Hettie Purnell as a child. Hettie would die a tragic death several weeks after her 16th birthday, in Fostoria, Ohio. Just several weeks ahead of their departure date for a new home in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the death of their daughter brought a solemn trying hour to the joy of their intended plans in journeying to Benton Harbor, and a final established base for their new-born church. Hettie died on her first day at work in a fire works factory in Fostoria. An explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the structure, killing all inside.