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She had a beautiful soprano voice and loved to sing in church choirs. Her favorite was a gospel song, "The Battle Is Not Yours; It's the Lord's." The night before she would be killed by a hijacked plane that terrorists rammed into the Pentagon, Peggie Hurt, 36, took her godmother to dinner for her 86th birthday. Hurt worked as a civilian accountant for the U.S. Army. An honors graduate of Virginia State University, she lived in Springfield, Va., but regularly visited her hometown of Kenbridge, Va. "I would describe her as the glue in the family," said her friend Phylis Adams. "She didn't have brothers or sisters, but when she went home to Kenbridge, she made it her business to visit and check in with everybody, aunts and uncles and cousins." Hurt attended the Black Family Reunion on the Mall in Washington, D.C. She visited the Smithsonian for new exhibits. She enjoyed Caribbean food. Adams underwent surgery about three years ago and Hurt stayed with her for several nights. "I will miss just spending time together," Adams said. "I called a friend last night and asked who is going to baby-sit me now that Peggie is gone."

Profile courtesy of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE.