Myrna G Turner

A Graveside Memorial Service and Inurnment for Myrna G. Turner will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege, Nebraska with Chaplain Kathy Doiel officiating.
Myrna Gail Turner, 88 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away the morning of Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at Holdrege Memorial Homes. Myrna was born on January 26, 1935, in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was born to Clarence Arthur and Violet Mary (Merriott) Halpain, her siblings were Norman, Arlene, Darlene, and Dave. She received her education in St. Joseph and graduated from Benton High School in St. Joseph with the class of 1953.

On June 13, 1953, she was united in marriage to Jack E. Turner in St. Joseph, and to this union, four children were born: Janet, Jon, Kelly, and Becky.

In 1955, Jack was inducted into the U.S. Army, and Myrna moved with her husband to Fort Knox, Kentucky, and spent one year in Frankfort, Germany.

Myrna and Jack owned the Hy-Klas Grocery Stores in Syracuse, Nebraska, and St. Joseph. In 1969, the family moved to Holdrege where Jack became a partner in Strong Brothers Inc., a car dealership. From 1979 until 1985, the family lived in Salisbury, Missouri, where they owned and operated Jack Turner, Inc. selling Chevy, Pontiac, and Buicks. In 1985, they returned to Holdrege where they lived out the remainder of their lives.

Myrna was a cherished mother and grandmother. A typical Saturday morning at grandma's house looked like making biscuits and gravy for one grandchild, followed by pancakes for the next, bacon and eggs for another, and then straight into making a chocolate cake. (*Her children did not always enjoy the same treatment in their childhood.) Myrna had a way of making birthdays and holidays magical. She would give each family member a turn at circling their wish list in the annual JC Penney Christmas catalog and spend months in advance wrapping every present with intricate bows and immaculate presentation. She made batches of homemade candy to take to hand out to the neighbors and friends.

Myrna's closet was open to all, and over the years, jewelry, shoes, sweaters, and coats were loaned out, and occasionally even returned. On rainy days, Myrna would gather umbrellas and send everyone out to splash in the puddles. She was always ready for a trip to the park with a loaf of bread in hand to feed the ducks.

Myrna was the heart of the family, always available for advice, a place to stay, money for gas, and loans to help children and grandchildren as they started their life journeys.

Myrna loved shopping for antiques, long drives with her husband in one of the cars he would bring home from the dealership, and evenings outside on her back patio around a campfire. Myrna could often be found at the kitchen table over a game of Solitaire while she waited for a load of laundry to dry, or quietly reading literary fiction in one of the many wingback chairs she owned over the years. She saved her husband thousands of dollars over their lifetime with all of her wise shopping decisions, and she made sure her family NEVER ran out of toilet paper.

In her younger years, she was an avid golfer. She stayed in close contact with her high school classmates throughout her lifetime and enjoyed attending annual class reunions in St. Joseph.

Myrna chose to be kind and chose to be happy, and brought immeasurable love and warmth to her family and friends.

Besides her parents; Myrna was preceded in death by her daughter, Janet Gail Schievelbein; her son, Jon Carl Turner; husband Jack Earl Turner; two brothers: Norman Halpain, and David Halpain; and sister, Arlene Messner.

She leaves to celebrate her life; her children: Kelly Henry and her husband, Larry of Holdrege; and Becky Neemann and her husband, Craig of Lincoln, Nebraska; eight grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Sharon Turner of Lake Ozark, Missouri; sister, Darlene West of St. Joseph; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
There will be no memorial book signing or visitation as the family is honoring Myrna's wish for cremation.

A memorial has been established in Myrna's honor and kindly suggested to Holdrege Memorial Homes.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.