In Chicago today, friends and family gathered at a public memorial service for Jennifer Hudson’s slain family. According to the Chicago Tribune, a church service for slain relatives of actress Jennifer Hudson drew smiles and tears from church goers who gathered today to pay respects to Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew.

A cousin described Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, as a joyous woman who grew up on the South Side loving God and the Supremes. “She taught me how to shake a tail feather,” said Shari Sweat, eliciting laughter from the crowd of nearly 100 gathered for the service at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.

Hundreds of people were lined up outside the small church on Greenwood Avenue to pay respects to the family when the church was opened to the public about 4 p.m.

Rev. Quentin Washington remembered being in the children’s choir at the church with Jennifer Hudson’s brother, Jason Hudson.

“We had fun at church,” he said of those days.

Jennifer Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, was remembered by his second grade teacher as a good student with any infectious sense of humor.

“When Julian raised his hand in class, he had that enthusiastic look in his eye,” teacher Carmen Williams said.

No one has been charged in the killings. Police confirmed Friday they found the gun used in the three killings in a vacant lot on the city’s West Side. Authorities have called Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, 27-year-old William Balfour, a “person of interest.”

Balfour is in custody on a parole violation. According to sources, they expect to file charges in the murder investigation later this week.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.