Dorothy Mae Williams was born in Rutherford County and lived her entire life in Murfreesboro. She raised six children, taught Sunday school for over forty years at New Hope Baptist Church, and was known throughout the community for her cooking, her patience, and her willingness to open her home to anyone who needed it. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Williams Sr., and leaves behind her children, seventeen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. She was 87 years old.

The Reverend Marcus L. Henderson served as pastor of Greater Faith Church of God in Christ in Smyrna for thirty-one years. A veteran of the United States Army, he served in Vietnam before returning to Rutherford County to build a life of ministry, mentorship, and service. He was known for his voice — in the pulpit and in the community — and for his refusal to ever turn anyone away from his door. He leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Ruth Ann, four children, and a congregation of hundreds who call him family.

Estelle Mae Booker was 93 years old and had lived on the same street in Murfreesboro for seventy years. She was a seamstress, a garden keeper, and a grandmother to the neighborhood as much as to her own. Those who knew her say she had a word for everyone and a porch for anyone who needed to sit. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Booker, and her son, Gregory. She leaves behind two daughters, eight grandchildren, and a community that will miss her greatly.