Entire family laid to rest after deadly tornadoes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WSMV) - A funeral service was held on Tuesday for 6 of the 7 members of one family in Bowling Green, KY killed in the December 10 tornado

The funeral service for the Brown Family was held at Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green. Visitation hours were from 9 to 11 am and the funeral service began at 11:00 am.

The entire Brown family Rachael, Steven and their 4 children: Nariah, Nolyn, Nyles and Nyssa and Rachel’s mother Ms. Vickie lived under the same roof on Moss Creek Avenue when the EF-3 tornado destroyed their home.

On Tuesday, family, friends and a community came to say their final goodbyes.

“It was rough. It was hard. It’s hard letting go. But HE has a better plan,” Wayne McGee, Rachel Brown’s uncle who came from Cadiz Kentucky for the funeral service said.

Leaning on a higher power is what family members did as they came together for a funeral service. The entire family was cremated. During the service, there were moments of laughter remembering the Brown family. Steven’s stepfather, Pastor Terrence Duncan Sr. led the eulogy.

Family members said Steven was in the military and served in Iraq. He was also fondly called papa bear. They also said Steven and Rachel were high school and middle school sweethearts and loved their family immensely. Steven’s step father during the service also talked about the grand kids and their great and different personalities.

“When you take children that haven’t even lived yet, he has a plan. HE has a plan and only HE knows,” Wayne McGee, Rachel Brown’s uncle said.

McGee talked to News 4 about his great nieces and nephews and spoke so fondly of his niece; Rachel.

“She’s a sweetheart. She was a good fearing. Loved her family, loved her husband. She was a wonderful person, wonderful soul,” McGee said.

McGee said Rachel and Steven were married for 10 years.

‘They both were sweetheart’s. They were meant to be together. Everybody doesn’t get to find their soulmate but them two did,” McGee said of his niece and her husband.

Steven’s stepfather, Pastor Terrence Duncan Sr who gave the eulogy said he normally preaches from a tablet, but for Tuesday’s funeral service he used his grandson, Nolyn’s recovered Bible. Duncan said Nolyn’s bible was lost after the tornado hit and a woman called to return the bible after she found it in her yard.

Family members say tomorrow there’ll be the funeral service for Rachel’s mother who also died during the tornado.