As Hurricane Helen roared outside, winds howling and branches snapping, John Savage went to his grandparents' bedroom to make sure they were safe.
The 22-year-old spoke of his grandparents Marcia, 74, and Jerry, 78, who were lying in bed. “They were both fine, and the dog was fine.”
But shortly thereafter, Savage and his father heard a “boom.'' It was the sound of one of the largest trees on the Beech Island, South Carolina, property crashing into my grandparents' bedroom, killing them.
“All I could see was the ceiling and the trees,” he said. “At that point I was just in a state of panic.”
John Savage said his grandparents were found cuddling in bed and the family believes it was God's plan to bring them together rather than one suffering without the other. he added.
“When they pulled the tree out of there, my grandfather apparently heard the tree break beforehand and rolled over to protect my grandmother,” he said.
They are among more than 150 people confirmed dead in one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history.
Dozens of them, like the savages, were killed by trees falling on their homes and cars.
The dead included two South Carolina firefighters who were killed when a tree fell on their truck.
The storm hit communities in multiple states, flooding homes, causing mudslides and destroying cell phone service.
Jerry Savage worked all sorts of handy jobs, but primarily worked as an electrician and carpenter. John Savage said he “kept retiring because he was bored.” “He's going to get that spirit back and go out and put in the work.”
Tammy Estep, 54, called her father a “doer” and the hardest worker she knows.
Marcia Savage is a former banker. She was very active in church and liked to be there as often as possible, said her granddaughter Katherine Savage, 27.
She had a beautiful voice and always sang, especially gospel music.
Estep said her mother loved to cook for her family, made a great Thanksgiving turkey and was known for her banana pudding.
Condolences posted on social media remembered the couple as generous, kind and humble.
John and Catherine lived in a mobile home behind their grandparents' house for many years during their childhood, and John and his father had stayed with his grandparents for the past few years.
Even though several recent storms have hit their community, including a tree falling further up in their yard, “we've never had anything like that happen before,” he said.
For decades, the house was filled with families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as Easter egg hunts in the large garden.
They are survived by a son and daughter, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, according to a GoFundMe organized for their funeral expenses.
Katherine Savage said her grandparents, especially Marcia, always offered to help her three sons and saw them almost every day.
“I haven't told my sons yet because I don't know what to do,” she said.
The two had been lovers since they were teenagers and had been married for more than 50 years. Estep said their love was “instant and eternal.”
“They loved each other until the day they died,” John Savage said.
