Explosion Victims Best Friends

PUEBLO – Two best friends buried underneath a mountain of brick and ceiling following Thursday’s explosion at the Branch Inn were nearly inseparable before the tragedy struck.

“Being buried under rubble and being found and rescued and having your best friend right beside you and not make it is a shock total shock to her right now,” said Marguerite Crowell-Even of her baby sister Jennifer Flower. The 23-year old remains in a Denver hospital recovering from two separate breaks in her pelvis. Ashley Johnson, 22, at a Pueblo hospital as a result of the explosion.

“She’s doing really well right now under the circumstances its truly a miracle,” said Crowell-Even. Flower hopes to make it back to Pueblo in time for her friend’s funeral services. Her sister says the pair not only worked together at A Classic Boutique but also spent a lot of time together at Crowell-Even’s bar Marguerite’s at TOG’s (The Old Geno’s.)

“They had coffee, they watched TV, they took drives they came down here and sang karaoke,” said Crowell-Even. She says not knowing what caused the explosion is frustrating.

“I want to know what truly happened down there it was unfortunate that they got caught in the middle of something that is bigger than I think we all know about,” said Crowell-Even.