When my great grandmother’s brother in law was killed fighting a fire in Michigan’s UP around 1912, they dumped his body on the doorstep. They said “sorry for your loss” gave her the last week’s pay and a few bucks the firefighters collected, and wished her luck.
She ended up marrying another one of the firefighters a few months later largely out of necessity but they went on with their lives. I remember “Stu” telling me that times were tough and he had to learn to be a farmer from his wife in a hurry because he was a Detroit born dockworker who went to fight fires for adventure.
That sounds about right. My mother left school to go to work to help make ends meet when her firefighter father died. Given the facts, this widow should not be expecting millions in lifetime benefits.