Family Faces Difficult Task Of Moving Forward After Losing Loved One In Tornado

Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter

GARLAND (CBS11) - If Kimberly Tippett's 11-year-old daughter Kirsten is anything like her mother, calling her "strong" would be an understatement.

"It was tragic," said Kirsten Williams. "That was my best friend."

Kirsten was waiting for her mom and one-year-old brother Kamryn to come home as the storm kicked up on Saturday.

But they along with friend LaShondra Whitaker never made it to the house.

"I'm just trying to stay strong because the girls really need me," said Natasha Briggs, who lost her sister.

Natasha and her husband Kenny must now focus on the daughters Kimberly left behind, Kirsten and Danali, 6.

"I can't. I will not drive the area. I really don't even want to know what happened," said Natasha.

Her husband Kenny feels differently, hoping learning more about what happened could help future tragedies from hurting other families.

"I want to know what her last moments were like. What the thought process was there," said Kenny.

Kirsten, who shows no fear in her new future, said her mother will always be in her heart.

"She has everything she needs up there and I have a lot of the things I need down here," said Kirsten.

The family said the experience they are going through has given them a new found respect of mother nature.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.