My father, V. H. Turner, age 94, passed away Saturday, April 21, 2018 as a result of falling and suffering a hip fracture that was deemed inoperable due to age and heart condition.
The funeral service will be at 1:00 P.M. Saturday April 28th at Mt. Carmel Cemetery Chapel, Wolfe City. He will be buried next to his parents, wife and oldest son in the cemetery. Visitation will be from 11:00 A.M. until the service time.
He was born September 1, 1923 in a Hunt County farm house to Vaden and Flora Harwell Turner. He was a child and teen during the Great Depression but he said that didn’t bother him since all farmers were poor and raised most of their own food.
He married his high school sweetheart, Eloyise Thornton on graduation day and the following year they had a baby boy, Michael just before VH was drafted into the Navy for WWII. Returning home from the Navy he fathered a second son. He became a home delivery milkman, starting out with a horse drawn wagon. He stayed with the company and in 1957 he was promoted to be in charge of North Texas Home deliveries for Cabell’s Dairies in Dallas.
In 1957 he started a 42 year career owning/managing Humble/Enco/Exxon service stations in Pleasant Grove; 35 years at Lake June and Jim Miller and 6 years at R.L. Thornton and Jim Miller.
He retired at age 67 and with his wife enjoyed continuing their passion for Motor-Home traveling, especially spending every summer in Colorado with family and friends.
VH will be remembered as a devout Christian, with family first priorities and a friend to all. He is most remembered for his quick wit and endless stories.
Every small child looks up to their daddy as special. For me, that was strengthened when I went to work for him at age 13 at the station. I watched him daily at work, at home, in the community and at church seeing the same man in every situation applying the same principles of his Christian upbringing. He forever will be my hero and mentor.
Rest well dad, you have run a good race.
V H was preceded in death by his wife Eloyise Turner and son. Michael Turner.
He is survived by his son, Pat Turner & wife Dorene of Rockwall, daughter-in-law, Fabiola Turner of Houston, grandchildren: Kim Smaistrla and husband, Jeff of Alvin, Dawnyel Williams of Rockwall, Jason Turner and wife Dara of San Antonio, Tiffany Hayden and husband, Jeremy of South Carolina, great-grandchildren: Michaela Dillman, Ian Turner, Lily Williams, Turner Williams, Kinsley Williams, Clayton Hayden, Carrie Spinks, Rachel Tidwell, and three great-great-grandchildren.