Friends, family and even local business owners came together to say their goodbyes.

The 56-year-old had gone from an enigmatic, isolated woods dweller to a man who counted hundreds of Statesville residents as family.

“He was a gentle soul -- a kind soul -- so well loved by people that met him and knew him,” Dawn Morrison said.

Steele "was a reminder of what church could and should be,” said First Baptist Pastor Nelson Granade, who officiated the memorial service.

At the end of his memorial speech for Steele, Granade read appropriate passages from the Book of Matthew, chapter 25 verses 35 and 36.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”