Three Fayetteville family members lost to coronavirus in less than two weeks

Earlier this month, they were all laid to rest together in a single funeral.

Cindy Hoff Snow said her father, Jake Hoff, always got a summer cold, but it went away. But this summer, her mother, Maxine Hoff, got sick too.

Snow said this sickness did not go away.

"When they were still sick, they refused to go to the hospital," she said. "They were apprehensive about what the hospital could do for them."

Snow said her parents laid in the bed, side by side, just as they had for more than 62 years.

"They were in bed together, and he woke up and said, 'I can't wake Maxine up.' She was actually dead, but he said, ‘I can't wake her up,’" recalled Snow.

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The next day, Jake Hoff went to a local hospital. His oldest daughter, Pam Hoff, was also sick with coronavirus and so was his youngest child, Teresa Hoff.

None had received the COVID-19 vaccine.

"I was just lazy [and] didn't make the time," said Teresa Hoff.

Teresa Hoff said her father didn't get vaccinated because he was scared of the side effects and her mom followed his lead.

Jake Hoff died six days after his wife, on Aug. 21. Pam Hoff died a week after that.

Only Teresa Hoff recovered from the virus.

"Losing three at one time, your mind goes from one to the other to the other," said Teresa Hoff.

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Snow, who lives in Florida and is vaccinated, never got sick, but she said the loss was something awful.

"I almost felt like Job in the Bible, where everything bad was happening all around him and it was beyond his control," said Snow. "I've never lost anybody so close to me, and to lose three of them at once."

"I don't think any of them could have survived without the other one. Dad always wanted to go soon after mom," added Teresa Hoff.

On Sept. 4, surviving family members had one funeral for all three family members. Pam Hoff's ashes were placed in the casket with her mother.

Surviving family members said they hoped their story will encourage everyone to get vaccinated.