As the sun set Thursday night over Roswell Town Square, about 300 students, family members and community residents came to remember Natalie Henderson.
The 17-year-old Roswell High School senior and River Ridge High School senior Carter Davis, also 17, were found dead early Monday behind a Roswell Publix, each killed by a gunshot to the head.
But the focus Thursday night was Henderson’s life.
A group of her friends stood under the light of a gazebo with candles, pictures and keepsakes lining the steps. One by one they stepped to a microphone to share memories, grief and hope that Henderson is in a better place.
Recurring themes were her kindness and humor, but chief among all of them was her open, accepting nature.
Whether it was the new kid who was eating lunch alone, or the popular kids on the other side of the room, Henderson knew everyone and everyone knew her, speakers said.
She was the kind of friend who’d listen, who’d be awake at 3 a.m. to hear others’ problems.
Ector Cabral, 18, of Roswell High School said one of his best memories of Henderson is of a day at lunch when she asked a simple question.
“‘Why is everyone so separated?’”
Looking from table to table, clique to clique, he said Henderson wanted to bring everyone together. To take the familiarity of a small group of friends and spread it across the lunch room.
Cabral challenged everyone at the vigil to try and do the same.
Henderson also volunteered weekly with an animal shelter. Her fellow volunteers said Henderson helped hundreds of dogs find homes and served as the organization’s backbone.
Emma Caldwell, 17, of Roswell High School said she was “Cookie” to Henderson. The nickname served as a constant greeting whenever the two saw each other, which became harder after Caldwell moved away during sophomore year.
But their friendship endured despite the obstacles. Remembering that bond is what made Thursday night so hard, but so necessary, for Caldwell.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “But it’s also the best thing I’ve ever done.”
For Averie Booth, 17 of Roswell High School, the memories ranged from silly to heart-wrenching.
She said she’ll never forget when she shared a hotel room with Henderson on a band trip. When they returned to the hotel after the show, Henderson rushed through the door, threw on her pajamas on and quickly ordered room service.
“She was just so funny,” Booth said.
Henderson was a longtime member of the color guard, a non-musical, visual aspect of the marching band, and loved showing her passion for the school. Suhad Hussain, 17, a friend and fellow student, said no one could match her pride.
“Every Friday she’d cheer and scream until she lost her voice and I lost my hearing in one ear,” she said.
But she knew her as more than that. Hussain said Henderson shared her dreams of becoming an architect, what her wedding might look like and how her life could unfold.
But while it was only days ago that Henderson and all her quirks were part of their lives, Hussain said the events of the past week have made them feel like ancient memories.
“It seems like a lifetime ago,” she said.
A memorial service for Henderson will be held Friday morning at Roswell Presbyterian Church, 755 Mimosa Blvd., in Roswell, according to her online obituary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Companion Animal Connection in Waleska.
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