Relative Identifies Couple Found Dead In Dewey Ranch Bunkhouse Fire

Two people are dead after a fire early Friday at Prairie Song Ranch on West 1600 Road. 

Ranch owner Marilyn Tate tells News On 6 it was her stepson and his wife who died. Their names are Mark and Sherry Tate.

Mark Take worked on the ranch as a farm hand, and the couple lived in the ranch's bunkhouse where the fire began. A neighbor tells News On 6 the two were in their 50s.

The couple's best friends said they were two of the most wonderful people they knew.

"You just couldn't ask for better people," friend Ada Roe said as she cried. "I just can't believe this."

Mark and Sherry Tate were just as much in love last as they were when they first met. That's what Mark's stepmother Marilyn told us about the couple. And their friends told us the same.

"They were just wonderful together," friend Glinda Marsheck said. "Mark was really wonderful for her. He gave her the life she deserved."

The life they shared together was cut short. Fire Chief Dale Little said neighbors saw the fire and called 911. But it was too late.

Investigators say the fire likely started in the living room or kitchen. An electric space heater may be to blame. Authorities say the couple were found on the floor of their bedroom.

"Awful, it was awful," Marsheck said. "Hysterical. I was just cryin'."

Their friends say the couple would want to be remembered the way we all would hope to be remembered.

"You couldn't never,  ever ask for better two people," Roe said. "They had the biggest hearts."

Investigators say the couple likely died of smoke inhalation, but autopsy results will reveal the manner of death and the state fire marshal will determine the official cause.

The Prairie Song Ranch has an Old West town built by the Tates with the goal of preserving and honoring the heritage of Indian territory. In addition to tours and educational programming, the site was popular for weddings and other events.