With deepest sorrow we at Henryhand Funeral Home regret to announce the passing of Emily N. Coulter, 66, of Seattle, WA, formerly of Kingstree, SC, wife of Benjamin Coulter, who passed away on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Life Reflections

She was born as Ethel Mae McGill on March 28, 1960, but, at a very young age, she became known as 'Keta'.  The story of how Ethel Mae came to be called 'Keta' captures much about who she would become as a grown woman and the values that she would live by.

Ethel Mae's father, Emria McGill, was raising his large family in South Carolina, along with his wife, Nellie.  It was the early 1960's, racial tensions were high, there were demands for change in society, and Mr. McGill remembered a unique visitor to USA; a Russian politician with the first name 'Nikita'.  Nikita is the Russian form of 'Nicholaus' and means 'leader of the people'.  However, Mr. McGill did not seem to be focused on the meaning of that name, neither was he focused, apparently, on the political beliefs or rhetoric of the man who held it.  According to Keta, her father noticed something else; this Russian political figure hugged black people the same as white people and that inspired him, as Mr. McGill stated that he had not seen American politicians acting in that way.  So, he called Ethel Mae by the name 'Keta'.  It was a name that represented transformation and the hope for something better.  Keta loved it, embraced it, and would live by what it stood for to her father for the rest of her life.

Keta talked about her upbringing in Kingstree, South Carolina as a world with storybook-like qualities. When Keta's parent's became Jehovah's Witnesses, the logical explanation of the what the Bible actually teaches and inspiring hope for all peoples that was communicated made sense to her and Keta was happily baptized on February 17, 1973 at the age of 12 years old. As far as Keta could recall, she believed that she was the first African-American grocery checker at one of the stores in her town. Keta also vividly remembered how Jehovah's Witnesses, in harmony with the vision given Peter described in the 10th chapter of Acts of the Apostles, took a stand to desegregate their congregations in Kingstree, even if some ended up rejecting the faith over this change. For a few years, Keta lived in Rochester, New York, as well, and loved it very much, but would always call Kingstree 'home'.

One major life-changing event for Keta was the birth of her son; Phillip Christopher DeMarco McGill, in 1983.  Keta was intently focused on what was best for Phillip and she made career choices based on what would keep her available to be with her son, even as she educated and bettered herself at the same time.  This desire to do what was best for her and her son and be the most successful, godly, versions of themselves that they could be, led to Keta moving Phillip with her to the Seattle, Washington area in the late 1980's.

In Seattle, Keta would be associated with the Lake City and Aurora Village congregations as a courageous single mother.  True to her values of not believing that any human has the right to restrict the potential of another, especially not based on race; Keta remembered taking a stand with white educators to let them know that her son was not going to be restricted to careers that fit the black stereotypes they had in mind.  At the same time, Keta also believed that the white elders in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were just as fine role models for her son as the black elders back home, were, even as she embraced peoples of all kinds, herself, in her new city.

On September 9, 2000, Keta married Benjamin Amos Joel Coulter and took advantage of this opportunity to legally change her name to fit what her father called her and carry on his memory, at the same time; making herself Emily Nikita Coulter.  Keta was a strong, capable, and fearless wife, supporting her husband with a generous, supportive, and hospitable spirit.  Keta and her husband ended up being members of the Aurora Village, Yesler, Ravenna Park, Ryan Way, White Center, and Rainier congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses during their years together.

Keta was proud of what her son became; a solid, mature, intelligent, accomplished man, in every way that she hoped, serving as a pioneer and elder in the congregation.  When Phillip married his wife, Nneka Rita Okoye, in 2007, it was clear to Keta that this was something right, something that fit, and Keta trusted Nneka like her own natural daughter.  Keta's thrill only grew more at the birth of her granddaughter and grandson; Zikora Chiamaka McGill and Ikenna Ebuka McGill.

Keta was a woman of many talents and seemingly capable of working any job that came her way.  Keta was best known for her cooking skills, in that she could seemingly create any dish, any meal, for any size of crowd, no matter how small the kitchen she had to work with.  Keta also worked various types of secretarial jobs, trained as a semi-truck driver, drove school bus, did hair dressing, among other endeavors, besides being an outstanding singer.  In all her work, Keta looked out for those who were overlooked, to make sure they got treated as humanely as possible.

Keta found herself in a job role that fit her particularly well when she came to work for Seattle Public Schools as a substitute custodian in 2010, which soon turned into a job as an Alarm Monitor in the Safety and Security Office, then a School Security Specialist at Hamilton and Denny Middle Schools.  'Ms. Keta' was known for her warm smile and wanted very badly to help children who were struggling through difficult times to find their way to better ones.

As an evangelizer, Keta was a great lover of people; serving for around 27 years as a regular pioneer in the congregation, around 10 years ministering to staff on cruise ships, and around 7 years ministering to inmates at the King County Correctional Facility.  Keta covered acres of ground as a minister; preaching in Kingstree and Rochester, then, in Seattle, Keta walked the streets and climbed the stairs of neighborhoods including Edmonds, Shoreline, Lake City, the University District, Laurelhurst, Windemere, Wallingford, the Central District, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Rainier Beach, SODO, Georgetown, White Center, Delridge, and South Park.

Keta made time with her Bible students to help them find jobs, homes, and so on.  More importantly, Keta made it her mission to especially help women to overcome traumas and addictions so that they could be the people that she knew Jehovah God saw them as and wanted them to be.  Keta's father had taught her that men were no better than women, Keta believed that Jehovah God felt the same way, and she deeply wanted to help women who had suffered in life to feel the love of God in the deepest and most empowering way possible.

Keta was not the type to be tied down to one 'favorite' scripture, but the one that possibly best describes her approach to life is the end of the first chapter of James, where it reads,  "The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation and keep oneself without spot from the world."  Keta was constantly on the lookout for the orphan, the widow, the disadvantaged, the suffering, and wanting to find a way to help them all, if she could.

Keta was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2022.  In retrospect, Keta's husband believes that he saw signs of this as early as 2018, if not before, but didn't realize it, at the time.  It wasn't clear, even at the time of diagnosis, whether or not Keta fully understood her condition.  However, Keta did understand that her memory was impacted and that her life would be cut unnaturally short.  Keta faced her illness with self-regulating practical courage; writing down people's names, practicing her reading, going on walks, and so on, to keep her mind going as long as she possibly could, and carried her constant concern for others every day.

In the glorious new heavens and new earth, Keta will likely thrill at the opportunity to help all those who have suffered in this world grow with the help of Christ into the 'glorious freedom of the children of God', mentioned in the eighth chapter of Romans.  Keta said that she wanted to 'ride the camels with Abraham' when that day came, and will be certainly be overjoyed to see all of us, again.  Eventually, there won't be anyone left for Keta to help overcome suffering or hurt or pain, but that will be okay, since, knowing Keta, she'll still be thrilled just to help everyone have a plain old good time for all eternity.

All arrangements and professional services have been entrusted to Henryhand Funeral Home of Kingstree, SC. 843-354-2292.