First Homegoing Celebrations of S.C Shooting Victims Ethel Lance and Sharonda Coleman-Singleton

Family and friends are gathering for the first two funerals for victims of a church shooting in Charleston.

The funeral for Ethel Lance is scheduled for Thursday morning, while the funeral for Sharonda Coleman-Singleton will be held in the afternoon. Both services are taking place at churches in North Charleston.

Lance was a housekeeper at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium until she retired. She was a sexton at the church always making sure it was taken care of.

A voicemail begins simply: “Hello Reverend Chineta. This is Sharonda. I know it has been some time since we talked, but I want you to know that I love you.”

Listening to the message on June 3, Chineta Goodjoin says, she had been “feeling sorry for myself that day” when the words of her college friend of 27 years, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, moved her to tears. “Please know that no matter what happens, all shall be well,” Coleman-Singleton, 45, told her friend. “All shall be well. All shall be well. All shall be well. Especially for those who are living their lives according to God’s word. All shall be well.”

Two weeks later, on June 17, Coleman-Singleton would be among the nine victims of the deadly shooting rampage at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45, was a part-time minister at Emanuel AME Church and worked as a speech pathologist at Goose Creek High School, where she was also the girls track coach. Principal Jimmy Huskey said she was so dedicated she was at work before 8 a.m. and typically didn't leave until 8 p.m. "She had a big smile," Huskey said. "Her No. 1 concern was always the students. She made a difference in the lives of children. She cannot be replaced here at this school." The mother of three had run track herself as a student at South Carolina State University, helping lead her team to a conference championship. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/ns/sharonda-coleman-singleton-obituary/175109980#sthash.ucr2nQIy.dpuf