Patricia Forrest, mother of Jodie Henderson Jr., places a candle with a memorial for her son near the intersection of Sorin and Arthur streets Thursday in South Bend. Forrest wore the hat of her son. Tribune Photo/BECKY MALEWITZ
SOUTH BEND — Patricia Forrest remembers the last time that she spoke to her son, Jodie Henderson Jr.
The phone conversation occurred on the Friday before Henderson, 27, a U.S. Army veteran, was beaten and killed in the 1200 block of Sorin Street. "I was venting to him and letting him know that I was going through some things," Forrest recalled two days before the On-Site Prayer Ministry group held a prayer vigil on Sorin Street in Henderson’s memory. "And he was letting me know, ‘Mommy, it’s going to be OK. It’s going to be all right.’"
The house that Forrest lived in with her son was quiet on Tuesday. A large collage with the photographs of her many grandchildren adorns the wall next to the dining room table. Henderson’s photograph sits on a nearby end table and his military hat from his Army dress blues occupies an honored place on that end table.
A giant television that is located in the living room broadcast the news, and Forrest walks into the room, grabs the remote control and switches to a recording of family members being interviewed about the senseless shooting of the military man who survived the Afghan Taliban, but died on the streets of his hometown. "I have this emptiness," the mother of five children said as she sat at the dining room table. "I have five children and one of my limbs is broke.
"Put it this way. One of my branches was taken from me."
Forrest remembers when Jodie, a 2007 graduate of Mishawaka High School, decided that he wanted to join the military. "He just came to me one day and said, ‘Mommy, I want to be able to do something for my country’ and he started looking at military movies and in 2007 he got out of school and went straight to the Army."
Henderson still maintained big dreams even as he struggled with the transition to civilian life and also faced some big health concerns. He talked about both during that conversation with his mother. Henderson, who worked as a bartender, talked about landing a second job. He also shared his dreams of moving to warmer climes.
"Jodie told me, ‘Mommy, you know what, I’m getting ready to move to Florida,’ and he wanted me to come," she recalled. "He said, ‘March can’t come fast enough.’"
That would the last time that Forrest spoke with her son.
On Thursday, Forrest and family members joined friends and members of the On Site Prayer Ministry and other community members in front of a shrine to remember Henderson and pray for the family and the community. Some in attendance, such as the Rev. Greg Brown, who is a member of the street ministry team The God Squad, knew Henderson.
"Jodie was a personal friend of mine," Brown said. "He was a real soldier, a traveling man."
"He would call me from time to time and say, ‘Pray for me, I’m fixing to go do this.’"
Others, such as Cecilia Edwards-Brown, did not know Henderson but attended out of a belief that prayer could be a healing balm for the family.
"I come because I feel bad whenever there is any violence in South Bend," she said. "(Violence) keeps occurring, but I believe in the power of prayer, that prayer can heal the wounds of the family."
Michael Elliott organizes the ministry, a duty he assumed after his mother passed away nine years ago. While a violent death is a deeply personal and painful experience for the survivors, Elliott believes there is value to the community standing with the family.
"The purpose of the organization is to show the family of the deceased that there are people in the community who care (and) are concerned about what is going on even if they didn’t know the (victim)," Elliott said.
Tina Velthuizen, who led the prayers at the vigil, said that Henderson’s military background and the circumstances of his death stand as a reminder that violence remains a remains a major problem in this country.
"That’s the great sadness," she lamented. "I just hope that we give (the family) some comfort and let them know that there are other people, who they don’t even know, who care about them."
That is an irony and sadness that haunts the entire family, said Deanna Forrest, who is Henderson’s sister. "He fought over there for us here and now he’s gone from terrible acts here," she said. "That’s crazy, but I definitely forgive because the Lord forgave us."
Still, Deanna Forrest and her mother say that the outpouring does bring them comfort.
"I feel the love," said Deanna Forrest. "My brother was really loved because he was a lovely person, so he definitely shined a light on everybody out here because they are here to support us."
Bobbie Woods, the head of Mommas Against Violence, who lost her son to violence 14 years ago, said she spoke to Patricia Forrest as the vigil came to an end.
"I reached out and let her know there will be dark days ahead, but there will be joy again. All you have to do is believe, hold on and have faith that he will and he can bring you through. She will be OK."
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