Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

Man Who Lost Wife, 4 Kids, His Parents, Brother and Niece in Texas Church Shooting Delivers Powerful Eulogy

Erich Schlegel/Getty Images
Erich Schlegel/Getty Images
Share Tweet
By Billy Hallowell
Editor

November 16, 2017

The Texas family that lost nine of its members in a horrific mass shooting earlier this month at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, held a joint public funeral on Wednesday that attracted thousands of attendees.

READ: Pastor Delivers Powerful Message to the Men Who Killed His Wife & Unborn Baby

A venue that held 3,000 people was reportedly filled to capacity, as mourners showed up to honor the lives of the nine victims who were killed when gunman Devin Kelley burst into the church and murdered 26 people innocents.

In addition to the 3,000 inside the emotional event, hundreds of others had to be turned away from Franklin Funeral home due to space issues, according to ABC News.

The members of the Holcombe family who were memorialized during the event include: Crystal Holcombe, 36, her unborn baby, three of her kids, Greg, 13, Emily 11, and Megan, 9, Crystal’s in-laws, Bryan, 60, and Karla Holcombe, 58, and her brother-in-law Marc Colcombe, 36 and his 18-month-old daughter, Noah.

John Holcombe, husband of Crystal and father of the four children who were killed, invited the public to be part of the funeral; the burial will unfold at another date at an undisclosed location, The Daily Mail reported.

He had the unimaginable task of memorializing his wife, children and fellow loved ones and family members, as he stood before the thousands who came to mourn alongside him.

“She could take sick plants and heal them,” he said of his wife Crystal. “Like how she took a broken man and made him whole again.”

Regarding our baby, we don't know if it was a boy or a girl. It was too soon to tell. However, we have a name for our…

Posted by John Holcombe on Wednesday, November 8, 2017

He also revealed that his unborn child would be named Carlin Brite “Billy Bob” Holcombe; it would have been his first biological child with his wife, as Crystal was a widow with five children when they met, The San Antonio News-Express reported. Holcombe revealed more about the baby’s name in a Nov. 8 Facebook Post:

Regarding our baby, we don’t know if it was a boy or a girl. It was too soon to tell. However, we have a name for our baby, who died in the womb.

Carlin Brite “Billy Bob” Holcombe

This includes Crystal’s pick for a girl, a boy, and the nickname the kids gave the baby.

Crystal was very thoughtful when coming up with these names. Carlin means small champion. It also sounds like Karla, Carolyn, and Charles.

“Billy Bob” is the nickname the kids gave the baby.

Holcombe shared laughter and tears as he remembered what was special about each of the couple’s children, according to The Victoria Advocate.

Crystal Holcombe’s sister, Bobbi Lynn Holland, said that the massive loss has had a deep impact on the family.

“The loss of our family members has left a huge hole in our hearts,” she said.

Posted by John Holcombe on Saturday, November 11, 2017

In addition to singing and humming “Amazing Grace,” those assembled released pink and blue balloons in honor of the family — moving tributes to the lost.

As previously reported, John Holcombe’s grandfather, Joe Holcombe, delivered a powerful tribute to the family’s faith during an interview with Faithwire last week, telling us that, despite the unimaginable carnage, he was remaining firm and resolute in his Christian faith.

“We’re strong,” he said before speaking of a future time when he believes he and his wife will see their family members again in heaven. “We’ll be with Bryan and his wife and the whole family one of these days — and we look forward to that.”

Latest

  • Entertainment

    Summer Blockbuster ‘Sound of Freedom’ Gets Streaming Release Date

  • Faith

    ‘Our Worst Nightmare’: Nagorno-Karabakh Horror Sends 80,000+ Fleeing, Sparks Warning About Total ‘Destruction of Christian Heritage’

  • Faith

    PRAY: Stunning Twist After Muslim Dad in Uganda Reportedly Locks Up Son, Starves Him For Months For Converting to Christianity

  • Entertainment

    ‘We’ve Got to Wake Up!’: Former Supermodel Kathy Ireland Delivers Powerful Message Defending Life, Call to Action for Church

  • Faith

    ‘Cowardice’: Promise Keepers Leader Hits Back After Christian Orgs Cancel Events, Calls Leaders to ‘Bravery’


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Recent Posts

  • Summer Blockbuster ‘Sound of Freedom’ Gets Streaming Release Date
  • ‘Our Worst Nightmare’: Nagorno-Karabakh Horror Sends 80,000+ Fleeing, Sparks Warning About Total ‘Destruction of Christian Heritage’
  • PRAY: Stunning Twist After Muslim Dad in Uganda Reportedly Locks Up Son, Starves Him For Months For Converting to Christianity
  • ‘We’ve Got to Wake Up!’: Former Supermodel Kathy Ireland Delivers Powerful Message Defending Life, Call to Action for Church
  • ‘Cowardice’: Promise Keepers Leader Hits Back After Christian Orgs Cancel Events, Calls Leaders to ‘Bravery’

Archives

  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • Culture
  • culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?