Editor's Note: This story aired and was published in May 2016.
DALLAS - The family of a great-grandmother said she did everything she could to save her four great-grandchildren, before they were all swept away in a flood in 2016 and lost their lives.
Lenda Asberry, 64, was in her Palestine home that night with her four great-grandchildren, Venetia, Devonte, Von Anthony, and Jamonicka -- all of whom were less than 10 years old. Heavy rains in the area led to a flash flood that rose quickly into the home.
"She made it out of the house with those babies, all four of em," said Toya Johnson, Asberry's daughter and the aunt of the four children.
Johnson said authorities told the family the water had risen up to Asberry's neck, as she struggled to get to safety.
"A tide of water came through, and it was just too much pressure for her with all those kids," she said.
All five were swept away in the waters. Authorities later recovered their remains.
Today, family members gathered at their Dallas home to support one another as they cope with an incredible loss. The mother of the four children, Kwanae Johnson, could barely speak through her tears.
"Lord, you took four babies from me, and God, I don't know what to do," she said. "They were my kids. They were my heart."
Asberry, known to almost everyone as Miss Peaches, was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. After raising four kids of her own, she was raising four great-grandchildren.
"Everybody loved my mom," Toya Johnson said. "If you needed her, all you needed to do was call. And she was gonna tell you the truth. That was my momma."
As the family tries to heal, they are also planning to bury Asberry with her great-grandchildren in Dallas. They've created a GoFundMe page to help pay for substantial and unexpected funeral expenses.
"It's really hard for us having to try to bury five people at one time, so we need all the support we can get. We are asking for all prayers," said Johnson. "It's just devastating."