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Pastor describes Turner as smart, generous child

By By Patrick Johnston
Published: June 26, 2009

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By Patrick Johnston
pjohnston@eufaulatribune.com

Pastor Steve Montgomery has a visitor every week before Sunday school.

Montgomery, the pastor of Grace Independent Baptist Church on Highway 30, always looks forward to Nathaniel Turner’s visits.

Nathaniel, 7, is a smart kid according to Montgomery. He frequently memorizes Bible verses from Sunday school class lessons.

Turner was looking forward to church camp this summer. That was before he learned that he would spend the summer with his father, Leslie G. Schuler, in Worcester, Mass.

“He had helped raise money for camp this summer, but was unable to attend because he had to go to his father’s house for the summer,” Montgomery recalled Wednesday. “But even when he found out he could not go to camp, he was still willing to help so the other kids could go.”

Stories of such kindness were common Wednesday from those who know Turner.

“The smile in the picture - he has it all the time,” Eufaula Primary School principal Suzann Tibbs said of a recently-taken photo. “With the dimple.”

More on this story appears in the weekend edition of The Tribune, available Friday morning.