Wm "Bill" Turner (Hartville)'s Obituary
William C. "Bill" Turner of Hartville, Missouri, departed this earthly life March 11, 2013 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, after a recent heart ailment.
Born near Flat Rock south of Mansfield, Missouri, on February 5, 1925, Billy Coolidge was the fifth of six children born to John Andrew and Minnie Josephine (Rowland) Turner, and he often spoke of helping his father cut down trees with a crosscut saw as well as helping his mother cook and sew.
A 1943 graduate of Miller High School, Bill developed a lifelong love for farming through his experiences in agriculture classes and his FFA projects of livestock and beekeeping. One of his favorite memories was of purchasing his class ring with $17.50 that he earned by milking cows for his neighbors.
Bill courted Kathryn Cantrell from Duncan, and they were married December 7, 1952, in a ceremony at Reverend Paul Tripp's house in Mansfield in the presence of lifelong friends Delbert and Dortha Dickson. After a brief honeymoon in Mtn. Home, Arkansas, the newlyweds returned to their farm in Wright County, Missouri, where they operated a dairy, developed a reputation for registered Hampshire hogs, and raised a family of five children.
In addition to farming, Bill also founded and managed the MFA feeder pig program in Mansfield, worked for a swine supplement company called ANAPCO out of Marionville, Missouri, and eventually founded his own livestock vitamin/mineral pre-mix company called Turner’s Special Supply.
Bill frequently shared with others his earliest experiences in a church near Mansfield, including his salvation at the age of 13. Throughout his life, Bill blessed the surrounding community with his tireless devotion to Mt. Zion Baptist Church where he acted as deacon, Sunday school teacher, and music leader for many years. He loved to attend "music parties," and although he often sang solos for weddings, funerals, and in church services, some of his favorite times were singing in different quartets throughout the years.
Among his many talents, Bill was also a skilled woodworker, and his hands crafted countless treasures for his family members and friends. Few things in life brought him more joy than to visit with friends, telling stories and sharing laughter during his daily trips to town to pick up the mail.
Bill is survived by his wife Kathryn, of Hartville; son David Turner of Alameda, California: son Denis Turner and his wife Lynn of Hartville; daughter Rita Snavely and her husband Jim Preston of Republic; daughter Twana Turner of Lake Ozark; and son Roger Turner and his wife Carmen of Lake Ozark; thirteen grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; one brother Junior Turner and his wife Florette; six nieces and nephews; and more relatives and friends than surely could be counted.
Preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Rowland and Maxwell Turner; and two sisters, Eva Dunham and Reva Todd, Bill told the doctors just last week how much he anticipated the reunion with family and friends that Heaven would bring to him. We gratefully acknowledge that our Dad, our Papaw, our friend is dancing in the Heaven that he loved to sing about, but we will surely miss him.
A Memorial has been established to Mt. Zion Cemetery, American Heart Association or American Cancer Society, and donations may be made through the funeral home.
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