Baker City, Oregon
George E. Turner, 94, a longtime Baker City resident, died Oct. 26, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Visitations will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception after the service at the Baker United Methodist Church, 1919 Second St.
George was born at Medical Springs on June 21, 1912, to Alton and Mabel Bowman Turner. He was raised on a ranch in the Medical Springs area. He married Pearl “Babe” Emery Turner in 1933. They had one child, Roger Turner, in 1934.
After Babe’s death in 1995, George married Effie Collins Turner in 1996.
George attended grade school at the Blue Mountain School at Medical Springs until the eighth grade. Upon graduation from grade school, he attended two years of high school in Baker City and then two years of business school in Baker City.
George worked many jobs in his early years including farming, ranching and as a sawmill worker. He worked many years in budgeting and accounting for the majority of his career. He worked as a civilian accountant for 26 years for the U.S. government. George lived at Moses Lake, Wash., Wiesbaden, Germany, and Orlando, Fla., during his time in civil service.
George loved the great outdoors. He enjoyed fishing and hunting when he was not working. He loved to hunt birds and deer. He enjoyed many hours at the Snake River fishing for crappie, which were some of his favorite fish to catch. He also enjoyed traveling with the Good Sam Club.
George and Effie worked many diligent hours in getting the Senior Center (Community Connection) built. This was one of his dreams, which has greatly helped the Baker City community.
George was president of Seniors Inc. for about 20 years and head of the pinochle club. He enjoyed calling bingo while he lived at Settler’s Park. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Survivors include his wife, Effie Turner of Baker City; daughter-in-law, Arleta Turner of Lebanon; stepchildren, Stan Wellman, and his wife, Joanne, of Baker City, Beverly Grant of Eugene and George Collins of Lakeview; grandchildren and their spouses, Lanna and Gary Dawson of Clatskanie, Kellie and Rock Harrold of Albany and Bret and Shelia Turner of Ontario; great-grandchildren, Zeb Johnson of Clatskanie, Tara Dawson of Eugene, J.V. Dawson of La Grande, Zack Harrold of Eugene, Kassidy Harrold of Albany and Amelia and Hailee Turner, both of Ontario.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Pearl “Babe” Turner; and his son, Roger Turner.
Memorial contributions may be made to Seniors Inc. or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, October 30, 2006
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor