Hurricane Beryl claims beloved mother, grandmother in Northwest Harris County tragedy
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Family members of one of Beryl's victims say the hurricane claimed the life of a very special lady, a well-loved mother and grandmother.
We caught up with Maria Loredo’s son Jose as they went back to their house in Northwest Harris County to salvage what’s left after a fallen tree in Monday’s storm brought tragedy to their home.
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"She was a very sweet lady. Sweetest lady you'll ever meet, very humble. It’s hard to be back here," Jose Loredo says.
He wants his mom remembered for far more than being a storm victim, as he tries to cope with her tragic loss.
"I feel like this is some kind of movie or dream. It's unreal," Loredo adds.
Before 73-year-old Maria Loredo lost her life in Hurricane Beryl after a tree fell on her bedroom, "She basically lived out the American dream and helped me also. She came as an immigrant, and she was able to become an American citizen here. She was very proud to be an American. She loved Whataburger a lot," her son smiles, and she loved her only child, Jose Loredo, his wife, and their two kids. She lived with them the last five years.
"That was one of the reasons why we got this big home. I wanted her to have her own room. She loved her room."
Maria raised her son alone as a single mom. He became a college graduate, a successful band director, including at the high school where he graduated and a talented professional musician.
"My main instrument is trombone. She also got to see me travel the world with a Grammy award-winning Christian artist Marcos Witt. That was pretty cool that she got to see me perform on that level."
"Whenever it first happened, I ran upstairs. I grabbed my daughter, who was in our room on the other side of the house. Then I came for my mom. I opened the door and all I could see was daylight. There was no more room and I came down here, and I tried to go into this room to see if I could find her. I couldn't open the door and I still can't open the door," Loredo explained as he tried to open the door to his beloved music room, which is right below his mother's bedroom.
Harris County man remembers mom killed in Beryl
The hurricane that hit Houston on Monday claimed several lives, many from fallen trees. As FOX 26's Damali Keith tells us, one son in Northwest Harris County says he wants his mom remembered for far more than a storm victim as he tries to cope with her tragic loss.
Outside the house, you can see both rooms were completely destroyed.
That was her room right there and that was one of my dreams to take care of her," Loredo says while choking back tears.
I'm told he did take care of his mom, very well, giving his humble, quiet, kind mom in her last years some of the best of her life.
"She's gone physically, which hurts, but inside my heart and my family's hearts, she's there. (She's still with you?) Yeah, she is."
Loredo, who still works as a high school band director at an area high school, is trying to come up with the money to pay for his mother’s funeral.
After such a tragedy, one day at a time may be a bit much to ask. Jose Loredo says he's taking it moment by moment.