BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Alabama woman standing atop a hay bale was attacked by fire ants and died of an apparent allergic reaction the day after her mother died, authorities and a relative said Friday.
A joint funeral was held Thursday in Selma for the women, 29-year-old Kalyn Rolan and 53-year-old Roberta Lynn Duke, both of Prattville.
Rolan’s mother-in-law, Sheila Rolan, said she still can’t believe both women died within a day of each other.
“It’s something I’ve never had to deal with, especially attending two funerals,” said Rolan. “I loved her mother, and she was my daughter-in-law for 10 years.”
Duke died May 19 after suffering from lung disease, Rolan said, and the younger woman was in rural Dallas County the next day with husband Brandon Rolan preparing for the funeral. The older woman had lived in a mobile home with the couple as her health declined, Rolan said.