LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An Oldham County family is still waiting for answers about a loved one who died when a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky.
On Friday night, Jill Monroe was at work inside the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory and texting with family members in Oldham County.
"She had sent me a text at 9:27 Friday night that she was taking shelter in the bathroom and that the storms were bad," said Heather McGuffin, Monroe's sister.
Chris Chism, Monroe's son, shared a heartbreaking last text exchange with his mother.
Jill Monroe, left, was one of those killed in the tornado in Mayfield.
"(She) said, 'It's here, it's bad, and I'm scared,'" Chism said. "And I texted her and I said, 'Oh goodness. Let me know.' And she said, 'It's really rough.' And that was the last thing we got from her."
Chism said the next information came on a phone call.
"Told me that they heard that the candle factory had been hit and there were a lot of people trapped and they couldn't get ahold of anybody," Chism said.
For the next several hours, Monroe's family members tried reaching her. Paige Tingle, Monroe's daughter-in-law, said she called 43 times from the time they found out until the next morning when Monroe's phone died.
Monroe never responded, and Saturday morning, Chism and Tingle headed to Mayfield.
"We got there and spent a couple hours actually at the candle factory," Chism said.
The images of what's left of the candle factory are devastating.
Maj. Bobby Cooper with Louisville Fire & Rescue was one of 10 Louisville firefighters who responded to the factory in what turned into a search and recovery mission.
A Louisville Fire & Rescue crew sifts threw the rubble at the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory.
"We've never seen anything this significant from a tornado with so much destruction and devastation," Cooper said. "We assisted in the recovery of what ended up being the eight."
On Sunday afternoon, family members got the heartbreaking news that Monroe was one of the eight people who died. But they also heard from a friend and co-worker how she may have helped save lives.
"She said, 'The last time I saw your mom, she ran into the last stall and took a bunch of people in there with her,'" Chism said. "Mom didn't play when it came to people she cared about."
"She's probably the toughest person you would have ever met," Tingle added.
Right now, family members are making arrangements to get Monroe's body back to Oldham County. They've also set up a GoFundMe account to help cover some of the expenses. To donate, click here.
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