Rachel Shannon

Kendra Hatcher was born on February 3rd, 1980, in Springfield, Illinois, to parents Reagan Hatcher and Bonnie Gibson Jamison Cauley.

She also had a stepfather named Bruce and she grew up with three sisters, Jamie, Ashley, and Melissa, and one brother, Neil.

Kendra grew up in the small Illinois town of Pleasant Plains and she attended Pleasant Plains High School.

She was the captain of her cheerleading team and she played volleyball before graduating high school in 1998.

During that time, she would also go on missions trips to help build churches and lead Bible studies for children growing up in poverty.

Then she went on to DePauw University in Indiana, graduating with her bachelor's degree.

Then she went on to study at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry.

From there, she worked as a pediatric dentist.

While attending school, Kendra spent her spring breaks volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.

Family and friends said that Kendra absolutely loved working with children.

She loved spending time with her nieces and nephews especially.

She was someone who loved to give back, going to Spain and Ecuador to provide dental work for children who needed it.

She also lived a very active lifestyle, which included yoga and running.

She was known to be compassionate and full of love for others.

She was resilient, strong, and determined to achieve any goals that she set her mind to.

But outside of her tough exterior, on the inside, she was soft and delicate with a tender heart.

That is what drew people to her.

While attending DePauw University, she met a man named Scott.

Scott worked as an anesthesiologist and him and Kendra went on to get married.

Scott would go on to say that him and Kendra spent many of their formative years together, being that they met in college, they got married, and started their lives and their careers together.