- April 24, 2024
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Erlene Turner used to tell people she was rich.
But not in monetary wealth or possessions. She was rich in life lessons.
As a child, she would sit on the porch with her great-grandfather, who would tell her stories of his life. She's blessed to have had the chance to grow up with him, Turner said, and she wishes she could thank him for all the hours they spent together. Her parents also played a major role in the way she carries herself today, with a penchant for kindness and service that has led her to be involved in numerous boards throughout her life. Her family was poor, but her and her sister didn't know that. Their needs were met and they were rich in all the ways that mattered.
“We were raised in a mother-father environment, where they showed love and in turn we gave love," Turner said. "We knew what love was all about."
The Ormond Beach Historical Society education chair said she looks at her life as a "west and east side story." Born in DeLand, she later moved to Ormond Beach in 1971 when she got a job as a teacher at Osceola Elementary after she graduated with a master's degree in education from the Florida Technological University, now known as the University of Central Florida. She was the only African American teacher at the beachside school, as Volusia began integrating students and teachers of color into white schools.
That didn't faze her. She wasn't truly alone.
"I did not go across that river without taking God with me," Turner said. "Every morning.”
"Erlene is on the Board of Ormond Beach Historical Society where she serves as our Education Committee Chair. A retired teacher, she is also on the Board of Oakridge Cemetery, heavily involved in leadership at her church and her sorority... She is a humble servant leader who deserves the recognition."
Bonda Garrison, past president of the Ormond Beach Historical Society
Turner taught at Osceola for 35 years before she retired and became a substitute teacher. Additionally, in 1988 she was named Osceola Elementary's Teacher of the Year.
But her love of service extended beyond the classroom. She has a long history of serving at her church — the New Bethel African Methodist Church in Ormond Beach — including being a past chair of the steward board. She is now the director of Christian education and prior to the pandemic, used to conduct Bible studies at Avante at Ormond Beach, a local assisted living facility. Turner has also served on the city's Leisures Services board, is active in her sorority chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, and serves on the board for the Oakridge Cemetery.
Her impact on the community doesn't end there. In 1992, she started a neighborhood watch program encompassing all historically African American streets in Ormond Beach, and she helped to restart the annual Martin Luther King breakfast at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center.
In January 2020, the Historical Society awarded Turner, a third-year member, with its Anderson-Price Memorial Award.
Everything she does is to help people, Turner said. It's all due to the love of mankind instilled in her by her family.
“As a member of the human race, I’m thankful to God for his mighty strength to serve the present age with love, compassion and understanding with the talents given to me," Turner said. "I’m also thankful to be a servant leader and to be able to have the art of getting along with people.”
