As the funeral started, about 300 people who packed this church watched a photo tribute to Kala. It showed the happier times Kala enjoyed with her husband, Keith, and three little boys.
It was an emotional afternoon as Kala's family members began arriving to First Baptist Church of Willis, many of them honoring the slain mother by wearing purple. It was Kala's favorite color.
"Kala was a mother of three, a daughter, a wife, a sister and a dear friend to all who knew her," said relative Jay Smith.
Those close to Kala say her children were her life, up to the moment it was cut short last Tuesday. She'd just taken her 3-day-old baby, Keegan, to the doctor for a check-up when investigators say Verna McClain shot Kala multiple times in the parking lot of Northwoods Pediatric Center and kidnapped little Keegan. The infant was found safe after a 5-hour search.
"The children are doing well. We do ask for continued prayers for the family and those who have been affected by this tragic event," Smith said.
As friends and family gathered to say their final goodbye to Kala, a grand jury was busy in Conroe interviewing witnesses connected to Verna McClain, who remains in jail without bond on capital murder charges. Investigators say McClain was desperate for a baby after suffering a miscarriage.
"We don't put a limit on the amount of witnesses that we plan to talk to, and just like I've said, I won't abide by an artificial timeline. There will come a time in which this investigation will come to it's inevitable conclusion," said Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon.
Prosecutors have not said yet if they will seek the death penalty. Defense attorneys say they will ask for McClain to undergo a mental evaluation.
As the grieving crowd left the church, many promised to support Kala's family and move forward by showering her three little boys with love.
Kala's family then went to the cemetery. They are asking for the community's continued prayers, especially for her three young sons.
A memorial concert also is being planned for Kala and her family this summer.
