Parents Make One Last Try To Talk To Kids In Lake City Cult

"I think it's right here." Roger and Vonda Peterson traveled more than 1,450 miles to see the grave. Their daughter's unmarked burial site is what brought them back to Lake City.

"When we heard that Sondra died, I just had to come down here to know she's not with us anymore," says Vonda, while wiping away tears.

Sondra Smollack died of a seizure a year ago, at 44-years-old. "It's like if I see her burial site, I'll know, I can go home and rest and be at peace," says her mother.

More than 20 years ago, Sondra and her two sisters, Vicki and Linda, left their mom and dad and little brother in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The girls moved to Lake City with their husbands to follow a group called the Endtimers. It's also known as Meade Ministries.

The girls completely cut off communication. Twenty years worth of phone calls and letters have gone unanswered.

The Peterson's attempts to talk to their daughters in person have also failed. The girls wouldn't even open their doors.

"1994 I believe was the last time we were down here. I know things have changed. We have great grandkids now that we didn't have before," says Roger.

The Peterson's say they never planned to come back because it was just too hard. But with Sondra's death, they decided there would be one last time.

"I just hope that we can see our kids and talk to them peaceably without any confrontation," says Roger. "We don't expect we are going to get them out of this group, that's not it. But we would like to make contact."

"If I see them I'm just gonna grab them and give them a hug and let them know we love them," says Vonda. "Right now I'm nervous, but I'm also thinking I really hope I can see them. You know it's been 20 years. I'm also hoping we can talk with them a little bit and I can say at least give us some pictures of all of the family so we know what they look like."

The Peterson's decided to drive to Vicki's House first. She lives in Southwood Estates, where many of the Endtimers stay.

Vicki is home. Her mom and dad are right outside her door for the first time in 15 years.

"We went up to the house there and rang the doorbell. She came to the door, didn't open the door, but she asks, 'Who's there?' We paused for a little bit and instead of saying mom and dad, I said, 'It's Roger and Vonda.'"

Vicki told her parents to "Just leave." Her dad asked, "Is this you Vicki?" Vicki answered, "Listen, you said plenty, just leave."

Her mom responded with, "Vicki is that you?" Vicki replied, "Why do you care? You just leave right now." Vonda answered back, "Because we're you're parents and because we love you and all we want to do is see you. We just want to know you're fine and you're doing ok....Vicki?"

There was no answer. Vonda asked again, "Vicki, will you talk to us at all?" Roger steps in and says, "Open the door and let us talk to you."

Vonda said, "Why won't you let us see you? What did we ever do to you? We love you. We always will and anytime you want to come home you're welcome."

Vicki's mom and dad then walked away from their daughter's home. The whole encounter lasted only a minute and a half. But they still hope that Linda, who lives a block away, will see them.

"Linda, Linda and Jeff are you home?" they shouted from the gates outside Linda's home. "Linda, will you answer us? Are you home? Will you come to the door? Wave at us through the window so we know you're in there. So, we know you are ok. We love you."

There was no response. Seconds later, a group of Endtimers arrived. They followed the Petersons and the First Coast News cameras out of the neighborhood. "I say they got a gestapo network, they inform each other of what's going on," says Roger.

The mom and dad lose hope of seeing their daughters once again and meeting their great-grandkids for the very first time.

"We just want to be a family again," says Vonda.

They say there is no reason to ever come back to Lake City. There is only one thing left here for them to do, a final goodbye to their child.

At that unmarked grave, the Peterson's join a local pastor to remember Sondra. The 44-year-old wife, mother and daughter is now almost like a stranger to her parents.

Sondra's 95-year-old grandmother, who couldn't come to Lake City, wanted to say her own goodbye. She wrote a goodbye note after hearing about Sondra's death. The Pastor tears up while reading it.

"You answered God's call and there's pain in my heart. He'll take care of you, and he will ease the pain in my heart. For such a long time, I've waited for your knock at my door. Now, all I have are memories of the girl who would call and ask grandma when are you going camping. Now, go find your grandpa. He will welcome you with open arms 'cause I know he's lonely. You're the first of us to join him. You are both in my prayers tonight. I miss you, grandma."

Twenty years of waiting is over. The Peterson's say their last words. "Oh Sondra, we love you. We miss you, but you're at peace now. I'm so glad we came down here to see this. It's like an end."

Twenty years of hoping and praying, they now have said goodbye. "It's been so long, she was almost like a stranger, but I think about her a lot," says her dad.

"For 20 years, you kept hoping and praying they would call, contact and stuff, and when you hear they died you know it's over. I know she's at peace now. I can go back home and say I'm ok now," says her mom.

While Sondra is gone, she is not forgotten. The Peterson's still hold onto hope that one day their other daughters will decide to come back home.

The Peterson's would like to put a headstone at their daughter's grave, but they can't without permission from her husband. He has refused to call them back.