A Nebraska groom’s unexpected death this week turned a bride into a wife and a widow in less than an hour, friends say.
Monday was meant to be a moment of celebration for Toraze Davis, 48, and Johnnie Mae Dennis as Juneteenth also marked Dennis’ grandmother’s birthday. But shortly after making their vows to each other at their Omaha ceremony, Davis collapsed to the ground and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to local news station KETV.
He died of a blood clot, according to KETV.
Davis collapsed shortly after preparing to take wedding photos outside the church, KETV reported.
“Both Johnnie Mae & Toraze planned on living the rest of their lives together. Unfortunately, Toraze gave his last breath shortly after saying ‘I Do.’ All our hearts are aching for Mrs. Davis and her children,” read the GoFundMe page for Dennis created by her friend Monica Miller. “As you know, Johnnie Mae always helps others; this is our time to help her.”
Miller, who is also Dennis’ coworker at a health care service business, told KETV that the wedding was the happiest day of Davis’ life.
“I could just see the smile on his face and how happy he was. And it’s just his energy. I just knew that he was just, it was a great day for him,” Miller said.
Jewel Roberson, Dennis’ friend, said Davis’ heart stopped just an hour after the ceremony began. She said the blood clot was not survivable.
“Within a second. It happened within a second,” Roberson told KETV. “She’s been widowed and married in a 10-minute span.”
Roberson said that the wedding was beautiful prior to the incident. KETV reported that Dennis’ father died a few weeks prior to the wedding.
The GoFundMe page has reached over $12,000 as of Friday afternoon.