HUMPREHEYS COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rachel Woodall had only been working at Accurate Energetic Systems for about a month when an explosion at the Tennessee munitions plant took her life along with 15 coworkers earlier this month.
Now her twin sister Ashley is searching for peace while remembering the 28-year-old as a kind, sassy woman who "loved big and loved hard."
"She was kind. She was sassy, feisty. She loved big, and she loved hard that's for sure," Ashley Woodall said.
Rachel was an aunt, sister, daughter and friend who loved the movie Lilo and Stitch, her boyfriend and their dogs. Ashley said her sister had a sassy side she enjoyed the most.
The family knew little about Rachel's work at the plant near Bucksnort before the deadly blast.
"We didn't really even know anything about what she did there at all. Like we had no idea, that's even what they were doing. She didn't really talk about work, so it was quite a shock to find out it was that dangerous," Ashley Woodall said.
Rachel and her 15 coworkers who died in the explosion were more than names on paper - they were loved by the community.
Now life without her sister feels empty.
"The world just feels wrong without her in it. Like he and I both feel like a part of our soul left with her, and it's just missing," she said.
Ashley still finds herself reaching for her phone each morning, missing their daily conversations.
"I talk to her every single morning. So, adjusting to not having that text when I wake up and I'm taking care of my son in like, four o'clock in the morning, that's been really difficult," Ashley Woodall said.
Ashley hopes people who hear Rachel's story learn about kindness, authenticity and loving people without judgment. Above all, she wants the world to remember her sister's heart.
"I think I just want them to remember that she was a kind girl who loved every person in her life with everything that she had," Ashley Woodall said. "She was a girl that was full of light and love and life. Yeah, nobody could have changed that."
The family is planning a celebration of life - a party, not a funeral - just the way Rachel wanted. Ashley said it was something they discussed after their father's death in 2023. They don't want people to be sad, so they will have a party in her honor. If you want to help support the celebration of life the family has created a GoFundMe account.
This story was reported on-air by Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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