Northern California town of Esparto.
Two brothers who lost their lives together have now been buried together. They are Jesus Ramos and Jhony Ramos, Jr.
They were among seven workers who were killed that night, including the company's general manager, when the warehouse went up in flames and exploded.
The Ramos brothers were close in life and death, now having been laid to rest side by side in the Bay Area city of Colma, just south of San Francisco.
The funeral service was held in neighboring Daly City, with both laughter and tears shed. The brothers' caskets were painted beautifully, surrounded by flowers and family.
"My cousins were very loved by a lot of people in the community," cousin Alexis Hernandez said. "They will always still be loved."
Jhony, 22, was the devoted big brother. Jesus, 18, was working his first day on the job at the fireworks facility on the night of the explosion, which happened on July 1.
"We want to live their legacy to the fullest," Hernandez said. "They won't get to really live their lives how they wanted to, especially Jesus. He has a baby on the way. We are going to make sure that baby is taken care of."
Members of the Esparto community, who didn't know the brothers but felt a bond toward the family since the blast, attended the funeral to show support.
"Unfortunately, this is what is going to put Esparto on the map — this tragedy. But that's when people come together, when there is tragedy. The community has all come together through this," Esparto resident Laura Thomas said.
Photos of the brothers on display at the funeral service showed them as babies and young men with bright smiles. That and the love they lived with are their legacies.
More than $60,000 was raised in an online fundraiser to support the Ramos family and to help provide for their funerals.