{"id":24809,"date":"2026-02-12T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/?p=24809"},"modified":"2026-02-10T19:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:17:34","slug":"raquel-and-coleman-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/raquel-and-coleman-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Raquel and Coleman March: Faith through decades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cFOR I know the plans I have for you,\u201d declares the Lord, \u201cplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bible verse stands as a cornerstone for the Tullahoma couple, Raquel and Coleman March. Married for 33 years, the couple has celebrated the ups of married life and weathered the downs. Their success over three decades of marriage is attributed to their strong faith and dedication to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photography by Ashleigh Newnes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BAND CAMP LEADS TO DESTINY
<\/strong>Raquel remembers well when she met the man who would become her future husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe met at Tennessee State University (TSU) in 1987,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth of us were incoming freshmen in the TSU Aristocrat of Bands. We loved band.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raquel added that her first impression of Coleman was that he was \u201ca little stuck up,\u201d but she was still interested in learning more about him. That interest would grow once she found out that she had unknowingly known him most of her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA couple of weeks before school actually starts at TSU, you\u2019re in band camp, and we had to get up and introduce ourselves,\u201d she explained. \u201cI said I was from Murfreesboro, and he got up and said he was from Lynchburg. I begin to think. My stepdad\u2019s grandmother lived in Lynchburg, and we would go at least three times a year to see her and visit during the summer. We\u2019d sit on the front porch and eat pie. There was a neighbor who had kids, and this little boy would be riding his bike up and down the street, and I noticed that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After some further investigation and reminiscing, Raquel realized that Coleman was, in fact, the little boy that she had seen riding up and down the street all those years ago. Their paths had crossed long before college, as if destiny had been quietly weaving them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two came together almost instantly and were engaged by their sophomore year, but their love story wasn\u2019t without detours. Coleman said when Raquel struggled with side effects from an allergy medicine she was taking, it made her self\u2011conscious about her looks. Pulling away and not wanting him to see her that way, a young and unsure Coleman decided to break things off. They spent three years apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was the most miserable three years of my life,\u201d he said. \u201cI would always pray, \u2018Lord, you just give me another chance. I promise I\u2019ll do this, I promise I\u2019ll do that.\u2019 And He did give us another chance. From that day on, I haven\u2019t looked back since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photography by Ashleigh Newnes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TRIALS THAT TESTED THEIR FAITH
<\/strong>Coleman and Raquel\u2019s marriage, like any, has weathered its share of storms. Coleman recalled one of the hardest seasons for the couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2010, I had a bout with depression because I had lost my job, and fell down on myself,\u201d he said. \u201cIn addition to that, I was a partner in a business here in Tullahoma, and the business basically went belly up, and we got stuck with taxes. I was worried about how we were going to make ends meet. I know it was hard for Raquel, but she hung in there with me until I received counseling and the proper treatment for depression. That was almost 16 years ago. She\u2019s a very strong woman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raquel said that time in their marriage only made her more resolved to work through things and to stand by Coleman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cColeman and I were raised the same way,\u201d she stated. \u201cOur parents were basically similar in that you don\u2019t give up when you\u2019re married to someone. You honor your vows, and you say, \u2018In sickness and health [until] death do us part.\u2019 I also wanted to make sure that he\u2019s OK. To think that you would leave somebody over something like that when they need people the most is hard to do. I enjoy being there for him and being his support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the couple, faith was their anchor, and their belief in God carried them through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photography by Ashleigh Newnes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WHAT KEEPS THEM TOGETHER
<\/strong>When asked what he loves most about Raquel, Coleman said it\u2019s without a doubt, Raquel\u2019s personality, and that she\u2019s only improved over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer personality,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s beautiful inside and out. When she looks in the mirror, she probably sees she\u2019s changed a little, but I don\u2019t look at it that way. If there are any changes, they have only advanced what was already there in the first place. We were friends before we became lovers. That\u2019s the most beautiful part of her \u2014 her personality and inner strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raquel, in turn, admires Coleman\u2019s gift of connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the things I love most about Coleman \u2014 and there are several \u2014 but one of the things I love most is how he connects with people,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where we are, we could be at the grocery store, we could be at church, we could be with family. He\u2019s always got that connection, and people are drawn to him because he\u2019s so encouraging. And I want to be like him. Having him in my life helps me not to be so standoffish. Seeing Coleman with people, I see him as drawing people in, and I want to be like he is \u2014 caring and encouraging to other people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a pastor at Shorter Chapel AME in Tullahoma, Coleman often counsels couples. His advice is simple but profound: \u201cCommunicate, communicate, communicate. Don\u2019t let everybody in your business because some people don\u2019t mean you well,\u201d Coleman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raquel agrees, reminding couples that prayer and faith are essential. Their marriage is proof that proof that love withstands storms, heals wounds, and grows stronger with time. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFOR I know the plans I have for you,\u201d declares the Lord, \u201cplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 This bible verse stands as a cornerstone for the Tullahoma couple, Raquel and Coleman March. Married for 33 years, the couple has celebrated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nRaquel and Coleman March: Faith through decades - Tullahoma, TN Good News Exchange<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/raquel-and-coleman-march\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Raquel and Coleman March: Faith through decades - Tullahoma, TN Good News Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cFOR I know the plans I have for you,\u201d declares the Lord, \u201cplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 This bible verse stands as a cornerstone for the Tullahoma couple, Raquel and Coleman March. 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