Nathan King’s Mother Remembers Her Loving Son
September 28, 2015
Nathan King was a father of three, a man in good health, proud of his African American and Native American heritage and strong family. He died in the Polk County Jail in July, 2015. He was 37 years old, healthy, and had tested negative for tuberculosis upon arrival. His death, however, was ruled a result of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Topics: Custody Death, Medical, Pretrial Policy
Polk County
Nathan D. King was part of the Livingston, Texas, community when he died at the age of 37 in 2015. He was also part of a close family, and his mother, Mrs. Timmie King, has plenty of memories, such as how much he loved her cooking, animals, football, and of course, his three children. “He liked to eat!” she said. “I‘d cook his favorites—fried chicken, rice and beans, greens and cornbread, or candied yams. Good soul food. And of course, he loved ribs and biscuits.”
Nathan had a great love of animals, too. Mrs. King remembers a Rottweiler and a pit bull and especially, the German Shepherd named Logan. “While we were living out in California, he got Logan and he wouldn’t leave him behind. We drove back with Logan with us. And when that dog died, he really cried over him.”
Growing up, Nathan played baseball and basketball and excelled in football at Livingston High School, where he graduated in 1996.
When Nathan developed some mental disorders, he was told he’d have to take the meds the rest of his life, and he did well with that, Mrs. King said. And when his old teammates and friends from high school saw him, they’d show their concern.
“How you doing, Nate-dog?’ That’s what they called him. ‘You going to make it just fine.’ They were concerned about him.”
He was a fanatic about what people should drink. “No sodas!” He said it should be water and Gator Aid.
Mrs. King hadn’t realized how much influence he had on his teammates until the sad day of his funeral. One of his classmates got up to speak and described how Nate-dog would bring his Bible on the bus on the way to the games, and how Nathan would read and pray with them.
He also lectured them about drinking healthy drinks, instead of soda.
“He was a fanatic about what people should drink,” said Mrs. King. “No sodas! He said it should be water and Gator Aid.”
His mother feels like he was dedicated to his fellow teammates—a mentor to them.
After he was grown and had children of his own, he took them to the high school games. Of course, his three kids miss him a lot. His oldest son plays football at the same school his dad went to and he wears the same jersey: Number 21.It was hard for his son at the first game this year—the first year his father wasn’t there to cheer him on.
“That was emotional for him,” said Mrs. King. “He takes it one day at a time. We all do.”
Texas Jail Project featured Nathan in our story collection of the harms of pretrial detention in JailhouseStories.org.