A North Carolina man is mourning his wife, who died after a tree crashed into their home as they slept.
“Erin Morgan Beebe is my rock, my best friend, my everything,” Charlie Beebe posted on Facebook. “There was no better feeling than your hugs and knowing how much you loved me.”
The tree crashed into the couple’s home at about 1:50 a.m. Sunday, said Greensboro police spokesman Ron Glenn, according to the Greensboro News & Record. Erin Beebe was pronounced dead at the scene, the newspaper reported.
Charlie Beebe suffered minor injuries, NBC-TV affiliate WXII reported.
Police don’t know what caused the tree to topple onto the home in the 3600 block of Brandywine Drive, the News & Record reported.
Beebe told Fox affiliate WGHP that he immediately tried to free his wife.
“And then tried to grab my wife’s hand and it was limp,” Beebe told the station. “There was no life to it.”
The couple married in 2017, according to Beebe’s Facebook page.
The couple’s dog, Harper, whom Charlie Beebe affectionately called his “devil doggy,” also died. “You were your mommy’s protector and I love you so much,” Beebe posted on Facebook Sunday night.
Of his wife, Beebe wrote: “You took so much joy from my joy and loved life so much ... I was beyond lucky to have you in my life.”
On Monday, the local United Way organization, where Erin worked, posted on Facebook that a memorial fund in her memory “will help United Way of Greater Greensboro continue its mission to END poverty.”
“Erin’s radiant smile and contagious positive energy were gifts to all who knew her,” the United Way posted on Facebook Monday. “As a United Way employee, Erin’s contributions to her community will forever be appreciated and never forgotten.”
A GoFundMe account was set up to raise $5,000 for Charlie Beebe, but the goal was upped to $10,000 when donations surpassed the amount. On Tuesday afternoon, nearly $9,000 had been raised for him.
This story was originally published September 11, 2018 5:18 PM.