Warren Wesley Turner

Warren Wesley Turner was born on April 2, 1935 to Earl B. and Esther (Johnson) Turner at Lockridge, Iowa. He passed away on November 19, 2015 in Centralia, Washington. He graduated from Burlington High School in Burlington, Iowa in 1954 and then attended Burlington College where he received his Associate of Arts Degree in 1956. He worked 4 summers for the Forest Service in Wyoming. In 1957 he received his draft notice and was inducted into the U.S. Army on December 4, 1957. His basic training took place at Fort Carson, Colorado. He was eventually stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He reached the rank of Specialist 4 – Combat Engineer. He received his Honorable Discharge on November 30, 1963. Warren met Patricia Wooldridge in 1958 at the YWCA in Olympia. Three months prior to their marriage on June 13, 1959 he asked for Pat's hand in marriage. She was the love of his life for 56+ years. They had two daughters, Debra and Rebecca. In 1965 they moved to Camp Grisdale. He was hired as the timekeeper and eventually was the Camp Administrator. While living in Grisdale, he taught first aid and drove the ambulance as an EMT. He was also on the school board for Quinault School District for a number of years. During the summers the family would go out into the woods to pick blackberries which Warren would make into wine or Pat would make into jam. They lived in Grisdale for 20 years, until it closed in 1985. After Grisdale closed, Warren started the yearly Grisdale Reunions for all families that lived and/or worked at Grisdale. When Grisdale closed, Warren transferred to the Simpson Waterfront in Shelton where he worked until his retirement in 1994. He worked for Simpson Timber Company for 35 years. In 1992 he was awarded Citizen of the Year for 1991 for his work on the establishment of the Loggers Memorial which is on the corner of 2nd and Railroad Avenue in Shelton. On the day he retired, he got home and Pat was in the motorhome ready to go, literally it was running. He went from the truck to the motorhome without missing a beat. They traveled the United States for 9 months, exactly what they planned to do for their retirement. While on the road, he enjoyed making wind spinners, working with his lathe, and making candy. He loved giving his candy to family and friends. They came home for a few months and then headed out to travel for 10 years. It was an amazing adventure for both of them. When they came off the road, they settled in Nyssa, Oregon to be near Becky and her family. But the elevation in Nyssa was not great for Dad’s health. They moved to Chehalis, Washington in June 2013. In November 2013 he underwent back surgery from which he never really recovered. Warren is survived by his wife of 56+ years, Patricia – the love of his life, daughter Debra (Eric) Dobson of Shelton, Washington and daughter Rebecca (Marco) Rodriguez of Nyssa, Oregon. Grandchildren: David (Jamie) Dobson, Shelton Washington; Sarah Dobson, Shelton, Washington; Jarad LaMarsh, Payette, Idaho; Victoria Rodriguez, Nyssa, Oregon; and Francesca Rodriguez, Nyssa, Oregon. Great Grandchildren: McKenzie Dobson and Drake Dobson – they lit up his world! Brothers: Verle Turner, Fairfax, Virginia and Eugene Turner, Burlington, Iowa. Sisters: Cheryl Murguia, Des Moines, Iowa and Twyla Tweed, Burlington, Iowa. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who affectionately called him Uncle Buck, a nickname he received in Iowa as a young boy. He was preceased in death by parents Earl and Esther and brother Cecil. The family would like to thank the staff at Liberty Country Home (Prestige Care) for taking such good care of Warren (Buck). A Celebration of Life will be held on December 6, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Montesano Moose Lodge.

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