A couple in their 70s were found dead hugging each other in their bed after a tree fell into their bedroom during Hurricane Helene in South Carolina.
Jerry and Marcia Savage, aged 78 and 74 respectively, had been together since they were teens and their grandson, John Savage, was with them at their home in Beech Island during the storm.
“They loved each other to their dying day,” he told Associated Press.
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Local news outlets first broke the news of the death on Saturday.
It is with a heavy heart that have to let all our members know about Marsha and Jerry Savage. They were killed when a...
Posted by Second Baptist Church of Beech Island on Friday 27 September 2024
“In Beech Island, South Carolina, 78-year-old Jerry Savage and his wife, 74-year-old Marcia Savage, were pronounced dead at 11:40 a.m. on Church Road after a tree fell through the roof of their home, crushing the couple,” the Augusta Press reported.
Tributes to the couple soon followed online, including a statement from their church, the Second Baptist Church of Beech Island.
“It is with a heavy heart that have to let all our members know about Marsha and Jerry Savage,” a post from the church read on Facebook.
“Be in prayer for their family. They were such a blessing to our church. We will miss them dearly.”
Members met following the news to pray in the church parking lot as the building itself had lost power.
A fundraising page has been set up on GoFundMe by the couple’s family to cover the cost of the upcoming funeral.
“As many of you may know, Jerry and Marcia Savage were taken too soon during Hurricane Helene,” said Brittany Estep, the wife of one of the couple’s grandchildren.
“I am raising funds to cover the costs of the funeral to lay them to rest.
“Jerry and Marcia were two of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known.
“They are my husband’s grandparents, survived by their son Mark Savage and daughter Tammy Estep (Darrell) as well as 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren,” she added.
Jerry and Marcia are among more than 190 people who lost their lives during Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest storms to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina.
