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Funeral Held For 4 Killed In Jersey City Fire

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Friends and relatives remembered four family members who died in a fire in Jersey City as "beautiful people.''

Mourners paid their respects at the Mount Olive Baptist Church Friday to 81-year-old Rev. Bishop William Pickett, his wife, 81-year-old Eula Mae, and their two adult sons, 55-year-old Thomas and 51-year-old Curtis.

"They were awesome people," said family friend Teresa Speaks. "They were God-fearing people, helped the community out a lot."

The fire last week tore through five houses on Grant Avenue and displaced at least 30 people.

Officials said it took firefighters 7 to 8 minutes to get to the scene instead of the usual 3 to 4 minutes because a dispatcher misunderstood a caller and firefighters went to Grand Street instead.

William Pickett ran a church in the basement of their home that he and his wife shared with their two sons. Relatives say both had special needs.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Jersey City's mayor has proposed changing the name of Grant Avenue to avoid further confusion.

In the meantime, the Pickett family is focusing on the memory of their loved ones as they say their final goodbyes to the couple they say built a legacy of giving.

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