BENNETT, Colo. — Windy and stormy days now make Becky Johnson a little nervous.
"I said, 'There's a tornado coming,'" she said, remembering the moment she saw it, just before the swirling storm hit her family home in Bennett last May.
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She and her brother Rob both made it to safety, but the damage was extensive.
Windows were shattered, siding was ripped off, and trailers and other property blew away.
"It was a mess. We went outside and everything was just torn up and gone," Johnson said.
That included about seven mature trees in a group of pines on the property. They had been there for 47 years.
"That was mom's project," Johnson explained. "She got them as little saplings. She fed them and watered them and took care of them and made sure they were well watered, so they'd grow."
Becky's mom, Dorothy, passed away in 2017.
"Oh yeah, we miss her. She was feisty," Johnson said.
The trees became a daily reminder of Dorothy watching over Becky and her brother. Now, they're gone.
"(It was) like I lost mom again," Johnson said. "It could have been worse — nobody got hurt. But it just hurt."
She said her insurance company denied her claims to replace the trees, which also serve as a windbreak for the property.
Denver7 viewers stepped up to raise funds and help families like the Johnsons who were impacted by the tornadoes.
Denver7 | Gives
Denver7 Gives fund boosts relief efforts for Bennett family impacted by tornado
Denver7 brought the Johnsons to The Tree Farm, where the manager set aside about 20 pine trees for them to shop from.
With the generous donations from Denver7 Gives viewers, the cost of seven new trees, to replace the ones they lost, was completely covered..
Johnson said the trees will help honor her mother's memory. Dorothy loved the trees when they had snow or heavy frost on them and how they glistened in the sunlight, she said.
"Thank you. Thank you very much. From the bottom of our hearts. You don't know how much it helped," Johnson said to those who donated.
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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