The granddaughter of a 95-year-old woman killed in the California wildfires is honoring her beloved “best friend” and standing strong amid such profound loss.
“I have to be strong,” Dalyce Kelley, granddaughter of fire victim Dalyce Curry, told CBN News. “She taught me how to be a strong woman, and I just live on her principle that she taught us, and that, no matter how tough life gets, nothing is as bad in it as it seems — even at its worst.”
Listen to the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
As CBN News previously reported, Dalyce Curry was found deceased Sunday after she went missing for days. Her family spent most of last week raising alarm bells and attempting to find her after an inferno destroyed her Altadena home.
The discovery has rocked the family. Kelley, who reflected on her grandmother’s life and legacy, said she had the “best upbringing,” with Curry teaching her many valuable lessons.
“[She] instilled such great values in me,” Kelley said. “And I wouldn’t be the woman I am to this day without her.”
The grieving granddaughter said Curry “prayed a lot” and helped introduce her to faith.
“She instilled some serious Christian values in me,” Kelley said. “And I know where she is. … And I just have to pray that I can continue to live a life that’s pleasing to her and our Father, and that I pray that I end up where she is — and that’s in Heaven.”
Kelley was a caregiver for both Curry and her sister. Before the fires broke out, she had taken Curry to the hospital for some appointments and to get checked out due to some heart-related issues.
“We were there the entire day,” Kelley said, explaining they didn’t know the extent of what was happening with the fires. “So, we really didn’t know what [was] going on [in] the news.”
Later that night, Kelley brought Curry back to her home in Altadena. At that point, the lights were still on and no flames were directly near the house, she said.
Watch her share the story:
“I know now: never underestimate the power of Mother Nature, and winds, and fire,” Kelley said, noting she left Curry at home and went to deal with some other needs.
After laying down at 2 a.m., she awoke at 5:30 a.m. and saw a message from others in Curry’s community questioning whether the elderly woman had been taken away from her home. Evacuation orders had unfolded and no one saw Curry.
Kelley said she immediately jumped into action and called 911, realizing her grandmother could be in “harm’s way.” She said emergency workers said they were overwhelmed and wouldn’t be able to call back with a status report on her grandma.
So, she hopped in her car and drove to the area — and that’s when reality set in. The neighborhood had been decimated by fire and she was sent to a local convention center to see if Curry was among the evacuees.
“As I was on my way to Pasadena Civic Center, [a cop] called me back and said the house was gone,” Kelley recalled, noting she found herself still clinging to hope. “And then I knew she was at the Pasadena Civic Center. I just knew she was there.”
But Curry wasn’t there, nor was she at another local center. Now, Kelley knew something was wrong. Days later, she officially learned that her beloved grandmother had perished in the fire.
“Such a beautiful woman didn’t deserve to go out like that,” Kelley said, noting she has struggled with “what ifs” and other questions since that night.
But she’s remaining strong and remembering that important lesson her grandmother taught her.
“[She] would say, ‘Nothing is as bad as it seems, even at its worst,'” Kelley said. “So, as horrible as this is — I’m in a nightmare. … [But] I’m holding up due to the support of everyone that’s around me. I’m surrounded by love and support.”
Now, Kelley is preparing to bury her grandmother and host a celebration of life, something that might need to wait until investigations and family member availability can be confirmed. The family is currently trying to raise money for these purposes.
For now, she’s left mourning the loss of her beloved family member as well as the photos, memories, and items that were lost in the fire. But it’s the memories that will live on.
“I cherished every moment with her,” Kelley said of Curry. “We had fun. We had a great run. That was my best friend, and that was my girl, and there was no way I would have left her in harm’s way. I wish more had been done to let us know the severity of the situation. It just seemed normal.”
One of the other fascinating facts about Curry’s life is that she’s a retired actress who performed as an extra in big films like “The Ten Commandments” — something made possible by Curry’s godmother, Madame Sul-Te-Wan.
Madame Sul-Te-Wan became one of the most prominent Black actresses in Hollywood — and the first to land a contract. She helped Curry secure some of these roles. Read more about that here.
Kelley asked the public to continue praying for her and her family.
“Pray for us because we need we need the strength,” she said. “We need strength right now.”
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***