Etta Crittendon Murphy Coleman, lovingly known as “Mama Etta,” was a native of Shelbyville, KY and a graduate of Lincoln Institute and attended Kentucky State University.  She was an educator of special needs children and the director of the Dorman Training Center in its infancy, a career that would span 30 years.

She was a member of the Board of Directors and Corresponding Secretary for the Shelby County Alumni Chapter of the National Lincoln Institute of Kentucky Alumni Association, Inc. She was the Secretary of the Amanda Smith Circle of the International Order of Kings’ Daughters and Sons, an NAACP member, and the backbone of the former Shelbyville Community Center. Service was her purpose, and she helped many, many individuals throughout her lifetime. She was a devoted member of Canaan Christian Church, where she volunteered in the bookstore and participated in the monthly book club.

Mama Etta died Friday, December 4, 2020, at the age of 87.