Avery County Woman Still Missing 1 Year After Helene

To her daughter, Kim Ashby was unforgettable. Jessica Meidinger says her mother always had this king of joy for life. She says, “In my opinion, the world’s best mom. And rival anyone for that title.”

Kim and her husband, Rod, were in what they thought would one day be their retirement home. Construction was nearly complete, but the garage floodgates had not been installed yet. They settled in to ride out what they thought would be a normal storm.

Jessica told WCCB, Rod and her mother heard a crack. They believe something had hit the house… not just once, but twice. After the second hit, there was a crack and the house slid into the river.

Rod managed to get Kim and their dogs onto a mattress as the house floated downstream, spinning in the current. As the river was ragging, the house hit an embankment and split in two. The house then struck a tree. Rod went one way. Kim the other. That was the last time she was seen.

Through it all, Jessica says the community’s support has kept her family going and now, she is finding her own way to carry her mom’s legacy forward. They hope to start a foundation in Kim’s honor soon.