Monday, January 29, 2007

Minister who lost 3 sons counsels youth

The Rev. Leondis Fuller had three sons, and each of them died by the shot. On the funeral for the last one after Fuller gave his eulogy. He implores young people to come forward. "Now, as you make your way back to your seats, I want each of you to shake my hand, give me a hug and tell me you're going to change," Fuller said. Fuller was feed up with Milwaukee's inner city violence and dysfunctional family cycles. Gunfire stole his only three biological children from his 12-year-old, 21-year-old and 27-year-old sons all within a half mile and nine years.

He depleted 20 years addicted to alcohol and 14 years to drugs, but he turned his life around. Now, at 48, he spends nearly all his waking hours serving other battered souls, including father's right out of prison, and drug and alcohol abusers, and fighting the violence that claimed his sons. "We can't just turn our back toward the crime and violence in our city," he said, speaking frequently without notes, his voice rising and falling. Afterward, a couple sitting in the pew behind Fuller told him how sorry they were to hear of the death of his children.