Authorities have released the names of the seven people who died in the storms that ripped through North Texas over Memorial Day weekend.
Widespread storms ripped through several states Saturday evening, killing at least 22 people, including seven in Cook County, Texas, where a tornado struck Valley View, a town of fewer than 800 people north of Denton.
The dead were Victor Manuel Ortiz, 72; Lloyd Wayne Watson, 57; Laura Patricia Garcia Esparza, 49; Miranda Esparza, 15; Marco Andres Esparza, 9; Tyriq Taishun McCrary, 5; and Essence Younique McCrary, 2.
Cook County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed the names Tuesday, saying all of the fatalities occurred at FRF Estates, a mobile home park south of Valley View near Interstate 35.
Many local residents who spoke to me Dallas Morning News In the days after the storm, people were still mourning their loved ones and, in many cases, picking through the remains of damaged (and in some cases destroyed) homes. Some said they were grateful to be alive, despite everything they had lost.
Some of the victims’ families have set up GoFundMe pages to raise money to cover storm-related expenses, including funeral costs. Sappington said he is grateful that some fundraisers had raised more than $10,000 by Tuesday.
“That’s a good thing,” the sheriff said in an interview.
victim
Ortiz’s home was caught in the tornado’s path and was completely destroyed. The oldest of the victims, Victor Ortiz, was hospitalized and underwent surgery after the storm but died from his injuries Sunday morning, according to a GoFundMe set up by his daughter-in-law.
She described him as a “very loving” husband, father and grandfather.
“This sudden news was unexpected. We are devastated by the loss of a treasured member of our family and are still dealing with the effects of this tornado and currently mourning our loss. [life] “Our loved one,” Ortiz’s post read.
Watson lived on County Road 2133. A neighbor told KXAS-TV (NBC5) that Watson’s home had collapsed. Two sons, who reportedly had been sheltering with their father during the storm, were hospitalized.
“It’s really hard because the perpetrators were our friends. Everything about it is hard,” neighbor Jesse Helms told the station.
The youngest of the victims were Tyriq and Essence McCrary, whose older sisters were hospitalized, WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported.
The Esparza family lived on Green Meadows Drive.
As children, José Luna and his sister Alondra spent afternoons at the Esparza home, waiting for their parents to come home from work. After school, the bus would drop the children off at the beginning of a dead-end street, and Luna and his brother would head towards the Esparza house.
Both siblings described Laura Patricia Garcia Esparza as “a very kind person” who treated them as if they were her own children. They spoke fondly of playing outside with Miranda and her surviving brother, and of watching their youngest son, Marco, grow up in recent years.
“We grew up with them,” said Luna, 20. “If there was a situation in the neighborhood that needed help, they were always willing to help. They were always the first ones to do anything.”
The Luna home suffered less damage than most of its street Monday, but several windows were shattered, the roof came off a shed and solar panels in the backyard were nearly knocked down. Duck, a Great Pyrenees dog who was outside when the storm hit, was somehow found unharmed after the winds died down.
“I think we’ve all learned that we need to be more protective of our families,” Luna said. “You never know when you’re going to see your family for the last time.”
A GoFundMe set up for the Esparza family had raised more than $71,000 by Tuesday evening.
